Walgreens

The people working retail at this Walgreen’s are super nice. I go in with my special needs child at least 2 or 3 times a week and by myself once or twice. I go there because it is convenient to my house and the people working are pleasant and helpful. With the rewards program, you can find some good deals. If you are looking for makeup or skin care, the person working that cash register will look for coupons they keep on hand.
I can’t give it 5 stars due to the pharmacy. The techs are very nice, but not all the pharmacists. I would prefer to use a different pharmacy, but the convenience outweighs the cons. The drive through line can be quite long.

I have one of the most bizarre experiences to share with others about my experience at the Walgreen’s on Liberty Pike/McKay’s MIll. I have been getting my Prescriptions there seriously for more than 6 years. Some good experiences with kind staff and believe me, I always filled out the «WAGCARES» survey request on the bottom of each receipt. But what happened a few weeks ago was a real shocker.
I went to pick up a prescription through the drive through. I saw the pharmacist on staff was one of my least favorite because he was cold, never smiled, and never offered a kind or greeting word. It came time to enter my «Register Rewards» number and when he could not locate the number, he got feisty and just basically entered another number and opened a new account without offering an explanation. When I asked him about what he did, he was rude, abrupt and uncaring.
Fine, I had just filled literally a $ 300 prescription and you are going to treat me like this? I think not. So, I saw the printed request for a survey at the bottom of my receipt and why not? I completed it and let them know of basically what I have listed above. Never Ever did I expect what happened next in response to my survey. The next day, the store manager at that Walgreen’s called me and basically reprimanded ME for completing that negative review/​survey. «You really cut us off at the legs here», she said. What??? She went on «If you had an issue, you should have really called the store managers here rather than calling the Walgreen’s survey number.» Again, WHAT? I told her that if she wanted me to call HER, then she should have had HER number on the receipt. She went on to make excuses for the pharmacist — «Oh, I have known him for 4 years and he never smiles/​gets excited about anything.» The best thing I could do, she suggested, was to «engage him and ask him questions,» Ummmmm… Hello, I am the customer spending 1000s of dollars here. The correct response from her SHOULD have been I am so sorry, we value your business, blah blah blah .What kind of yahoo manager is at that store? Shocking is the understatement of the year.
Walgreens — You have lost my business. Permanently.

I try very hard never to write a Unilocal review when I’m angry at a particular business, and I try to not let petty things about a particular transaction cloud my judgement overall in relaying to someone opinions on an establishment.
Today, however, I’m breaking those rules.
Partly because I know that most Unilocalers look to this site for accurate depictions of independently-​owned, unfamiliar businesses where you are considering spending your hard-​earned dollars — and noone enjoys bad meal or bad service.
Walgreen’s is a corporate chain with pre-​determined hours, policies, and standards — and the employees there can smile or not smile, be enthusiastic or work at a snail’s pace, but other than really those types of scenarios there’s not much difference from one Walgreen’s to the next, just like there’s not much difference between a Walgreen’s, a CVS, a Rite-​Aid, etc.
Today Walgreen’s made me mad, and they are off my list.
I admit this location is über convenient to my house, and has a drive thru where I can pick up a prescription on my way home and usually hardly miss a beat. While we all know that most anywhere else you go for a medication is going to be cheaper, I am swayed by that darn convenient drive thru service and long hours.
A few months ago hubby and I had decided to switch our scripts over to the Publix across the street from here after they added a drive thru as well, and I was perfectly happy with the pleasant smile, cheaper prices, and good service we got there. Then Walgreen’s appealed to the cheap-​o in me and started sending me coupons for a $ 25 gift card with a new or transferred prescription. I got one in the mail, one was in the paper, and then I got another via their Register Rewards when I was in a different location just getting some snacks or something. OK, OK, so I switched. About a month and a half ago, I switched the first prescription and got a $ 25 card. Then last week we swtiched a second script, and I forgot my $ 25 coupon (smack me!), and this weekend I moved yet a third.
After dropping off around 1 pm yesterday, the less than friendly male pharmacy tech said «It will take us quite a while to transfer this. Do you need today, or is tomorrow OK?»
Hmmm. Really? The originating pharmacy is across the street, the prescription current, insurance current, whatever. I presented him my Register Rewards received $ 25 coupon, and he said no, bring it back when I pick up, not drop off.
OK, so I go back today. First off, the prescription was not ready. They did not have an adequate quantity for what the transfer was, but rather than calling me to let me know, they just filled the order for 5 pills (billing me about $ 1 each for them), and told me to come back again tomorrow for the rest. THEN she told me that my $ 25 coupon was not valid. The expiration date was today, so not expired… she asked if we had government insurance or something. no. She said there were all kinds of restrictions (the coupon didn’t list tons of restrictions, new or transferred prescription, pretty much it).
The powerless but not un-​friendly pharmacy tech said there was nothing she could do to override the system. It was rejecting my $ 25 coupon, saying ineligible, and that was that. Sorry. I told her that was why I was transferring all our stuff, and if that was the case I would never be back. She said sorry, but there was nothing she could do.
If this Walgreen’s $ 25 gift card for new prescriptions is some «program» where you only get one gift card — then SAY THAT on the coupon. If it’s one per person, say so. If it’s even one per household, which I don’t see how you could do that — hubby and I are on different insurance plans even, then say that. Just don’t say sorry, there’s nothing I can do.
I used to love Walgreen’s for their free rebates. No more — they got rid of that years ago. I used to enjoy the convenience of great seasonal decorations and candy, multiple choices in cosmetics, shampoos, etc. — no longer.
I left with my 5 pills and took the receipt for my balance straight to Publix, apologized to the friendly pharmacist with a listening ear for my frustrations, asked for forgiveness of my sins — and now I never have to walk back in there again.
I should be noted that both my doctor and my husband’s doctor had relayed to us separately when discussing pharmacists that they dislike Walgreen’s for the overcharging, etc. And just in case you’re curious, if you have a prescription at Publix, and they don’t have enough to fill your order and need to come back, they front you the pills to get you through until your full order does arrive, and don’t make you mess with $ 4 insurance approvals, etc.
So yes, I’m reviewing a Walgreen’s, but today was my last.