CVS/pharmacy

I have met some pretty incompetent people while in retail stores, but the manager Richard at Store #7442 takes the cake. I went to this location to return two items my wife decided she decided she did not want that she purchased at another store because the #7442 location is closer to my home. When I went to the counter they said there was a problem with my return and asked the manager (Richard) to come look into it. He then told me that I already received a refund on my receipt. I told him that’s not possible because there was no refund that took place, and I still have the items as they were in the bag that was given from the other store. He then said that he wouldn’t perform the refund because he never saw me in his store and that I had to go to the store my wife purchased it from so they can see my face in order to process the return. For the record, I have shopped at that CVS before and never noticed Richard at all. I then repeated that no one returned any product and he said because I am not a regular customer that he wasn’t going to do it, even though he was able to. I then left and went home and alerted my wife of the issue. She then called this CVS and spoke to Richard to confirmed what he said, and he said that it was CVS policy not to accept returns from other stores. She then called the store she purchased the items from and they said that it’s not CVS policy to refuse refunds from another store. I will not be returning to this store again. CVS can thank Richard for loosing a customer.

This is for the «minute clinic» inside the CVS.
I could not get in to see my regular doctor for a few days and thought on a Wednesday morning at 11:00 a.m. to drop by the minute clinic for a quick check out.
Signed in on the computer (big plus)++ Told me that I would receive a text when my appointment would come up.
Great! Wonderful – no hassles — I can go about my other business and still have a place in line. This is where all the «hassle free „promptly ends…
I no sooner get out to my car and drive around the block-​when I get a text — „you are the next patient in line and we will be with you shortly“…remember those words „be with you shortly“ they now become very important.
I go on back and see that the man in front of me is ushered into the exam area at 11:30– nice i think to myself — about 20 minutes from now I should be seen. 20 minutes passes, 30 minutes pass–
At 45 minutes the woman who signed up after me asks „Surely there is something very wrong with that guy it has been 45 minutes!- Tell the dr. that I left“. I begin to think this is not a bad idea…
Guy ahead of me finally emerges (thank goodness he is still alive!) 52 minutes later — (not the 20 minutes or shortly as I had hoped).
I am finally ushered in at 12:30 p.m. (60 minutes later) — the nurse makes some small talk and gets straight down to business setting me up with insurance on the computer, taking my vitals etc.- After about 10 minutes of small talk and insurance gathering– nurses computer bounces back with an error —a computer error! Nurse — states „I have no way in the system to change this —looks like you may have to pay out of pocket“ Out of pocket!!! Isn’t that why I have insurance!!! I ask if the transaction can be voided and try and start again – She looks at me blankly and states -“ I can’t back out or correct it since it went to our computerized — insurance clearinghouse». — Can you just pay in full and submit it later? Now about 80 minutes have passed).
I look at her and state that sadly I am not paying out of pocket and doubt that insurance would cover it if they had an «error» in your system. Nurse says — «well we could try» –
With that response I looked at her and said — I am going to «try» somewhere that I can be treated in under 90 minutes and definetly takes my insurance~!

Awful. They have no idea what they are doing. Super slow. Switched to Target’s pharmacy now. They are awesome.

CVS to the rescue! I forgot to bring a few things for kayaking so we stopped at the nearest drugstore. I found a comfortable pair of sandals for $ 3 & and they had all their sunblock lotion on sale. A 24-​pk of bottled water for $ 4? Yes, thank you!!!
CVS also has a great rewards program. Every time you checkout, you get several coupons to use for next time. Sometimes, you even get extrabucks to use at your next visit. Score!

I like how some customers can find great deals at CVS combining CVS extrabucks, sales, and manufacturer’s coupons to get things for ridiculously cheap prices. For instance, my Mother was able to get tin cans of nuts for 50 cents each. Cans of their store brand «Gold Emblem» nuts on sale – much less regular price, are somewhat expensive, though. I think Walgreens is cheaper.
This CVS has organized store shelves with lots of bright yellow tags screaming out to customers which items are on sale. A friendly cashier asked customers if they needed help. There was a steady and good flow of customer traffic. There is a small clinic in the back. They had a small kiosk called the «Coupon Center» where you scan your CVS card and the kiosk prints out a long paper with lots of other coupons and extrabucks promotions that might not be in the weekly ad. You should get the CVS card if you haven’t yet. I haven’t bought anything at this CVS yet, but with some research, hope to start taking advantage of their CVS extrabucks system to get great deals.
Unfortunately, this CVS is located in a sketchy area of Austin. The night I went, my second visit, a store employee had called the cops on a customer. I think that customer escaped in a hurry later, because he ran his bicycle into the side of my car as I was pulling out of my parking spot. That is the reason for the deducted star.
This CVS sits on the Northwest quadrant of the Braker Lane @ North Lamar Blvd intersection, near Chinatown.

I have come to the conclusion after trying several different CVS locations that they all have horrible customer service. I hate that I can’t use Walgreens.

Absolutely terrible pharmacy. Currently waiting in the drive-​thru lane — I’ve been sitting at the window for 20 minutes and there are no other customers. Simple questions throw the pharmacists. Inefficiency is the name of the game here.

