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Herniated Disc SymptomsSubject: CVS Pharmacist calls customer a "Fucking AIDS freak"
Author: ultimauw@hotmail.comDate: 11 Sep 2008
http://consumerist.com/5047882/cvs-employee-calls-customer-a-fucking-aids-freak
Check out this stunning exchange between a Philadelphia CVS employee
and a customer:
His response was "Whatever, somebody needs to come deal with this
because I'm about to go off..."
"You're about to 'Go off?', I asked him."Do you really think
that's the best thing to say to a paying customer?"
And at this point, with his back turned to me, the young man
muttered "Fucking AIDS freak."
Read J's full story of how it got to this point, and CVS' meager
response, below.
Here's J's full email, for those of you who want a more detailed
story:
In what has been one of the most horrifying experiences of my
entire life, I have had a dreadful recent encounter at my local CVS.
Ironically one of the other worst customer-service related mishaps
I've ever had was at a CVS as well, though not the same one...
I was in my local CVS in Philadelphia getting my partner's
prescription filled. We are a gay male couple and my partner is HIV+.
The medication, Atripla, is HIV related. We are both currently on a
medicaid-related health insurance plan, a situation that is new to us
and directly related to his current health issues.
I had in hand a coupon from the local paper that awarded me a $20
gift card if I transferred a prescription to CVS. I had actually used
the coupon the day before for another prescription, as it says you can
do use it multiple times (just not on the same day.)
On this particular day they were having a very hard time getting
through to the other pharmacy to put the transfer through. The staff
was also particularly snide and unpleasant; more so than usual, at any
rate.
After the fiasco of getting the actual transfer put through, when
the young man attempted to ring me up and process my coupon, something
went wrong in the computer. Another employee came by to try and figure
things out, and they determined that the coupon was not acceptable for
those with Medicaid.
I got a little agitated because they weren't being particularly
polite about it, and I tried to explain that I wasn't specifically on
Medicaid proper, but on a related plan. I also pointed out that I had
just used the same coupon the day before. They then called over
another young man who was apparently a manager. His actual position in
the store is still up for debate; he appeared to be a front-of-store
manager who was doing some work in the pharmacy area.
He walked into the situation with an extremely aggressive
attitude. He wouldn't allow me to actually SAY anything or discuss the
situation with him, and it was clear he was taking an "I know what I'm
talking about, I know what you're up to, and I'm going to nip this in
the bud" kind of stance with the whole thing. I was getting impatient,
embarassed and frustrated. The whole of the staff back there were just
glaring at me, and I was extremely perturbed.
My inclination in these situations, which seem to happen more
frequently these days, is to try and be rational and direct without
being rude. I said to this young man "You know what? I don't think
you're handling this very well or being very polite, and I'd like to
speak to someone else about this."
His response was "Whatever, somebody needs to come deal with this
because I'm about to go off..."
"You're about to 'Go off?', I asked him (probably exacerbating the
situation, I admit.) "Do you really think that's the best thing to say
to a paying customer?"
And at this point, with his back turned to me, the young man
muttered "Fucking AIDS freak."
I have to be honest with you: I'm 30 years old, and in all of my
adult life - with all of the bigotry and hatred I have encountered in
various forms and situations - this was the absolute most shocking and
flabbergasting thing that has ever happened to me.
It was one of those situations where I was so stunned and slack-
jawed that I had no real faculties to handle the situation. It's the
kind of anger that silences you while your body tenses up and you try
to control the shaking that's coming from the inside out.
By this point a woman, the manager of the pharmacy, had approached
me and asked - stone faced - if she could help. I told her that if her
employees felt comfortable speaking to customers they way they just
did, and in her presence, that I didn't think she COULD help because
obviously they felt doing so was okay. I asked her to void my
prescription transfer and I left.
When I got home I immediately called a different CVS location and
asked for a number to call to file a complaint. I called a local
"headquarters" number and left a complaint on a voicemail for a
district manager. I also called the general 800 number for CVS and
left a complain with the customer service person. I was told the
general manager of the store, Anthony, was on vacation until Monday.
On Monday, Anthony did call me back. Our conversation was brief
and typical of what I expected. I was told that he would investigate
the situation, and that if what I described did, in fact, happen, it
would be dealt with. But that basically he couldn't promise anything
other than that if I ever came into the store again and something
similar happened, I should ask to speak to him directly.
I can tell you now that nothing really came of the situation. The
young man still works at that CVS, and I have done my best to simply
not go there anymore. As it is located only 2 bocks from my apartment,
and is the only 24-hour estalishment in the area, I do still go
occasionally, hating myself every step of the way.
I don't know what I expected CVS to do. I suppose - and I say this
laughingly - an apologetic gift card might have been nice. But the
real point is, is there any real resolution to a situation like this?
Other than having the guy on video or audio tape, he's obviously going
to deny that it happened, and his co-worker chums - presuming they
heard what he said (as that one part is probably the only "fireable"
part of his lousy customer service) - didn't seem the types inclined
to get involved.
There's no real great way to wrap up this report. I guess the
great lesson is, people can still be complete douchebags, and
sometimes there's nothing you can do about it.<snip>
