Pharmacy review
In…read moreshort
I know I can't complain much, because it isn't even Bartell's anymore--it's Rite-Aid in subsidiary form, responding to that company's leadership. But this was ridiculous.
In long
I was overdue for a booster and wanted to get in to the closest pharma to my house. I've had a handful of solid experiences here, anyway, through the years.
Booking was easy online, even got to pre-load my insurance info and all that.
Rescheduling online was also easy when I ended up making fun plans during my originally-scheduled time slot.
I finally get in and the store seems the same--multiple rows, multiple aisles, clean, brightly lit, seems well-enough organized (though that's coming from someone who wasn't shopping).
Get back to the pharma counter and 4 folks are working. 2 folks in line. One finally finishes and I step up.
Been about 5 minutes at this point, but all is normal so far.
One person peels off to help the drive-through folks. Were they really next? I dunno, but it's easier to feel abandoned at the window if nobody comes over, so I get it.
10 more minutes go by.
Dude isn't paying attention, and neither am I, because I hadn't realized there was now a line behind me. Dude jumps the line. He, uh, clearly needs his meds, and has some difficulty walking, so I don't feel the least bit bad waiting a little longer.
I'm still standing at the window, big dude wearing a bright-red plaid shirt. Somebody else jumps the line. She is able-bodied, and also needs the tech to ring out a couple bottles of wine from her shopping. He does.
I am now almost 30 minutes into my visit, no one has said hello, and I am the least thing from invisible. Finally the tech working the drive-through comes back over, apologizes profusely, gets things started, and I stand there for a few minutes. Another tech comes over, points to me, says they had better "verify" me, and they walk away. Who thinks this is the right way to behave around customers?
Approaching 45 minutes of waiting, the main pharma says they don't have the vax I've been on. Asks if I'll take another one. I say I have no idea whether I should. I have to ask him what I should consider before deciding, and he says people switch back and forth all the time without issue. Okay. Why hadn't you said that up front?
I wait 10 more minutes and finally get the jab. He's pleasant and competent and I am in and out quickly. The "consultation room" is a combination storeroom/washroom, with stacks of boxes blocking a sink. It feels like the washroom in any strip mall restaurant on 99.
In the end, a visit that could have taken maybe 5 minutes took almost an hour, while they ignored me, made odd comments within earshot, and asked odd questions.
This does not seem like the kind of work environment where people can thrive.
Unless you're just using the retail side, I'd avoid.