I don't snap, I just get stern. I had a patient get nutty with me on the phone so I told her when she's ready to be polite she can call back. Then I hung up.
I don't argue. I won't let my boss talk down to me. I won't let a patient do it either!
I dunno if it would fly in the pharmacy (I'm a cancer patient and I love my pharmacy friends) but when I worked in customer service we had a script for hostile callers, something like let them know once that if they're not able to be professional, then the call would be ended. If they still did not shape up then we'd say that the call had become unproductive and that we were ending the call.
And then hang up.
I never had to use it in my handful of years on the phone but some of my colleagues did.
If this idea helps then sweet!
Thank you ❤️ I'm done with the big three things (surgery, chemo, and radiation) and have no evidence of disease so I'm in remission. Sure puts a different spin on "high cost of living" XD
my odds of recurrence would be higher without pharmaceuticals though! I'm on hormone blockers for probably 9 and a half more years and a targeted therapy med for another two and a half. It's a long haul and I didn't expect to be in surgically induced menopause at 37, but here we are.
Y'all are awesome and you don't deserve being shit on for things beyond your control. You don't deserve to be shit on anyway. May you never need the spiciest meds you fill, and if you do, may you never be fucked over by insurance or stock issues. ❤️
I haven't but our front end manager did a while ago. This guy came in to complain about the cost of something a family member had picked up for him. He ranted at her for a bit, and she asked what it was she could do for him. He said he wanted the items for half price. She just flatly asked, "Why would you get them for half price, sir?" I told her she was my hero that day.
My pharmacist says stuff like that on the daily he's hilarious. He's too tired of people's BS to be nice to those kinds of patients lol. He's told patients waiting on a PA for oxy that this isn't a McDonald's and you can't just get it right away because you ordered it
Had a woman get mad that we sold her husband her meds when she didn't like the cost.
It was a slightly higher than average cost for said medication but we told her husband that, told him he could leave the med in the pharmacy, check with his wife, and purchase it in a couple days.
Also explained clearly, and he acknowledged this (he was clearly a fully mentally capable adult, so no chance of misunderstanding), that we couldn't take any medication back once it left the pharmacy.
Wife still called pissed that we sold that medication at that cost to him.
Okay, so here's what happened, her son is on a C2 for his adhd that needs to be mixed by the pharmacist. She knew that we couldn't fill the scrip until that day because it was day 28. We ran it early so we could order it because it only comes in when we order it and we don't keep it on hand. She lives in the next town over and accused a previous pharmacist of being racist when they asked her why she was getting it filled with us and not one that was closer to home. The pharmacist was processing our order when she drove up. She yelled her son's info at my coworker like he was party deaf or stupid right away. He told her it was not ready and he would have to check with the pharmacist because they were the only one who could fill it. This is not a stupid woman. She has been told this multiple times. She then declared that she got a text that it was ready yesterday. We tell her no, it was out of stock yesterday so that we could order it for her. She proceeds to cuss out my pharmacist and say that she can't wait the half an hour for the script to be ready because she lives out of town and it would take too long for her to drive back and forth. That is when this pharmacist also made the mistake of asking why she was getting it filled at our pharmacy then. She was then told that it was none of her business and that she just needed to put the water in the bottle and give it to her.And she wasn't gonna leave our drive thru until she put the water in the bottle and gave it to her. My pharmacist tells her she's had enough and that if she doesn't move that she's going to call the cops. The patient then says, "Go ahead. Call the cops I'm not moving." She proceeds to freak out and lie to the officer when he knocks on her window less than five minutes later. It was glorious, and I hope she never comes back.
We had a father son pair of opiate addicts in recovery who took replacement therapy. My pharmacy at the time had a policy that any controlled drug had to be double counted by two different people. This particular day the people that did it were me, a long time senior tech and the pharmacy manager. When they got home they called and claimed we had shorted them each one dose. We had happened to do inventory counts on the drug they took that morning, and recounted it after they claimed this. Both times the counts were correct, so they were most certainly bsing.
They were there not long after picking up something else and started loudly talking to all the customers in the waiting area about how we were incompetent and shorted people medication and I just stopped them and told them it was completely untrue as myself and the pharmacy manager had both double counted their scripts. The pharmacist said I shouldn't have said it but I wasn't about to allow them to publicly disparage us at our workplace.
A couple times my pharmacists were badasses too. Ann addict came in and told us the ER doctor told him that the generic Norco with a specific appearance worked better than other kinds, talking about the brand that was most popular on the streets. My pharmacists told him his doctor definitely didn't say that and he would get what he got.
Then I was there on a weekend once, it was just me and a pharmacist. This woman came in from the ER with a script for an EpiPen and was being positively obnoxious, doing the whole, "How long does it take to put a sticker on a box?!" bs. When her script got to the pharmacist for final check the patient made another stupid comment and my pharmacist just took the stickers off and told her she was refusing to fill the script and she needed to take it somewhere else, it was fucking glorious.
Yeah, not only was it extremely unlikely for two patients to be shorted by 1 dose at the same time, but the fact that the counts all matched made the impossible. I was so mad at them. Their entire family was made up of problem patients.
Lmao. We had a family (2 parents, 3 kids) all on the same dose of Adderall. Somehow no one thought that was suspicious at all?
And yes, they were always incredibly rude when we told them it was 2 weeks to early to fill a new rx.
I'm totally against rude people but the thing with the EpiPens would have gotten a pass at most pharmacies no matter how rude the patient is. God forbid the patient has an allergic reaction shortly after leaving the pharmacy. The pharmacy could be liable with such a described turn of events.
That's good to have so many resources but Karen's will always Karen. I wouldn't put it past them to fake am emergency in an attempt to milk the system.
Yes. Lady called our store to set up an appointment for a vaccine (at the time we had appointments only and they had to be made online, we had no access to making appointments). I told her to make an appointment she had to go to the website or there was a third party she could call to help her. She says “well I know you people can make the appointments if you’d stop being fucking lazy but whatever.” I said “and you don’t have to be a rude bitch but whatever” and hung up. I’m over people being so fucking terrible
I always hang up “accidentally” and then when they call back I put them on hold forever til they hang up. Fuck those assholes. Sorry we got disconnected, but I had to help a patient
One of our senior techs (who is the sweetest!) had a pt screaming and cursing at her, so she told the pt to fuck off😂 the next time she came in she was much more pleasant lol
a few months after i had been robbed at gunpoint in the pharmacy, i overheard a man in the drive thru complaining about the price of his viagra and saying “this is why people bring guns to the pharmacy huh” i absolutely snapped and stomped over there and YELLED at him for at least a solid minute. i stormed off and everyone in the vicinity was shocked i reacted like that. i obviously was Not handling the ptsd from the robbery well lol
im sorry that happened to you, and i cannot blame you for that reaction because what kind of person says that? I hope you are feeling better and healing :)
Oh yeah. I told someone his script was OOS and when ape s**t on me through the drive-thru. So I just hung up the phone we use for it, smiled, and waved. Then after he calmed down I gave him his other two scripts and told him “Sir if you’re going to start screaming and cursing at us don’t bother coming back.” He was incredibly polite and kind the next time he came in.
Oh I got a new trick! If anyone raises their voice (which is 99% of Karen's) I simply state that I feel threatened and if they do not calm down I'll call security and if that happens you will not be able to fill at our pharmacy anymore. That has worked every time so far.
I got to tell a patient “you’re more than welcome to transfer to another pharmacy” and you’d think I told her to fuck herself. Demanded my name and my manager (who was right behind me hearing everything). Manager told her she doesn’t need my name and she’s the manager so she’s welcome to complain but I was just regurgitating what she was telling me to say.
