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Service with a Sneer
Does poor customer service drive you crazy?
Yes, of course it does, why wouldn’t it? But what about customer service with an attitude?
That’s been the issue for me and my family for a couple of years now, at least when it comes to getting prescriptions filled at our local CVS drugstore. When our son began attending daycare a couple of years ago, you can imagine how many trips we had to make to deal with the various viruses and sundry sniffles that were being brought home along with his artwork.
The CVS seemed to be in chaos no matter what time my wife or I showed up there; misplaced orders and, once, a wrong refill seemed to be the norm, and the general air of frantic turmoil behind the counter didn’t exactly inspire customer confidence.
(For those of you unaware, CVS stands for “Consumer Value Stores,” though the company’s CEO, Tom Ryan, said in a 2006 interview that he prefers “Convenience, Value, and Service.” A rose by any other name…)
After one dizzying (and time-consuming) experience too many, I decided we’d take our trade across the street to the Brooks Pharmacy. I’ll admit that Brooks’ complete dearth of customers was a bit daunting, but anything had to be better than continuing to do the CVS Shuffle.
Right?
Well, no. I hadn’t yet been exposed to the chief pharmacist at Brooks, who physically looks like one of those kindly druggists you’d see in old movies like It’s a Wonderful Life.
Of course, that film’s Mr. Gower inadvertently put poison in a child’s medicine bottle. Mr. Brooks didn’t do that, but he had an attitude a mile wide.
(He’s not actually called “Mr. Brooks”; I just like the serendipity of giving him the same name as the serial killer played by Kevin Costner in the recent movie.)
Openly questioning the wisdom of prescriptions was only the tip of the iceberg for Mr. Brooks. On my frequent late-at-night visits, I’d be told that, no, the pediatrician hadn’t called in that prescription, and why couldn’t doctors these days pay more attention to what they’re doing, and he’s explained to them time and again that they have to call ahead, he can’t just be running willy-nilly trying to fill prescriptions at the drop of a hat.
An impressive screed, but after sitting through it a couple of times, I knew enough to ask him to check his voice-mail. Sure enough, there was the doctor’s message. Still grumbling about how doctors do things (he never called them “danged whippersnappers,” but I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had), he’d eventually fill it and off I’d go.
I say “I” because after a couple of run-ins with Mr. Brooks, my wife decided I was the go-to person for any and all prescriptions. I was sort of amused by the curmudgeon act, up to a point, but it did get me to reconsider just why Brooks Pharmacy was so devoid of customers.
Brooks Pharmacy was acquired by Rite Aid in June of 2007, and the Brooks trade name, a mainstay in the New England region, is being retired. This particular store was shuttered – leaving us no choice but to return to CVS.
Need I tell you who CVS soon hired as its chief pharmacist?
Yes, we now have the perfect storm of customer service: a seemingly overworked and under-trained staff under the supervision of someone who's at best condescending towards customers and doctors alike. (My wife prefers to just call him "mean.")
Now as I consider whether it’s worth driving to another town entirely to get my family’s prescriptions filled, I think of Tom Ryan, and I wonder how he’d react to our own interpretation of his chain’s initials.
“Customer Vexing Service” has a certain kind of ring, don’t you think?
There is no law in any state mandating rude, insolent, unprofessional, inaccurate and unhelpful customer service. That is strictly a CVS law. And, don't think Tom Ryan or any of the HR people or upper management care as long as you are stupid enough to keep spending your money with them. Wake up, people and go somewhere else. There's an old adage that say, Money talks and honey when they don't have yours and everyone elses then they will listen!
Nuts.
Really - it is not too much to ask, upon entering a store, that you get treated like a human being and not like a peace of inconvenient meat.
You might try posting at www.measuredup.com - it's a consumer website where you can post customer service experiences. Others in your town might find your experience very useful!
- L
With all due respect, I think Kevin Z. and Paul E. are both being ridiculous!
Kevin, you experienced poor service at one crummy chain drugstore, so your response was to switch to...ANOTHER crummy drug chain!
Wouldn't you have had better odds of success switching to a local, indepedent drugstore, perhaps?
Paul questions why Kevin didn't "help" CVS by writing to the CEO to offer "constructive suggestions?"
Why on earth is it the customer's job to tell a retailing CEO how he should improve service? It's the customer's job to walk away and find another store!
The truth is: chain drugtores like CVS are a great place to buy gum, toothpaste and foot-powder -- but a pretty dismal place to buy prescriptions...or anything else where you need skilled and friendly personal service.
If more people would just follow common sense, and seek out the remaining independent drugstores, pretty soon the marketplace would respond with more independents and fewer chains.
Actually, I have spoken to that store manager AND e-mailed the CVS central customer service department through their "customer feedback" web page ... resulting in a "Sorry" from the manager, and no response from the central CSR department. Haven't phoned up ol' Tom yet, but given the responses so far (and the plethora of offline comments I've received sharing various other CVS horror stories), I don't know what he'd be able to offer. And I added the "Captcha" code letters for a top secret project I'm working on ... stay tuned.
Kevin,
We have read your rant and may agree that it is justified, but just ranting, especially on a public forum, does not really help.
How would you like to be treated by CVS? Just ranting doesn't help make things better.
Have you taken a few minutes to talk with the store management and express your concerns and constructive suggestions?
Have you contacted CVS's Tom Ryan directly to professionally express you concerns?
These two simple actions would take a minimal amount of effort, provide CVS with some valuable feed back and also take a lot less time than driving to another pharmacy in another town for your Rxs. Unless you do something positive to help change the situation, you sound like just another crabby customer who wants super service and low discount prices.
Try the higher road.
Paul
P.S. Why do you feel it is necessary to type in code letters just to make a comment?
Estatic to hear that someone else is paying attention! My son takes Pulmicort and Albuterol for asthma, and they just filled his prescription from his pediatrician for an adult dose - in liquid form - I had to explain to them why this would be a problem, and got the nasties. Walgreens is my choice of national chains- however, our local Winn-Dixie did a bang up job.
Good point Terri. We always hear how these corporations realize that customer service often provides the "face" for their companies, but I think we can agree that these kinds of faces we can do without.
I think that companies often set themselves up for disappointed customers. If you've ever seen the CVS television commercial, you would think that any CVS pharmacist would hold your hand, wipe your tears and call your mother for you in addition to filling your prescription. The people they have may be competent but they are a real letdown after the on screen build up. And has anyone ever had a charming, elderly gentleman greet you at Wal-Mart's door?