NOTE: THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE PHARMACY
There is a reason is still use the HEB Hancock pharmacy even though I have moved north.
Last week, my doctor phoned in some prescriptions for me because I was very sick. I had them called into this CVS at Braker and Lamar because I was too sick to drive and it’s near my house. I crawled into the CVS green, shaking, sweating, in short, a disgusting, sick mess of a person. (It’s important that you know that, in general, I roll around with a certain forced attitude, that has gotten lots of free cups of coffee, etc. What’s my secret? I try really hard to be nice to people and be understanding. It works. It’s a good way to snap people like cashiers and pharmacy techs out of their adaptive drone state and into a state where they might want to help me. Try it, you’ll like it. I’ve been a drone slinging coffee or working retail. I know that it’s vital to grow a sturdy exoskeleton in order to not cry a lot when you’re working customer service. People are mean and angry and boring, for the most part, when they encounter people behind counters. It’s displaced hostility down to the letter and a really ugly fact about our society in general that so many people have so much anger about their frustrated lives and feel entitled to take it out on anyone behind a cash register.) So, here i go, mustering all I’ve got to explain to ALEX my situation– I just got off the phone with the nurse at my doctor’s office and they had to phone in one prescription because it is a controlled substance but they faxed in the antibiotics. Please, ALEX, check the voicemail because she just called it in 15 minutes ago. Alex, a clearly frustrated little man, huffed around, slamming the keys of the computer searching the computer screen.
«It’s not here. You have to call your doctor.»
Again, I explained the situation. He became visibly, obviously ruffled. The soft-​spoken beauty working next to him explained in her vaguely British purr, what I was saying. He snapped, «Come over here!»
I was confused. I didn’t know if he was talking to me or his coworker. I looked at him, now he was at the other end of the counter. He did that irritated get-​over-​here hand snap gesture. I crawled over and he shuffled through copies of faxes received.
«See!» he snapped. «It’s not here! Call doctor!»
Again, I explained that the doctor had to phone in one of the scripts. Someone in the back of the pharmacy caught on. And shouted that she would check the voicemails when she was done with the elbow-​deep work load she was sifting through. I stood back and waited about five minutes, until the lady on the phone called out that she had the prescription and would fill it as soon as possible.
I was elated– indifferent to the weird power struggle with Alex– and delighted that I could get my cough syrup and go back to bed. I scanned the scene and saw Alex scowling at me. I turned to wander the store as I waited and heard him snap again in his thick accent, «Well, the must have JUST called it in a minute ago!!»
I smiled and shook my head, thinking, «yes, Alex, you finally understand what I’ve been trying to say this whole time.»
So, I realize the whole CVS pharmacy was slammed busy and that my communication break-​down with Alex was caused by many things: his sub-​par English comprehension, his clearly exasperated state of busy-​ness, his learned customer service exoskeleton. However, there is one unavoidable factor that just makes me a little mad (yes, just like everyone else), Alex was not listening to me. He simply did not listen.
I feel a bit bad now. Should Alex’s flustered mistakes earn the whole pharmacy such a bad rating? After all, the poor men and women on his team got it together and got me out of there relatively quickly. That’s why I’m changing my rating from 1 to 2 stars. But, come on, CVS, get Alex a break sometimes, and talk to him about the basics of customer service.

I have been using this location for about 2 years now. I have never has a problem.

If you want a bargain, you can’t beat CVS. Their store loyalty card gives you money for buying things you already need. You can sign up for emails that send you coupons for free stuff, like an entire pack of Vitamin Water. And there’s a Magic Coupon Machine! Oh, how I love the Magic Coupon Machine. Here is a haiku about it:
You give me free stuff,
Magic Coupon Machine.
Please stay in my life.
Even without newspaper coupons, the Magic Coupon Machine has provided me with free chips and hair care products, and for this reason I worship its bright lights. This particular CVS has a temperamental MCM that is broken more often than I would like, but I forgive it because it gives me free chips. Did you miss that part?
I come to this location every Sunday (and sometimes Thursday, after they’ve restocked), and the young men who work the cash registers are terribly sweet. They are patient with me when I hand them stacks of coupons. They know the store policies and seem genuinely pleased when I leave with bags full of goodies for the cost of tax. They even greet me on Sundays with pleasure, like they’re happy to see me. When I hear stories about store employees who get annoyed with the people buying six bottles of detergent, I feel so lucky to have this CVS.
Granted, it’s not the biggest or best-​stocked location nearby– that would be the one on Anderson. It’s sort of frustrating to see things advertised in the weekly circulars that they don’t carry, but this doesn’t happen too often. For all the basic drugstore fare, this location serves me loyally and well.

Reasons CVS is better than Walgreens:
1. They sell beer and wine
2. The young guy that works there flirts with me even when I drag in all sickly and gross (kudos to him-​last time I cringed after I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror).
3. The older guy gives me tips on how to control mosquitoes
4. The lady is friendly and pleasant
5. The loyalty card actually gives good stuff-​like a free bottle of ibuprofen or mouthwash-​who couldn’t use that?

There’s no way to express my heartache when I roll up to my local CVS and find it closed. Are they having huge sales? Probably not, but their collection of random crap is outstanding. I can walk in needing nothing and leave with a full bag (unfortunately). They also have mood lighting, making it a much more romantic date location than our nearby Walgreens.
My favorite part is the sweet cashier chick. She and I have dealt with customers of questionable intelligence, and the looks we exchange cement our cashier/​superior customer relationship. Of course she’s usually the one who talks to said dumb customers, but I’m standing right behind them (in line). All she has to do is give me the signal, and this chump is toast.