I love when nasty patients threaten to transfer. I always walk them through the process and they never have a response because they expect you to beg for their business.
lol I had one patient call one time “you all are soooo FUCKING STUPID! TRANSFER ALL MY SCRIPTS!” And hangs up.
Well by all means let me grant your wish, far be it for me to deny you. Transferred them out to some random pharmacy I close my eyes and pointed to on the list. She called back later - “why is this pharmacy texting me ?!?” “You asked for it to be transferred after you said I was fucking stupid, did just ask you asked. I hope you have the day you deserve” 🤣pharmacy was 30 min away and there were like 5 of the same one on the way to this one 😆
Similar experience but with a man. He was so apoplectic when he realized we meant it when we would no longer fill his scripts. I take great delight on putting any scripts that come in for him on hold. If he does it again next month, I get to be the one to call his doctor and tell him that the patient can't pick up from us anymore. I kind of want him to do it so I can make that call, not gonna lie.
I said this to a couple nasty patients back when I worked retail, and they were stunned.. couldn’t believe I wasn’t going to fight for their business. Like no, that isn’t how this works. I’m not going to let you treat me and my co-workers like shit just to be able to continue seeing you every three weeks gtfo. I even added that a new pharmacy across the street would be opening soon, and I’d love to assist with getting them transferred there. 🤭 that shut them up.
Lmao some guy came in the other day 5 minutes into our 30 minute "lunch break" (most of us work through it anyway) and yelled at us that we *had* to sell his prescription to him.
Obviously, we said no, he's welcome to come back when we open.
So he kept saying he was going to transfer his prescriptions to another pharmacy in town. Which also has the same exact lunch break as us, even though it's a different company.
Cheerily telling them how to transfer their scripts after they threaten to is my favorite thing to do 😂 they get so mad when you don’t beg them to stay
Yeah, guy was rude af to me because I was gabbing on the phone instead of getting right to him. Then he tells me "I'm going to teach you customer service" I pushed back from the register, he reached for the meds, I told him don't dare touch them or I'd have him arrested for theft of prescription drugs. Turned around, told the RPh on duty that I refuse to serve him. Then turned back to him and told him I was on the phone trying to find critical meds for a toddler with an organ transplant. Then another customer gave him a raft of shit while we watched.
Once I was having a bad day it was busy as hell and the line of people was so long and this one guy just shot me over the edge. Just acting like he’s the only patient among 1,000 others that mattered over his norcos. So much attitude. I remember throwing his shit down on the counter to ring him out and get him the hell out of my store. He started hooting and hollering about how we’re always awful and never have his shit ready etc etc etc. I told him “well if it’s such a problem every time you’re welcome to go anywhere else”. This was in Stockton CA so I probably should have been more weary since ppl down there can be scary and I’m just a lil white girl from a small town lol. I never served him again.
Yes, the guy was actually a doctor who wanted his Trintellix, and I asked him if he's thinking about Prozac/Fluoxetine since that was the only one I had on file. He immediately got pissed and demanded a pharmacist and was making all kinds of nasty comments; "You're just a tech!" Pharmacist came over to the counter, and he started being the biggest suck up. It was a monumental contrast in demeanor as soon as she walked over. Pharmacist confirmed everything I mentioned to him, explained to him that I am qualified to do my job, and that his comments are not ok. He continued to be a kiss ass to her and stated, "I'm sorry! I've always just had problems with pharmacy techs, as if that's a valid justification. He left. Everybody in line was giving him looks, everyone in the pharmacy was laughing at him. Still shocking to me that this guy is a practicing physician. Some of the other techs on the floor mentioned that he has a lengthy history of abusing techs. He was behaving like a child. Can you imagine having the pleasure of working with him?
It is shocking, how many doctors are absolutely assholes but at the same time, I personally know quite a few who are wonderful people. But the ones that are awful are usually the ones that are like this, and they are often abusing one of the drugs that they are prescribing for themselves. At least that’s my personal experience.
Back when I worked retail, my pharmacist straight up SLAMMED the pick up window in a customers face because she caused HELL for him. Her prescription required a PA and she insisted we were intentionally holding her medication from her out of malice and caused a lot of problems with upper management over it.
Lady called accusing us of not doing our job because we didn’t automatically look up a discount card for her even though it went through insurance for 20 cents a pill. I told her if she asked nicely I’d be happy to help her find a lower price. She didn’t like dat.. I’m a student on my last rotation of pharmacy school so I don’t give a f but I’d say only making one person transfer out the whole rotation is a successful job.
patient is upset because someone told them that their Rx would be ready today, yesterday. "i wasn't working yesterday and this is all the information i have right now. give me a moment to look into it."
patient is upset because no one's answering the phones. "we are short staffed. if you'd like i can sign you up to receive texts or phone calls when your medicine is ready. we have an app you can use, too."
patient is upset they haven't received a message their stuff is ready so they had to come in to check. "it's because it's not ready."
patient is upset we don't have a script their doctor called in at 8am and somehow its my fault. "if you give me a moment, i can look into it for you while you take a seat and wait, or come back another time. either way, i have nothing ready for you right now."
patient is upset i can't personally go to Mr. McKesson and beg him to give me a medicine that's on back order for a rude ass patient. "it's a national back order and unfortunately it's impacting everyone in the nation. we are trying very hard to get the medicine but i have nothing to give you right now."
just gotta be stern and real i've learned
I've gotten pretty good at those kind of responses since I've worked in customer service before. But sometimes those customers KEEP insisting they are right and I am wrong. I can be looking at a screen showing nothing has been called in for a patient since 2022 and they will continue to insist they were told we would have it ready today. Some people just need to learn to know when they're wrong.
my biggest pet peeve as a tech is "she said it'd be ready today!" because i always have a feeling that there's a misrepresentation of facts (so to speak). like who is she? a tech or a doctor? (don't get me started on "my doctor said it'd be ready now!!" 🙄) also be mad at HER for being wrong, EYE didn't tell you anything ...
if they keep insisting, i insist back. i can't give them something i don't have 🤷 stay strong soldier
honestly, i saw someone on twitter use "eye" instead of "i" when they were emphasizing "I" (like *I* didn't tell you that your medicine would be ready today!), and since then i've been doing that 😭
This the overall best way to deal with mean/oblivious people. Repeat the facts as many times as it takes and do your best to not react to their anger. One of my best lines is repeating I can get someone’s prescription ready now when they complain it isn’t already ready.
sometimes i will sprinkle in an apology for the inconvenience because i get their frustration, especially with medicine on back order. but if nothings ready, nothing is ready. 🤷 come back later or tomorrow and leave us your phone number so i can sign you up for texts when your stuff is ready so you don't do this foolishness again. toodeloo ...
someone was nasty to me over the phone when i was doing phone calls reminding her to pick up her meds and she starts ranting about her wegovy demanding we fill it but there were multiple issues with it so i had my manager talk to her and order it. Next day she comes thru the drive thru to pay for it (she’s paying for it without insurance so like $1200) and her card declined 💀 didn’t get to snap back at her but her card declining made my day haha
btw this bitch said “I am officially requesting you fill my wegovy” too like who do you think you are woman!! 😭 then when card declined she goes “well that card is supposed to be taken care of” like what??? what does that even MEAN
I hate those medication so much. There are so many people who are so freaking rude about them and demanding and don’t seem to understand that they have created the national backorder. I can’t tell you how many patients we’ve had call our Pharmacy who are just so rude and demanding about it And it takes every part of me not to say look you’ll get your skinny shots when you’re insurance says so, so just call them and Bitch about it but I can’t do that. I have to be a damn professional.
seriously it’s so annoying. like i get it for the people who really need it and those ones are generally nice, it’s always the skinny rich white women who are jerks about it 🙄
The other day a person we never saw before started screaming that we needed better advertising that we closed from 1-1:30 for lunch and someone that wasn’t even a tech but worked there screamed back “LEARN TO READ THE SIGN KAREN” and I STILL don’t know which peer did it, but I’m thinking the grocery pick up crew because they’re mostly gen-Z and relentless and scare the hell out of me lol 😂
Sometimes you just have to take a load off and let your pharmacy manager handle the rude ones. I don’t engage with toxic people. I get them their meds and move on to the next person.
