Walgreens: My Personal Rant

Again. It happened again! Every single week when I shop at Walgreens there is an issue. Every. Single. Week. Now let me make it very clear, I try very hard not to be an entitled person. I don’t expect anything more or less than anyone else. I try to be a very respectful shopper. I always smile and I am always polite. If I have more than one transaction, I politely do my first transaction and move to the back of the line to do my next. I always say please and thank you and I have become friendly with many employees/managers (most of whom have no idea that I run a website). This is how I like to behave in life and what I try to emulate for my children.

I know that Walgreens is a business and with that comes specific things. They have every right to create the rules and deals and promotions that they see fit. They have every right to begin new programs (i.e. Balance Rewards Points and Register Rewards) and it is my job to learn how to use them with the tools they provide. They have every right to run their business how they see fit. I have complete respect for that and I honor that.

When I go into a store, I expect to be treated fairly and politely (as I usually am) and be able to make my purchase and leave the store in a timely manner. That is the part where things get sticky. I now feel that Walgreens does not value my time. This could be some stores or all stores, but unfortunately for any company, the one represents the many. And when I shop, I expect you to value my time as much as I value yours.

Today I did my shop as usual. One of the products in the ad wasn’t yet in my stores (as happens so often), but you roll with it. This is life! Not everything goes smoothly and you roll with the punches. I went to check out and my cashier was polite, as I was with her. At the end of my transaction, I asked about the $11.49 in Register Rewards that was supposed to have printed and she informed me (somewhat nonchalantly) that the CAT machine was broken. Then came the pregnant pause as we looked at each other. She then said that I could go to “Camera” and that they could print them for me. Fine. I really have to run, but fine. What can I do.

I then waited at “Camera” for 10 minutes with no assistance. I had assumed (my mistake) that the cashier had called for someone to help me, but apparently not. Another customer approached her and asked if she could get someone to come to “Camera” and help us. She paged someone on the loud-speaker. Another 5 minutes passed and I was fuming (and if you know me, you know it takes a LOT for me to feel that way. I’d rather be dancing in the rain). I approached the cashier and irritatedly told her that I had to get out of there, but no one had helped us yet. She paged again and finally a gentleman came. I asked about the broken CAT machine, but was told that it would be fixed soon. All the while, the two other registers in the front, the “Beauty” register and the “Camera” register appeared to be working. And completely empty.

Let me be clear – if this was a one-time incident I would be irritated, but fine. We are humans working with machines. Things break. People make mistakes. No biggie. But time and time and time again this stuff happens and it leaves one to feel how I am feeling now.

I know that I have other stores that I can shop at. CVS calls to me every week and I wish we had a Rite Aid. I don’t mention those stores as a threat at all, as I’m an equal opportunity shopper. You have a good deal, I will come. That being said, I expect my time to be valued. I am no longer convinced that I -as a customer – am valued at this store. The biggest problem that I have with this is that I’m also an eternal optimist. Every single week I think it will be fine and every single week I am disappointed, frustrated and let-down. I don’t know Walgreens. We’ll have to see where we go from here.