This is Craig.
My summer job hunt (also known as the ongoing 2020 college Spring Break), resulted in me working at a bakery.
Okay, not a real bakery. It's not like I'm apprenticing as a pâtissier. I'm working in the bakery department at Local Grocery (same one Frank bags groceries & collect shopping carts at). This consists of me putting frozen pucks (that's what we call them) of cookie dough in the oven, bagging the finished product, putting a mysterious "garlic-flavored spread non-dairy food product" on slices of French bread, getting yelled at by strangers because at 9:45 p.m. we're out of breakfast donuts, writing "Happy Birthday" on some cake for a hyperactive 5-year-old who clearly needs to pee, and other valuable life skills, for minimum wage.
A few times a week I work the closing shift. Beyond the occasional customer questions ("Hey, how many muffins are in a 6-pack of them?"), this entails me wiping out the donut and bagel trays for the morning shift to fill up again, cleaning up the kitchen so the early crew can start baking when they get here, and moving tubs of dough from the freezer to the fridge so it will thaw overnight.
Around 8:55 p.m. the phone rang.
Craig: "Bakery department, can I help you?"
Phone guy: "YEAH. I've been trying to reach someone there for HOURS. I'm out of my medication, and need to make sure it's been refilled so I can come get it tonight."
Craig: "I'm sorry, this is the bakery. I think you're looking for pharmacy. Let me transfer you."
Phone guy: "NO! DON'T DO THAT! I've been calling them for the last 15 minutes and no one answers the phone."
Craig: "Well, they close at 7:00, but you can leave a message about a refill."
Phone guy: "But I need my refill NOW! I AM OUT! Can't you go over there and get it for me? I can just pick it up at the bakery."
Craig: "Sir, I can't do that. It's all locked up. I'm not even allowed in there. They'll be open tomorrow morning at 9:00, so if you..."
Phone guy: "You're being entirely unreasonable. I need my medicine! Can't you just call a pharmacist and tell them to come in for me?"
Craig: "No, sir, I can't, let me get you a manager."
Phone guy: "Is it the pharmacist?"
Craig: "No, it's the night manager who's in charge now."
Phone guy: "That's not who I want."
Craig: "Sir, I really can't help you. You pressed the extension for bakery. That's all I handle here."
Phone guy: "I'm not stupid. I know what I pressed. I'm going to go down the phone menu until I reach someone who can help me. You were the first department."
Craig: "Let me transfer you to..."
Phone guy: "Screw this. You're worthless. I'll try Beer & Wine next, and Deli is after them. Somebody there must know the pharmacist."
Click
Nicely handled, Craig ~ you did everything right!
ReplyDeleteThe Beer and Wine section definitely knows the pharmacist.
ReplyDeleteGood customer communication, Craig. It was admirable of you not to say "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." Or even: Wait, I'll connect you to the Federal FDA, maybe they know the pharmacist."
ReplyDelete@Ms. Donna
ReplyDeleteAnd probably knows the caller, as well
When I worked at a military hospital, I'd often get calls about things that had nothing to do with my office simply because I started work earlier than most of the other offices in the hospital One morning at 7:30 I got a call from an ambulance driver who was there to move a patient to a nursing home. After trying to connect him to the people he needed to talk to, he called me back and said, "I'm sorry to keep bothering you, but you're the only one answering your phone." I then looked up the patient's ward and transferred him up there, and apparently that worked because he never called back. The driver was very polite through the whole thing, which made me a lot more willing to help him. I had originally gotten his call because someone at the Information desk had transferred him to Transcription instead of Transportation, which happened frequently.
ReplyDeleteGood on ya, Craig...I'm almost sure I would NOT have handled it as well as you lol.
ReplyDeleteCraig, Craig, Craig. Has your father taught you nothing? You were supposed to give the caller Dr. Pissy's personal cell phone number.
ReplyDeletesounds about right
ReplyDeleteGees man, tell the guy you need a half an hour, then you can walk when you get some Tylenol capsules, open them up , fillwith confectioner sugar tell the guy if you were able to get four capsules for him which should be enough to last him until the morning. Swear them to secrecy and tell him to meet you out front for the hand off. Put the four caps in a small bag supply that will last him till he can pick up his regular prescription in the morning. Doesn’t anyone know how to handle this crisis is anymore. Make up some story about loss of pharmacy license and jail for customer if anyone finds out. Tell the guy no alcohol with the pills. There everyone, that is how it is done.
ReplyDeleteFor sure, try the Beer & Wine next. Try it all night.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this is a patient that would definitely call Mary's desk...
ReplyDeleteWell done. And as you are on your way to and from work, remember that these people drive, procreate, and vote. The world needs more people who are educated, balanced, and in control; you seem to be well on your way to helping the world toward a better direction.
ReplyDeleteA story worthy of https://www.notalwaysright.com !
ReplyDeleteGood job, Craig! People don't mind you breaking the law, as long as they get what THEY want. Sheesh!
ReplyDeleteIt's an amazing world. Craig, welcome to laughing with a straight face.
ReplyDelete43 year pharmacy veteran here. There is about a 95% chance this was for his Viagra or some other PDE5 inhibitor.
ReplyDelete