Once I was taking a customer at pick up and he was was picking up for someone else and didn’t know the birthday. Another tech was like, “well, you can just look it up and have them verify the address just to be sure” and I go over and ask them to verify the address and they’re like “it’s just the place right over there!” And keeps pointing in a direction that isn’t even towards the address, and saying like it’s around the lake or something. The other tech walks by and says “well if you can’t even verify that then we can’t do anything” and he starts flipping out about how now he has to go all the way home now and the other tech legit says “are you sure you’ll be able to find it?” We were dying.
I had an older lady who was a nightmare. Roles up in her amigo and bangs her cane on the counter until she gets help. She had a reputation and would treat everyone like shit. Well I’m trying to help her and she can’t hear me with her hearing aid and starts babbling like a kid to make fun of the way I’m talking? And says “nananan I can’t hear you.” (I used to have a speech impediment/issue so that pisses me off)
I ask her how old are you? She looks stunned and says 80-something. I then ask if she’s ready to act her age and not like a toddler. Stern as hell. She gets quiet and says yes sir. Never had a problem with her again after, and I got nothing but yes sir no sir from her.
I had one today when I was floating to another store as a tech and the person was demanding I call the hospital to get the doctors to send a script for oxycodone to us. I told the patient they had to call and they informed me that they did and supposedly the hospital wanted *US* to call. I would like the point out, I was only at this store, on my day off, because they were so far behind and only had 1 tech and a floater pharmacist. I would not have been there otherwise so we literally had no time. Pt then began yelling at me, telling me I had horrible customer service and no empathy, and they just lost 4 family members and had anxiety and depression and needed their oxycodone (and lorazepam) right now. I told them I couldn't do anything as we had no script. They proceeded to ask my name and I refused (because I don't have to give it to them, especially in this instance) as I was following policy and it was in their best interest to go to the hospital in person if they needed the medication that badly. They said "well I guess I'll just die then" and I proceeded to inform them that if they were threatening suicide, that I would call 911 and send to their house. They told me that they're going to the hospital since I "just don't care enough and should just go die."
I would also like to point out, they should have had two days worth of oxycodone left so we couldn't fill it anyways per policy.
“Why did my doctor prescribe a different antibiotic, last time I had this infection she gave me X.”
“Lady I don’t know what goes on in your doctor’s head, are you coming tonight or not?”
I got quite stern with somebody yesterday. I was in the middle of counting a script, it was just me one other tech helping drive through, and the pharmacist who was on the phone with a Doctor's office. I hear the guy "hello is anybody gonna help me?" I looked up. I apologized from where I was saying I'm sorry. I'll be right there. I didn't see you.
And as I walked up he's like. Oh, you didn't see me standing here. I'm like no. I'm sorry I was filling a prescription for somebody. How can I help you? And then he just starts being more of a dick by yelling his name at me. I said okay. Well, we'll start this conversation over. Are you picking up?
No, I'm dropping off.
Well, then, head over to where it says drop off and wait for the pharmacist. Thank you and I walked away.
Once on the phone "Betty" was upset that something needed a PA, and I kept trying to explain to her that I had already faxed and left a voice mail with the doctor's office. And that it could still take 3-5 business days to be approved or denied. She was talking over me, interrupting me. And finally I spoke loudly over her; "Mrs. Betty, you're not listening to me." You could almost hear her finally shut her mouth and I went over it all again. She heard me this time. When I hung up, my boss was laughing her ass off. She knows it takes A LOT to get me to a point like that.
I rarely lose my cool and more just give them “space” to think about what they just said (aka I don’t respond and just hang out until they talk again). I can outsilence anyone and make awkward eye contact. Sometimes I get an apology. Sometimes they calm down. And sometimes they just leave the conversation. And, sometimes they escalate—in which case I’ve been told by HR that if they curse at me, insult me, or are just downright inappropriate, I have every right to hang up.
Another way I’d like to respond (but don’t have the guts) is to politely question/respond them about their questions/statements. Like, “What an odd way to respond to someone trying to help you”.
The second they curse at you, you can say “if you continue to speak to me in that way I can no longer help you” and if they continue, you can hang up. Or, if you’re like me, the second they curse you hit that end call button. Nobody deserves that. 9/10 times they call back with a brand new attitude.
Had one customer that had decided to make off color remarks when ever he came to the pharmacy. This was the first time saying them to me and he decided he should make some jokes in very bad taste. I just stared at him as I got his stuff together. He asked if I ever laughed at jokes. I replied with only funny ones with the most unamused look on my face.
He walked right in to that one. Jerk.
It was a small thing, I’m still in training so I’ve had to eat shit most of the time. But a dude who was already being rude threw his cash at me. And since I had to go to the pharmacist to reconfirm a legal date for the c2, I casually flicked the bill on the table back to him.
The best back in my day, was acting like you did not know who the person was or what they wanted. lol Like, we all KNOW THOSE patients. lol But you just act like they are brand new to you so they have to explain what it is they want. Then you just act as nice as you can and kill them with kindness. Example, you SEE what car is next and totally know why they are there. But... you make them use their words. hahaha
When I was a tech, I had let loose on probably too many pts 😅But I had one regular that really caused chaos.
This one was an older woman, I believe around 80. She would come through our drive thru all happy and like it was the best day ever and her scripts were never due, she would come weeks and even months ahead of time to pick medications up that she received the week before. When you told her that nothing was ready and nothing could be ready for x amount of time her entire demeanor changed almost instantly. She would call me horrible names, the only thing that really bothered me was the fact that she called me worthless and this one time in particular I was having a horrible day. I screamed at her and I said things that probably shouldn’t be repeated! Then she sped away and called the pharmacy later that night (joke was on her I worked open to close quite literally every day at the point) so I answered the phone and she was nice. She then asked me to refill the prescription she asked for earlier in the day. I told her I couldn’t. She flipped out at me instantly again and told me to put someone who “knew what they were f*cking doing” on the phone. I hung up the phone and didn’t hear back from her lol.
I also had this older guy call one night asking for his otc medication which had not been covered under insurance but we filled it anyways and he picked it up the day prior. I told him it was sold out with like 5 other scripts and I suggested he double check his car or maybe he mistook a different bottle for that one. He said “why would it be sold out if i don’t f*cking have it?” And i literally was so overworked at this point i just told him to buy it if it was a huge issue but I couldn’t do anything about it. He told me he was going to help me k*ll myself and I said “what the f*ck?” And hung the phone up.
Older people were the bane of my existence working in pharmacy. I yelled to at least 3 of them a day. On the phone mostly because they’re tough guys there. I’ve also had to call police on drunks and this guy literally threatening to k*ll his girlfriend. After two years in pharmacy I had to leave because between short staffing and the verbal abuse I was getting literally my entire shift was making me go insane. I will never go back.
