A customer drops off a prescription, but it doesn’t have a date of birth on it.

Me: “Have you ever dropped off here before?”

Customer: “No, it’s my first time.”

Me: “Okay, can I get the patient’s date of birth?”

Customer: “Yes, it’s 1-23-20.”

Me: “Okay, so January 23, 1920?”

Customer: “Yes, it’s for my grandson.”

Me: “Okay… So the year is 1920?”

Customer: *Agitated* “Yes! 19!”

Me: “Ma’am, this year is 2019.”

Customer: “Yes, I know what year it is!”

A man comes in and loudly says:

Customer: “Excuse me. I am very busy and important and I need just two of my heart medication and two of my diabetes ones!” 

Me: “Do you have a prescription?”

Customer: “I don’t. I’m just in town for the day on very important business and I forgot to bring my meds.”

Me: “We won’t be able to hand over meds without a script, but we can possibly help you with getting a faxed or emailed script from your general doctor or your regular pharmacy. Do you have their number?”

He lost his mind about how we were refusing to help even though he was “busy and important” and “he only needed four tablets.”

I pointed out that we weren’t going to do anything illegal but we could help him if he would just wait for ten minutes while we sorted it.

He stormed out, complaining about the service.

I am putting away stock when an older woman comes in. My colleague greets her and asks her if she needs any help. She doesn’t even look at him and says:

Customer: “No, I don’t want your help. This girl is going to help me. She will help me. This girl. Her.”

Me: “What can I help you with?”

Customer: “Do you work here?”

I don’t wear a uniform.

Me: “Yes, ma’am, I do. What can I do for you?”

Customer: “I’m looking for hair stuff. It’s in a can. For roots.”

We don’t have many things that match that vague description and I show her to them. 

Customer: “No, it’s not those. I paid $12. Where are they?”

Me: “Those are the only root sprays we have.”

Customer: “I know I got it here. Yesterday. Last week. What about those?”

She points to the wild hair colors; green, blue, etc. 

Me: “Those aren’t for roots. And they don’t match your hair color.”

She ignores me and walks down to look at them. She grabs a bottle. 

Customer: “This is it. What color is it? Wait, it’s in my purse.”

I try to explain that it is hair glitter and not root coverup. 

She shoves the bottle at me and empties her large purse onto the floor. A can falls out; it is the right brand but a different color. I grab the right one off the shelf and hand it to her. 

Customer: “Is that the right color? Are you sure? What color is it?”

Me: “Yes, ma’am, they are the same.”

Customer: “How do you know?”

Me: “They have the same color name.”

Customer: “Is it the right one? Okay. Go get me the other one I put back.”

I bite my tongue and grab it for her. Hoping that will be the end of it. She walks away without saying a word so I go back to what I was doing. Later, I hear her yelling:

Customer: “GIRL! GIRL! I NEED YOUR HELP! COME HERE!”

I take a deep depth and go to where she is. She is standing in front of the coolers filled with drinks. 

Customer: “Go get me orange juice. Big one and a little one.”

Me: “They are at the other end if you would like to pick the ones you like.”

Customer: “No, you get them.”

She has not looked at me the whole time she has been giving me orders. I roll my eyes and get them for her. I start to walk away. 

Customer: “Girl. I’m done; you have to ring me up.”

Me: “No, I don’t. There is a gentleman up there that will be happy to help you.”

I continue to walk away. I go to the stockroom to take a moment before getting back to my work. 

After she leaves, I talk to the man that rang her up. She complained the whole time how rude I was. She thanked him for being so nice and told him that must be why he’s the manager. He tried to explain that he was just the clerk.

She gets home and calls to complain about my behavior. I answer the phone and tell her I am the manager. That makes her very mad. The last thing I hear before I hang up is her yelling:

Customer: “You’re a girl! You’re not smart enough to be the boss!”

It’s a couple of days before New Year’s, and our pharmacy has a ton of requests to doctors from everyone trying to get their prescriptions refilled before the new year starts. My coworker is telling us about a phone call she’s just had with a patient.

Coworker #1: “Oh, man, he was mad. He wanted a refill and the prescription is expired. We’ve already sent three or four requests to the doctor, but they haven’t responded yet. I don’t know what else he wanted me to do! I can’t make your doctor refill your [medication for erectile dysfunction]!”

Coworker #2: “I guess his year isn’t going out with a bang!”

I’m the author of this story here.

Just before Christmas, our pharmacist comes by to drop off some meds for my husband, roommate, and me.

Pharmacist: “Do you remember the woman from Thanksgiving that paid for [Husband]’s meds?”

Me: “Of course we do! How could we forget?”

Despite the fact that the pharmacist is wearing a mask, we can tell that he is smiling.

Pharmacist: “Well, she called us up again and asked about you and how you were doing, and then she told us to leave you a Christmas gift for her.”

We’re all wondering what else she could have possibly done.

Pharmacist: “She’s given you a credit at the pharmacy to help pay for your meds.”

Awesome, right?! We’re thinking she paid for this round of meds that the pharmacist is dropping off.

Pharmacist: “[My Name], guess how much she left you guys.”

Me: “I have no idea. These meds?”

He looks me dead in the eye.

Pharmacist: “[My Name], she left you guys $500.”

My jaw dropped. I’m not too proud to say that I ugly cried; we all did. That was by far the best Christmas present I’ve gotten in years. [Kind Woman], wherever you are, my husband I appreciate you. Thank you so much.

Related:
Kindness Isn’t The Best Medicine But It Can Help You Buy It

This story is part of our Feel Good roundup for January 2021!

Read the next Feel Good roundup for January 2021 story!

Read the Feel Good roundup for January 2021!