Me: “Can I help you find something in particular?”
Customer: “I’m looking for a box of medicine.”
Me: “Okay, is it for you?”
Customer: “No, my friend.”
Me: “What was it for?”
Customer: “I don’t know.”
Me: “Do you know what it looks like?”
Customer: “I don’t know.”
Me: “What do you use it for?”
Customer: “Err, I don’t know.”
Me: “Is it for stomachache, headache?” *pointing to these areas*
Customer: “I don’t know.”
(I pause to try and think of some way to help.)
Customer: “Can I go in there?” *points to the dispensary*
Me: “No.”
Customer: “Oh. I’ll ring my friend.”
(She went outside to ring her friend but she never returned! I never got to find out what box of medicine she wanted!)
(I am ringing out a patient of my pharmacy who also happens to be a mental health professional. He gives me a new discount card to see if it will give him a smaller copay than his insurance does. I am skeptical, as the prescription is an expensive one, but I’ve been wrong before, so I process the card anyway, just to be sure.)
Me: *when the copay comes up significantly smaller* “Oh, hey, I was wrong! Here’s your new total; that’s a nice deal!”
Customer: *with practiced couch-side manner* “You didn’t have to say you were wrong so enthusiastically. Is there someone at home who demands that sort of subservience from you?”
Me: *blinking* “No one at home, sir. But, y’know, I work in retail.”
Customer: “Oh, right. You poor thing.”
(He left me his card, but I haven’t taken him up on the matter yet. If you’re reading this, sir, I’m completely okay! I’m humble enough to admit when I’m wrong, but retail has also endowed me with the backbone to stand up for myself when I know I’m right, too!)
(I overhear this conversation between a customer and technician at the reception counter.)
Customer: “When do you do your blood glucose tests?”
Tech: “We do those on our ‘Second Saturday Screenings.’”
Customer: “So, when are those?”
Tech: “Our ‘Second Saturday Screenings’?”
Customer: “Yes.”
Tech: “They’re on the second Saturday.”
Customer: “So, they’re every other Saturday?”
Tech: “No, they’re on the second Saturday… of the month.”
Customer: “So, you already had one this month?”
(Today is the 17th.)
Tech: “Yes.”
Customer: “Oh, okay.” *walks off*
(A few seconds later, I noticed the tech with her head on the counter… probably silently weeping for humanity.)
One day, while I am standing on the sidewalk, waiting for my ride, I see some junkie pull a knife on the cashier of a nearby pharmacy. Now, this wouldn’t be that surprising, except for the fact that there’s a police station right across the street from said pharmacy, just behind me.
I don’t even get out my cellphone; I just tap on the window and point when a couple of the officers inside look up from their paperwork.
They realize what’s happening, bolt out of the door, run seven yards, and tackle the would-be robber. Idiot.
(I am a pharmacy tech. A man comes up to the counter cradling his right hand.)
Customer: “Can you tell me which of these braces would be best for this?”
(He gestures to his hand, which is bruised, swollen, and has a large cut between two of his knuckles.)
Me: “I’ll be honest; it looks pretty broken.”
Customer: “Yeah, I think it is. It feels like there are rice krispies in there. The wrist ones don’t really help much, so I need one that goes all the way up. So, which one do you think would be best?”
Me: “I recommend going to a doctor and having it professionally set. None of the braces are going to do anything except help it heal wrong.”
Customer: “So, none of them?”
Me: “No, you need to be seen by a doctor.”
Customer: “Okay.”
(He then wandered back over and looked at the wrist braces some more, all the time holding his broken hand limp by his side.)