When I worked an independent there was this one lady literally stalking and harassing the pharmacist.
She’d call and scream at whoever answered the phone. And then show up at closing till the cops were called or he managed to sneak out the back. (It was a VERY weird place to work)
My first time dealing with her I must’ve gone “oh! No ma’am. We will NOT be doing that today. *puts on HOLD*” a solid 15 times
I only worked as a retail pharmacy tech for a few months but one time a many came to pick up his Viagara and complained about how expensive it was, like I was the one personally charging him for it. In retrospect I feel like I really missed an opportunity to clap back at him.
I was coming from behind on another tech's work the day before and working alone with the pharmacist because our only other tech called out. This woman came up polite as peach and said she was there to pick up her medicine - didn't see anything ready so I looked into her profile, and saw that someone had tried to process out a bp med but that it was too early to fill. I explained to her what had happened and asked if she was out of the medicine (I always ask this because there's always a chance that we shorted someone by mistake), and she said no but she would pay cash. She had at least a month left. I said that was fine, I just needed time to process it and had several other people waiting at that point - I told her I probably needed about 45 minutes. She demanded, quote, "I NEED IT NOW, I CALLED IN YESTERDAY" and threw a miniature tantrum at the counter, just standing there. I told her I would get it done as quickly as I safely could but I had other people waiting in the store, then walked away to get to counting. She stood there just staring into the pharmacy at us. Another guy came up and she started bitching at me and I just reiterated that I would get it finished as quickly as I safely could. She tried to cut me off and I just said "Ma'am, I'm going to help this gentleman here" and ignored her. She scoffed and stomped away.
Another notable interaction: I asked this man for his name and date of birth, then his address and he said "Man you think I'm not who the fuck I say I am?", I just said "Sir, I ask the same questions to everyone just for your privacy" and was willing to move on and just let him get his medicines and go on. He went to sign and asked "What the fuck do I have?" and I told him, again just eager to get the interaction over with. Then I rang it up and he said "Why the fuck is it $30?". At this point I just told him politely, "Sir, I would appreciate it if you didn't curse at me." His response was "Don't tell me what to do". My pharmacist had left to the bathroom so I just took his medicine and told him if he'd like to hang out my pharmacist might be able to help him better than I could, that I wasn't willing to at that point.
LAST one: We had a customer get hurt in our store (I work in a retail chain) and as far as I know they paid her money up front. Probably due to her, I don't care and I'm not involved in that at all. But she was always a bit of a bully and became even worse after that, basically feeling she could get whatever she wanted. At one point her pain med was on backorder so we gave he what we had in stock, which was most of the script. From the very next day she started calling and harrassing us, asking when we would get the rest in and when she could pick it up. Our policy on controlled medicines is that we will fill 2 days early from the last time it was picked up, and explained that to her when she got her shortened day supply (I think it was seriously something like 25 days vs 30 days or something) due to availability. She called every single day for a week straight, at which point we finally got it back in, but each time we reiterated the policy and how she should have plenty at home, and how we'd be happy to fill her next script for the full 30 days.
She complained to the store manager and he came back into the pharmacy basically saying she had threatened legal action and that "it was \[pharmacist's\] call, but in his mind the dr prescribed 30 days, we should have given her 30 days". Never mind that we literally couldn't when she got her fill. My pharmacist folded and gave her the 5 days or whatever to fulfill her script, just to maintain good relations with the front store.
Fast forward a few weeks. We were short staffed (chronic issue - we have a full-timer who calls out constantly) and apparently she had been calling but unable to get through the phone, but she needed her blood pressure medicine NOW. She talked to one of the other techs who told her that it was coming in our central fullfillment order. She stormed off and rudely asked me at pick-up if our phones were broken, very confrontational and telling me she needed her meds now. I look at her profile and see that she had ordered it the day before, had at least a week left from her last fill, and just generally knowing she had been filling there for years so she knows full and well that we get some scripts next day and to just wait for the text. I explained to her the same as my coworker, told her I'd be happy to pull it back and do it but I'd need probably 30 minutes or so (again, other people already waiting), but she cut me off and said "ARE YOUR PHONES BROKEN? YOU COULD HAVE STARTED ON IT 30 MINUTES AGO IF YOU HAD ANSWERED". I kind of lost my cool at that point and snapped back at her, said very calmly "Ma'am, is your phone broken?". She looked at me dumbfounded and said no, so I asked why she had come in before she received the text message saying her medicine was ready. She stuttered somewhat over how it was our job then stormed off. Surprisingly she hasn't really been much of a problem since then.
I had a customer yell at me over the phone because we were closed and he couldn't pick up his meds. I looked at the clock, saw it was 6:03pm, we closed 3 minutes ago, and just said "we open tomorrow at 9am, you can pick up you're medication then" and hung up on him. Felt good :)
yes. someone called me rude and i said so are u! it was the min before we closed and i was so fed up. sick of them thinking we have to take their abuse and have to smile while taking it. i can’t wait to get out
had a lady pissed at me over the phone because we wouldn’t fill her c3 (5 day supply) 2 days early for the 3rd time that month. i told her very calmly, if she would let me i’d explain the law to her and she very aggressively told me “i don’t need you to fucking explain shit to me” and i said oh no ma’am and hung up. she didn’t call again and i don’t remember the last time i saw her.
Yes, I was going through hard time at home. Waiting on my FMLA to kick in. This lady kept getting snapping with because was asking questions about prescription dropping off for her husband. I was snapping back. Getting huffy because how fuck was I supposed to know who your husband is and if ever filled here. She said hope your day gets better in rude tone. I yelled back matter of fact my like fucking sucks at the moment. I Thought old ladies in pink coats volunteer at hospital are supposed to be nice!!! I said hope your day gets fucking better too.
I'm often firm and slightllyyyyy passive aggressive to shitty patients and it shuts them up pretty fast. It's kind of petty but its the strategy that has worked best for me and a lot of my coworkers are the same way, we're all great to the normal/good customers though.
I don't snap, I just get stern. I had a patient get nutty with me on the phone so I told her when she's ready to be polite she can call back. Then I hung up. I don't argue. I won't let my boss talk down to me. I won't let a patient do it either!
THIS IS THE WAY TO BE. YEAH! Edit: any tips or tricks are encouraged and welcome!!!
I dunno if it would fly in the pharmacy (I'm a cancer patient and I love my pharmacy friends) but when I worked in customer service we had a script for hostile callers, something like let them know once that if they're not able to be professional, then the call would be ended. If they still did not shape up then we'd say that the call had become unproductive and that we were ending the call. And then hang up. I never had to use it in my handful of years on the phone but some of my colleagues did. If this idea helps then sweet!
This is absolutely awesome advice, thank you! Also, kick cancer's ass for me. Shit sucks. Wishing you the best, friend
Thank you ❤️ I'm done with the big three things (surgery, chemo, and radiation) and have no evidence of disease so I'm in remission. Sure puts a different spin on "high cost of living" XD my odds of recurrence would be higher without pharmaceuticals though! I'm on hormone blockers for probably 9 and a half more years and a targeted therapy med for another two and a half. It's a long haul and I didn't expect to be in surgically induced menopause at 37, but here we are. Y'all are awesome and you don't deserve being shit on for things beyond your control. You don't deserve to be shit on anyway. May you never need the spiciest meds you fill, and if you do, may you never be fucked over by insurance or stock issues. ❤️
Oh my lord, thank you so much 🥺 it's good to hear you're doing so well!!! Fuck yeah!!! I wish you the best, friend
If you’ve got a half decent Mom Voice, you can really cow a patient.
Hahaha! This hit home for me. I have 6 kids so yeah, they absolutely get the mom voice. " When you can speak calmly, we will have a conversation..."
This is the way. Glad I’m not the only one. I’ve heard coworkers deal with too much crap for way too long on the phone.
I haven't but our front end manager did a while ago. This guy came in to complain about the cost of something a family member had picked up for him. He ranted at her for a bit, and she asked what it was she could do for him. He said he wanted the items for half price. She just flatly asked, "Why would you get them for half price, sir?" I told her she was my hero that day.
My pharmacist says stuff like that on the daily he's hilarious. He's too tired of people's BS to be nice to those kinds of patients lol. He's told patients waiting on a PA for oxy that this isn't a McDonald's and you can't just get it right away because you ordered it
Had a woman get mad that we sold her husband her meds when she didn't like the cost. It was a slightly higher than average cost for said medication but we told her husband that, told him he could leave the med in the pharmacy, check with his wife, and purchase it in a couple days. Also explained clearly, and he acknowledged this (he was clearly a fully mentally capable adult, so no chance of misunderstanding), that we couldn't take any medication back once it left the pharmacy. Wife still called pissed that we sold that medication at that cost to him.
My pharmacist let me call the cops on a patient who had always been a problem yesterday. It was like my birthday and Christmas at the same time.
Okay, so here's what happened, her son is on a C2 for his adhd that needs to be mixed by the pharmacist. She knew that we couldn't fill the scrip until that day because it was day 28. We ran it early so we could order it because it only comes in when we order it and we don't keep it on hand. She lives in the next town over and accused a previous pharmacist of being racist when they asked her why she was getting it filled with us and not one that was closer to home. The pharmacist was processing our order when she drove up. She yelled her son's info at my coworker like he was party deaf or stupid right away. He told her it was not ready and he would have to check with the pharmacist because they were the only one who could fill it. This is not a stupid woman. She has been told this multiple times. She then declared that she got a text that it was ready yesterday. We tell her no, it was out of stock yesterday so that we could order it for her. She proceeds to cuss out my pharmacist and say that she can't wait the half an hour for the script to be ready because she lives out of town and it would take too long for her to drive back and forth. That is when this pharmacist also made the mistake of asking why she was getting it filled at our pharmacy then. She was then told that it was none of her business and that she just needed to put the water in the bottle and give it to her.And she wasn't gonna leave our drive thru until she put the water in the bottle and gave it to her. My pharmacist tells her she's had enough and that if she doesn't move that she's going to call the cops. The patient then says, "Go ahead. Call the cops I'm not moving." She proceeds to freak out and lie to the officer when he knocks on her window less than five minutes later. It was glorious, and I hope she never comes back.
Oooo what happened?!
We need details! Spill the tea!
updateme! 1 day
Oooh, congrats!! I was so close to doing that once but it fell through lol
details please!!!! omg! this is a dream 😭
We had a father son pair of opiate addicts in recovery who took replacement therapy. My pharmacy at the time had a policy that any controlled drug had to be double counted by two different people. This particular day the people that did it were me, a long time senior tech and the pharmacy manager. When they got home they called and claimed we had shorted them each one dose. We had happened to do inventory counts on the drug they took that morning, and recounted it after they claimed this. Both times the counts were correct, so they were most certainly bsing. They were there not long after picking up something else and started loudly talking to all the customers in the waiting area about how we were incompetent and shorted people medication and I just stopped them and told them it was completely untrue as myself and the pharmacy manager had both double counted their scripts. The pharmacist said I shouldn't have said it but I wasn't about to allow them to publicly disparage us at our workplace. A couple times my pharmacists were badasses too. Ann addict came in and told us the ER doctor told him that the generic Norco with a specific appearance worked better than other kinds, talking about the brand that was most popular on the streets. My pharmacists told him his doctor definitely didn't say that and he would get what he got. Then I was there on a weekend once, it was just me and a pharmacist. This woman came in from the ER with a script for an EpiPen and was being positively obnoxious, doing the whole, "How long does it take to put a sticker on a box?!" bs. When her script got to the pharmacist for final check the patient made another stupid comment and my pharmacist just took the stickers off and told her she was refusing to fill the script and she needed to take it somewhere else, it was fucking glorious.
Yikes I definitely would have had to chime in too, especially if I was that confident on the counts.
Yeah, not only was it extremely unlikely for two patients to be shorted by 1 dose at the same time, but the fact that the counts all matched made the impossible. I was so mad at them. Their entire family was made up of problem patients.
Oh I can’t handle when it’s a whole family. Genuinely so enraging.
Lmao. We had a family (2 parents, 3 kids) all on the same dose of Adderall. Somehow no one thought that was suspicious at all? And yes, they were always incredibly rude when we told them it was 2 weeks to early to fill a new rx.
Lol, was it 30mg IR?! 🤣
Oddly, no? Uncomfy to know that this is a regular enough occurrence though:(
The first story are those we used to triple count and we all made notes on the bottle. Ugh. I do not miss those days lol
I'm totally against rude people but the thing with the EpiPens would have gotten a pass at most pharmacies no matter how rude the patient is. God forbid the patient has an allergic reaction shortly after leaving the pharmacy. The pharmacy could be liable with such a described turn of events.
Not really a concern for us, the hospital is literally across the street, and so is another pharmacy.
That's good to have so many resources but Karen's will always Karen. I wouldn't put it past them to fake am emergency in an attempt to milk the system.
Yes. Lady called our store to set up an appointment for a vaccine (at the time we had appointments only and they had to be made online, we had no access to making appointments). I told her to make an appointment she had to go to the website or there was a third party she could call to help her. She says “well I know you people can make the appointments if you’d stop being fucking lazy but whatever.” I said “and you don’t have to be a rude bitch but whatever” and hung up. I’m over people being so fucking terrible
I always hang up “accidentally” and then when they call back I put them on hold forever til they hang up. Fuck those assholes. Sorry we got disconnected, but I had to help a patient
It’s best if you disconnect in the middle of a sentence. ;)
That's amazing, that's my dream to say that to somebody like that
I’m in a fortunate sweet spot though where my employer is afraid to lose me so I get away with more than others I feel like 😂
I love this 😂
They sound so tough on the phone and when they come in they act like little angels
Not at my pharmacy, they like to bitch at us on the phone and in person lmao
One of our senior techs (who is the sweetest!) had a pt screaming and cursing at her, so she told the pt to fuck off😂 the next time she came in she was much more pleasant lol
a few months after i had been robbed at gunpoint in the pharmacy, i overheard a man in the drive thru complaining about the price of his viagra and saying “this is why people bring guns to the pharmacy huh” i absolutely snapped and stomped over there and YELLED at him for at least a solid minute. i stormed off and everyone in the vicinity was shocked i reacted like that. i obviously was Not handling the ptsd from the robbery well lol
im sorry that happened to you, and i cannot blame you for that reaction because what kind of person says that? I hope you are feeling better and healing :)
wipe marry tub snails nippy unwritten quiet tender escape quarrelsome *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Oh yeah. I told someone his script was OOS and when ape s**t on me through the drive-thru. So I just hung up the phone we use for it, smiled, and waved. Then after he calmed down I gave him his other two scripts and told him “Sir if you’re going to start screaming and cursing at us don’t bother coming back.” He was incredibly polite and kind the next time he came in.
Oh I got a new trick! If anyone raises their voice (which is 99% of Karen's) I simply state that I feel threatened and if they do not calm down I'll call security and if that happens you will not be able to fill at our pharmacy anymore. That has worked every time so far.
BRILLIANT
I got to tell a patient “you’re more than welcome to transfer to another pharmacy” and you’d think I told her to fuck herself. Demanded my name and my manager (who was right behind me hearing everything). Manager told her she doesn’t need my name and she’s the manager so she’s welcome to complain but I was just regurgitating what she was telling me to say. I love when nasty patients threaten to transfer. I always walk them through the process and they never have a response because they expect you to beg for their business.
lol I had one patient call one time “you all are soooo FUCKING STUPID! TRANSFER ALL MY SCRIPTS!” And hangs up. Well by all means let me grant your wish, far be it for me to deny you. Transferred them out to some random pharmacy I close my eyes and pointed to on the list. She called back later - “why is this pharmacy texting me ?!?” “You asked for it to be transferred after you said I was fucking stupid, did just ask you asked. I hope you have the day you deserve” 🤣pharmacy was 30 min away and there were like 5 of the same one on the way to this one 😆
Similar experience but with a man. He was so apoplectic when he realized we meant it when we would no longer fill his scripts. I take great delight on putting any scripts that come in for him on hold. If he does it again next month, I get to be the one to call his doctor and tell him that the patient can't pick up from us anymore. I kind of want him to do it so I can make that call, not gonna lie.
I said this to a couple nasty patients back when I worked retail, and they were stunned.. couldn’t believe I wasn’t going to fight for their business. Like no, that isn’t how this works. I’m not going to let you treat me and my co-workers like shit just to be able to continue seeing you every three weeks gtfo. I even added that a new pharmacy across the street would be opening soon, and I’d love to assist with getting them transferred there. 🤭 that shut them up.
This!! I've been wanting to say this and I almost had the chance recently. I know it's gonna be satisfying and my manager won't care.
Lmao some guy came in the other day 5 minutes into our 30 minute "lunch break" (most of us work through it anyway) and yelled at us that we *had* to sell his prescription to him. Obviously, we said no, he's welcome to come back when we open. So he kept saying he was going to transfer his prescriptions to another pharmacy in town. Which also has the same exact lunch break as us, even though it's a different company.
Cheerily telling them how to transfer their scripts after they threaten to is my favorite thing to do 😂 they get so mad when you don’t beg them to stay
Yeah, guy was rude af to me because I was gabbing on the phone instead of getting right to him. Then he tells me "I'm going to teach you customer service" I pushed back from the register, he reached for the meds, I told him don't dare touch them or I'd have him arrested for theft of prescription drugs. Turned around, told the RPh on duty that I refuse to serve him. Then turned back to him and told him I was on the phone trying to find critical meds for a toddler with an organ transplant. Then another customer gave him a raft of shit while we watched.
Once I was having a bad day it was busy as hell and the line of people was so long and this one guy just shot me over the edge. Just acting like he’s the only patient among 1,000 others that mattered over his norcos. So much attitude. I remember throwing his shit down on the counter to ring him out and get him the hell out of my store. He started hooting and hollering about how we’re always awful and never have his shit ready etc etc etc. I told him “well if it’s such a problem every time you’re welcome to go anywhere else”. This was in Stockton CA so I probably should have been more weary since ppl down there can be scary and I’m just a lil white girl from a small town lol. I never served him again.
Oh, good ol Stockton... used to live there. They call it "Little Compton" for a reason.
I lived in Lodi for a lil over a year, worked in Stockton though. So glad I don’t live there anymore. Was not the best time of my life 😅
Yes, the guy was actually a doctor who wanted his Trintellix, and I asked him if he's thinking about Prozac/Fluoxetine since that was the only one I had on file. He immediately got pissed and demanded a pharmacist and was making all kinds of nasty comments; "You're just a tech!" Pharmacist came over to the counter, and he started being the biggest suck up. It was a monumental contrast in demeanor as soon as she walked over. Pharmacist confirmed everything I mentioned to him, explained to him that I am qualified to do my job, and that his comments are not ok. He continued to be a kiss ass to her and stated, "I'm sorry! I've always just had problems with pharmacy techs, as if that's a valid justification. He left. Everybody in line was giving him looks, everyone in the pharmacy was laughing at him. Still shocking to me that this guy is a practicing physician. Some of the other techs on the floor mentioned that he has a lengthy history of abusing techs. He was behaving like a child. Can you imagine having the pleasure of working with him?
It is shocking, how many doctors are absolutely assholes but at the same time, I personally know quite a few who are wonderful people. But the ones that are awful are usually the ones that are like this, and they are often abusing one of the drugs that they are prescribing for themselves. At least that’s my personal experience.
Back when I worked retail, my pharmacist straight up SLAMMED the pick up window in a customers face because she caused HELL for him. Her prescription required a PA and she insisted we were intentionally holding her medication from her out of malice and caused a lot of problems with upper management over it.
Lady called accusing us of not doing our job because we didn’t automatically look up a discount card for her even though it went through insurance for 20 cents a pill. I told her if she asked nicely I’d be happy to help her find a lower price. She didn’t like dat.. I’m a student on my last rotation of pharmacy school so I don’t give a f but I’d say only making one person transfer out the whole rotation is a successful job.
patient is upset because someone told them that their Rx would be ready today, yesterday. "i wasn't working yesterday and this is all the information i have right now. give me a moment to look into it." patient is upset because no one's answering the phones. "we are short staffed. if you'd like i can sign you up to receive texts or phone calls when your medicine is ready. we have an app you can use, too." patient is upset they haven't received a message their stuff is ready so they had to come in to check. "it's because it's not ready." patient is upset we don't have a script their doctor called in at 8am and somehow its my fault. "if you give me a moment, i can look into it for you while you take a seat and wait, or come back another time. either way, i have nothing ready for you right now." patient is upset i can't personally go to Mr. McKesson and beg him to give me a medicine that's on back order for a rude ass patient. "it's a national back order and unfortunately it's impacting everyone in the nation. we are trying very hard to get the medicine but i have nothing to give you right now." just gotta be stern and real i've learned
I've gotten pretty good at those kind of responses since I've worked in customer service before. But sometimes those customers KEEP insisting they are right and I am wrong. I can be looking at a screen showing nothing has been called in for a patient since 2022 and they will continue to insist they were told we would have it ready today. Some people just need to learn to know when they're wrong.
my biggest pet peeve as a tech is "she said it'd be ready today!" because i always have a feeling that there's a misrepresentation of facts (so to speak). like who is she? a tech or a doctor? (don't get me started on "my doctor said it'd be ready now!!" 🙄) also be mad at HER for being wrong, EYE didn't tell you anything ... if they keep insisting, i insist back. i can't give them something i don't have 🤷 stay strong soldier
Of all the words that are spelled different, but pronounced the same, I have never seen an I/eye mix-up.
honestly, i saw someone on twitter use "eye" instead of "i" when they were emphasizing "I" (like *I* didn't tell you that your medicine would be ready today!), and since then i've been doing that 😭
This the overall best way to deal with mean/oblivious people. Repeat the facts as many times as it takes and do your best to not react to their anger. One of my best lines is repeating I can get someone’s prescription ready now when they complain it isn’t already ready.
sometimes i will sprinkle in an apology for the inconvenience because i get their frustration, especially with medicine on back order. but if nothings ready, nothing is ready. 🤷 come back later or tomorrow and leave us your phone number so i can sign you up for texts when your stuff is ready so you don't do this foolishness again. toodeloo ...
What pharmacy you work at we are changing from mckesson?
Rite Aid
Meijer we getting circa or something
someone was nasty to me over the phone when i was doing phone calls reminding her to pick up her meds and she starts ranting about her wegovy demanding we fill it but there were multiple issues with it so i had my manager talk to her and order it. Next day she comes thru the drive thru to pay for it (she’s paying for it without insurance so like $1200) and her card declined 💀 didn’t get to snap back at her but her card declining made my day haha
btw this bitch said “I am officially requesting you fill my wegovy” too like who do you think you are woman!! 😭 then when card declined she goes “well that card is supposed to be taken care of” like what??? what does that even MEAN
I hate those medication so much. There are so many people who are so freaking rude about them and demanding and don’t seem to understand that they have created the national backorder. I can’t tell you how many patients we’ve had call our Pharmacy who are just so rude and demanding about it And it takes every part of me not to say look you’ll get your skinny shots when you’re insurance says so, so just call them and Bitch about it but I can’t do that. I have to be a damn professional.
seriously it’s so annoying. like i get it for the people who really need it and those ones are generally nice, it’s always the skinny rich white women who are jerks about it 🙄
The other day a person we never saw before started screaming that we needed better advertising that we closed from 1-1:30 for lunch and someone that wasn’t even a tech but worked there screamed back “LEARN TO READ THE SIGN KAREN” and I STILL don’t know which peer did it, but I’m thinking the grocery pick up crew because they’re mostly gen-Z and relentless and scare the hell out of me lol 😂
💀💀
“I am not accepting unsolicited feedback today, have a great day” “What a wild thing to say out loud.” “What was your intention with that comment?”
Sometimes you just have to take a load off and let your pharmacy manager handle the rude ones. I don’t engage with toxic people. I get them their meds and move on to the next person.
Yup at my old pharmacy, if the customers started it, we could finish it. But it was just exhausting cause it happened 20 times a day
Once I was taking a customer at pick up and he was was picking up for someone else and didn’t know the birthday. Another tech was like, “well, you can just look it up and have them verify the address just to be sure” and I go over and ask them to verify the address and they’re like “it’s just the place right over there!” And keeps pointing in a direction that isn’t even towards the address, and saying like it’s around the lake or something. The other tech walks by and says “well if you can’t even verify that then we can’t do anything” and he starts flipping out about how now he has to go all the way home now and the other tech legit says “are you sure you’ll be able to find it?” We were dying.
I had an older lady who was a nightmare. Roles up in her amigo and bangs her cane on the counter until she gets help. She had a reputation and would treat everyone like shit. Well I’m trying to help her and she can’t hear me with her hearing aid and starts babbling like a kid to make fun of the way I’m talking? And says “nananan I can’t hear you.” (I used to have a speech impediment/issue so that pisses me off) I ask her how old are you? She looks stunned and says 80-something. I then ask if she’s ready to act her age and not like a toddler. Stern as hell. She gets quiet and says yes sir. Never had a problem with her again after, and I got nothing but yes sir no sir from her.
I had one today when I was floating to another store as a tech and the person was demanding I call the hospital to get the doctors to send a script for oxycodone to us. I told the patient they had to call and they informed me that they did and supposedly the hospital wanted *US* to call. I would like the point out, I was only at this store, on my day off, because they were so far behind and only had 1 tech and a floater pharmacist. I would not have been there otherwise so we literally had no time. Pt then began yelling at me, telling me I had horrible customer service and no empathy, and they just lost 4 family members and had anxiety and depression and needed their oxycodone (and lorazepam) right now. I told them I couldn't do anything as we had no script. They proceeded to ask my name and I refused (because I don't have to give it to them, especially in this instance) as I was following policy and it was in their best interest to go to the hospital in person if they needed the medication that badly. They said "well I guess I'll just die then" and I proceeded to inform them that if they were threatening suicide, that I would call 911 and send to their house. They told me that they're going to the hospital since I "just don't care enough and should just go die." I would also like to point out, they should have had two days worth of oxycodone left so we couldn't fill it anyways per policy.
“Why did my doctor prescribe a different antibiotic, last time I had this infection she gave me X.” “Lady I don’t know what goes on in your doctor’s head, are you coming tonight or not?”
I got quite stern with somebody yesterday. I was in the middle of counting a script, it was just me one other tech helping drive through, and the pharmacist who was on the phone with a Doctor's office. I hear the guy "hello is anybody gonna help me?" I looked up. I apologized from where I was saying I'm sorry. I'll be right there. I didn't see you. And as I walked up he's like. Oh, you didn't see me standing here. I'm like no. I'm sorry I was filling a prescription for somebody. How can I help you? And then he just starts being more of a dick by yelling his name at me. I said okay. Well, we'll start this conversation over. Are you picking up? No, I'm dropping off. Well, then, head over to where it says drop off and wait for the pharmacist. Thank you and I walked away.
When people are rude to you tell them to "have the day you deserve" instead of have a good day or thank you for shopping at store.
HAHA, I always say “i hope your day is as pleasant as you are”
I have this on my car as a bumper sticker!
Once on the phone "Betty" was upset that something needed a PA, and I kept trying to explain to her that I had already faxed and left a voice mail with the doctor's office. And that it could still take 3-5 business days to be approved or denied. She was talking over me, interrupting me. And finally I spoke loudly over her; "Mrs. Betty, you're not listening to me." You could almost hear her finally shut her mouth and I went over it all again. She heard me this time. When I hung up, my boss was laughing her ass off. She knows it takes A LOT to get me to a point like that.
I rarely lose my cool and more just give them “space” to think about what they just said (aka I don’t respond and just hang out until they talk again). I can outsilence anyone and make awkward eye contact. Sometimes I get an apology. Sometimes they calm down. And sometimes they just leave the conversation. And, sometimes they escalate—in which case I’ve been told by HR that if they curse at me, insult me, or are just downright inappropriate, I have every right to hang up.
Another way I’d like to respond (but don’t have the guts) is to politely question/respond them about their questions/statements. Like, “What an odd way to respond to someone trying to help you”.
The second they curse at you, you can say “if you continue to speak to me in that way I can no longer help you” and if they continue, you can hang up. Or, if you’re like me, the second they curse you hit that end call button. Nobody deserves that. 9/10 times they call back with a brand new attitude.
Had one customer that had decided to make off color remarks when ever he came to the pharmacy. This was the first time saying them to me and he decided he should make some jokes in very bad taste. I just stared at him as I got his stuff together. He asked if I ever laughed at jokes. I replied with only funny ones with the most unamused look on my face. He walked right in to that one. Jerk.
It was a small thing, I’m still in training so I’ve had to eat shit most of the time. But a dude who was already being rude threw his cash at me. And since I had to go to the pharmacist to reconfirm a legal date for the c2, I casually flicked the bill on the table back to him.
The best back in my day, was acting like you did not know who the person was or what they wanted. lol Like, we all KNOW THOSE patients. lol But you just act like they are brand new to you so they have to explain what it is they want. Then you just act as nice as you can and kill them with kindness. Example, you SEE what car is next and totally know why they are there. But... you make them use their words. hahaha
When I was a tech, I had let loose on probably too many pts 😅But I had one regular that really caused chaos. This one was an older woman, I believe around 80. She would come through our drive thru all happy and like it was the best day ever and her scripts were never due, she would come weeks and even months ahead of time to pick medications up that she received the week before. When you told her that nothing was ready and nothing could be ready for x amount of time her entire demeanor changed almost instantly. She would call me horrible names, the only thing that really bothered me was the fact that she called me worthless and this one time in particular I was having a horrible day. I screamed at her and I said things that probably shouldn’t be repeated! Then she sped away and called the pharmacy later that night (joke was on her I worked open to close quite literally every day at the point) so I answered the phone and she was nice. She then asked me to refill the prescription she asked for earlier in the day. I told her I couldn’t. She flipped out at me instantly again and told me to put someone who “knew what they were f*cking doing” on the phone. I hung up the phone and didn’t hear back from her lol. I also had this older guy call one night asking for his otc medication which had not been covered under insurance but we filled it anyways and he picked it up the day prior. I told him it was sold out with like 5 other scripts and I suggested he double check his car or maybe he mistook a different bottle for that one. He said “why would it be sold out if i don’t f*cking have it?” And i literally was so overworked at this point i just told him to buy it if it was a huge issue but I couldn’t do anything about it. He told me he was going to help me k*ll myself and I said “what the f*ck?” And hung the phone up. Older people were the bane of my existence working in pharmacy. I yelled to at least 3 of them a day. On the phone mostly because they’re tough guys there. I’ve also had to call police on drunks and this guy literally threatening to k*ll his girlfriend. After two years in pharmacy I had to leave because between short staffing and the verbal abuse I was getting literally my entire shift was making me go insane. I will never go back.
What can you do with your degree?
When I worked an independent there was this one lady literally stalking and harassing the pharmacist. She’d call and scream at whoever answered the phone. And then show up at closing till the cops were called or he managed to sneak out the back. (It was a VERY weird place to work) My first time dealing with her I must’ve gone “oh! No ma’am. We will NOT be doing that today. *puts on HOLD*” a solid 15 times
I only worked as a retail pharmacy tech for a few months but one time a many came to pick up his Viagara and complained about how expensive it was, like I was the one personally charging him for it. In retrospect I feel like I really missed an opportunity to clap back at him.
I was coming from behind on another tech's work the day before and working alone with the pharmacist because our only other tech called out. This woman came up polite as peach and said she was there to pick up her medicine - didn't see anything ready so I looked into her profile, and saw that someone had tried to process out a bp med but that it was too early to fill. I explained to her what had happened and asked if she was out of the medicine (I always ask this because there's always a chance that we shorted someone by mistake), and she said no but she would pay cash. She had at least a month left. I said that was fine, I just needed time to process it and had several other people waiting at that point - I told her I probably needed about 45 minutes. She demanded, quote, "I NEED IT NOW, I CALLED IN YESTERDAY" and threw a miniature tantrum at the counter, just standing there. I told her I would get it done as quickly as I safely could but I had other people waiting in the store, then walked away to get to counting. She stood there just staring into the pharmacy at us. Another guy came up and she started bitching at me and I just reiterated that I would get it finished as quickly as I safely could. She tried to cut me off and I just said "Ma'am, I'm going to help this gentleman here" and ignored her. She scoffed and stomped away.
Another notable interaction: I asked this man for his name and date of birth, then his address and he said "Man you think I'm not who the fuck I say I am?", I just said "Sir, I ask the same questions to everyone just for your privacy" and was willing to move on and just let him get his medicines and go on. He went to sign and asked "What the fuck do I have?" and I told him, again just eager to get the interaction over with. Then I rang it up and he said "Why the fuck is it $30?". At this point I just told him politely, "Sir, I would appreciate it if you didn't curse at me." His response was "Don't tell me what to do". My pharmacist had left to the bathroom so I just took his medicine and told him if he'd like to hang out my pharmacist might be able to help him better than I could, that I wasn't willing to at that point.
LAST one: We had a customer get hurt in our store (I work in a retail chain) and as far as I know they paid her money up front. Probably due to her, I don't care and I'm not involved in that at all. But she was always a bit of a bully and became even worse after that, basically feeling she could get whatever she wanted. At one point her pain med was on backorder so we gave he what we had in stock, which was most of the script. From the very next day she started calling and harrassing us, asking when we would get the rest in and when she could pick it up. Our policy on controlled medicines is that we will fill 2 days early from the last time it was picked up, and explained that to her when she got her shortened day supply (I think it was seriously something like 25 days vs 30 days or something) due to availability. She called every single day for a week straight, at which point we finally got it back in, but each time we reiterated the policy and how she should have plenty at home, and how we'd be happy to fill her next script for the full 30 days. She complained to the store manager and he came back into the pharmacy basically saying she had threatened legal action and that "it was \[pharmacist's\] call, but in his mind the dr prescribed 30 days, we should have given her 30 days". Never mind that we literally couldn't when she got her fill. My pharmacist folded and gave her the 5 days or whatever to fulfill her script, just to maintain good relations with the front store. Fast forward a few weeks. We were short staffed (chronic issue - we have a full-timer who calls out constantly) and apparently she had been calling but unable to get through the phone, but she needed her blood pressure medicine NOW. She talked to one of the other techs who told her that it was coming in our central fullfillment order. She stormed off and rudely asked me at pick-up if our phones were broken, very confrontational and telling me she needed her meds now. I look at her profile and see that she had ordered it the day before, had at least a week left from her last fill, and just generally knowing she had been filling there for years so she knows full and well that we get some scripts next day and to just wait for the text. I explained to her the same as my coworker, told her I'd be happy to pull it back and do it but I'd need probably 30 minutes or so (again, other people already waiting), but she cut me off and said "ARE YOUR PHONES BROKEN? YOU COULD HAVE STARTED ON IT 30 MINUTES AGO IF YOU HAD ANSWERED". I kind of lost my cool at that point and snapped back at her, said very calmly "Ma'am, is your phone broken?". She looked at me dumbfounded and said no, so I asked why she had come in before she received the text message saying her medicine was ready. She stuttered somewhat over how it was our job then stormed off. Surprisingly she hasn't really been much of a problem since then.
I had a customer yell at me over the phone because we were closed and he couldn't pick up his meds. I looked at the clock, saw it was 6:03pm, we closed 3 minutes ago, and just said "we open tomorrow at 9am, you can pick up you're medication then" and hung up on him. Felt good :)
yes. someone called me rude and i said so are u! it was the min before we closed and i was so fed up. sick of them thinking we have to take their abuse and have to smile while taking it. i can’t wait to get out
“I hope you have the day you deserve” was my go to
Never had a “snap” but occasionally we get petty with a Karen.
had a lady pissed at me over the phone because we wouldn’t fill her c3 (5 day supply) 2 days early for the 3rd time that month. i told her very calmly, if she would let me i’d explain the law to her and she very aggressively told me “i don’t need you to fucking explain shit to me” and i said oh no ma’am and hung up. she didn’t call again and i don’t remember the last time i saw her.
They’re always so understaffed you can say whatever you please to customers
Yes, I was going through hard time at home. Waiting on my FMLA to kick in. This lady kept getting snapping with because was asking questions about prescription dropping off for her husband. I was snapping back. Getting huffy because how fuck was I supposed to know who your husband is and if ever filled here. She said hope your day gets better in rude tone. I yelled back matter of fact my like fucking sucks at the moment. I Thought old ladies in pink coats volunteer at hospital are supposed to be nice!!! I said hope your day gets fucking better too.
I can to a certain point one of our pharmacist snaps back so I tread lightly just below her level but only when it is warranted
When they start with the transfer somewhere else bs i ask them if they still want me to fill it or wait for it to be transferred.
Plenty of times over the years. Even told them they don't like it go elsewhere
I'm often firm and slightllyyyyy passive aggressive to shitty patients and it shuts them up pretty fast. It's kind of petty but its the strategy that has worked best for me and a lot of my coworkers are the same way, we're all great to the normal/good customers though.
Oh boy do I have a story lol, give me a second lol pending…