Have a nice day
"Have a nice day." -- "Have a good day." -- "Have a great day." -- "Have a good weekend."
I refuse to say any variation of the above when I am working the register. It's not that I'm not polite to people, I just feel that it means nothing. Everyone hears it all day long, with every purchase they make, every person they have an encounter with. With everyone saying this, it just means very little. There's no power behind it. Also, does it really make you have a better day? Having a high school-aged cashier tell me, "Have a nice day," does nothing for me. It doesn't make me feel better, it isn't an ego booster, and it certainly does not mean that I am going to have a good day.
Additionally, do we care if the person has a nice day? Most of the time our patients are sick, so they are not going to have a nice day. Sometimes, they are rude, so we don't WANT them to have a nice day. Sometimes they are perfect, and we do want them to have a nice day. So, why don't we reserve that for the people we enjoy, care about, and want to have a nice day -- those great patients that love and respect us, that hug us and call in their refills early, that understand "the doctor did not call back" does not mean "the pharmacist won't give you your medicine." They deserve a great day. They get a little more out of me in terms of politeness. Everyone else does not get that from me.
So, is that rude? Am I wrong? I'm sure someone out there has some crazy reason for why I should say, "have a nice day" -- or why they do. It's not going to change my mind, but I will humor you.
What do I say to end a sale and say goodbye?
"Thanks a lot. We'll see you next time." -- because hopefully, if I've done my job right, they'll want to come back, whether for an Rx, beer, or a greeting card.
Have a nice day,
The Angriest Pharmacist
The last day I'll ever be questioned…
Scumbag came in recently and wanted 12-hour pseudoephedrine. My tech asked him for his license, and he knew the routine and handed it to her...along with $5.79 (or whatever it costs...exact change -- no paper trail). She knew he was a dirtbag and a frequent Sudafed-Man as we call them. We've recently received intel from the our local DEA agent (and pharmacist) that if the laminant on the license is broken or tattered in any way, it is not a legal license (at least in my state of residence). It is a ticketable offense, apparently. We can refuse sale at this point, and the DEA agent made it seem like we should. I made this known around the pharmacy that this was our new policy.
Well, the man, probably used to being turned away, accepted his fate and slumped away. A few minutes later, he and one of our front-end assistant managers came back in a sort-of triumphant march. The look on Sudafed-Man's face was a I-got-you-now-motherfucker glare...as if this Assistant Manager was going to put me in my place.
"So, what's the deal here with this man's license." ~Dumb Ass. Manager [My tech conceded to me.]
"We no longer accept license that have a broken laminate. It's not a legal license, and it's a ticketable offense per our local DEA Agent." ~TAestP
"Well, that doesn't make sense to me. All the information is clearly readable and we'd accept this if he were trying to pass a check." ~Dumb Ass. Manager
"That's all well and good, but we're not passing checks here. We're selling a substance that is controlled by federal law and regulated by national legislation." ~TAestP
"I don't understand. I used it last week to buy some 4-hour Sudafed!" ~Sudafed Man
"Okay. I understand. This laminate deal just came to our attention very recently. How bout this. I'll sell you this box now, but from this point forward, it is the policy of this store that your license is illegal and will not be honored. You need to have a new one printed." [Then I glared at the Dumb Ass. Manager] "And you stick around. I want to talk to you for a second."
So, I made the sale. Then junior and I went into a secluded aisle.
"So, do you know what just happened here?"
"Well, I just..." [I cut him off here -- The crimson hue of my face should have told him to shut the fuck up]
"I'm sorry. That was a rhetorical question. I'm going to do the talking, and you just listen. Since you felt the need to come back here and defend a scumbag, you undermined my professional judgment. I understand that you accept that to verify checks. I'm not dealing with checks back here. I'm dealing with dangerous chemicals. Now, that man is going to take the dangerous chemical and make it into a VERY dangerous chemical by mixing it with a ton of OTHER dangerous chemicals and sell it for people to inject into their veins and get high. It's called methamphetamine.
You front end managers think you are doing people a solid by coming back here and challenging my decisions day in and day out, but all you are doing is causing MORE problems for me. You give stupid fucking idiots validation in their flimsy arguments against my professional decisions as the pharmacist on duty and the pharmacist in charge. You, by merely coming back and inquring, are saying that you and some fucking idiot are right and that I may be wrong.
From this point forward, you and the rest of your front-end staff are NEVER to come to my pharmacy and inquire about anything with related as to decisions I, or my staff have made. Your response from now on is the following: 'You are going to have to talk with the pharmacist on duty. If you don't agree with him you can ask for the pharmacist in charge or inquire about when he will be returning.' Even if I told a little old lady to shove a broom up her asshole, you tell people their only recourse is to talk to the pharmacist. You have no say in the pharmacy and you will get no say until you complete your doctorate of pharmacy in an accredited pharmacy school.
Are we clear?"
"Yes, sir. Absolutely." ~Dumb Ass. Manager
"Okay. Please pass this information on to EVERYONE else in this store that is not in the pharmacy....Good talk."
-=+=-
Now...That was fucking brutal wasn't it? You bet your ass it was.
I nearly made him cry, and I'm not shitting you all, that's almost word for word what I said to that poor bastard. And no, I'm not going to apologize or recant in any way.
That's once small step for a pharmacist and one giant leap for the profession. Never again will I let someone without R.Ph or Pharm.D after their name even attempt to question the policies and procedure I institute in my pharmacy.
Headhunters
I got the message below from what I like to call a headhunter. What do they do all day? They call us, hardworking pharmacists in the trenches, at work. They bother us incessantly....non stop. Feigning interested in our day. Telling us about "exciting opportunities" in "various healthcare field" with "immediately openings available in our area of the country."
That's right. They call me at my job, who currently pays my bills, and asks me if I want to quit and work for any company that will take me. They will promise you the world. Can they deliver? They don't know. They don't care. They likely read off a script just like every other telemarketer in America.
I understand as well as anybody that it takes a ton of different people to make the world go around. For every job, there is a worker willing to take that job at that wage. It may not be what I would want to do, or what I could earn, but the job is there nonetheless.
But, how in the fuck do these people make their place in the world? I just don't get it! I could not imagine a pharmacist, regardless of their level of disgruntlement, saying, "Yeah, I'll quit this bitch for whatever job you can find me with XYZ company." I've never heard of someone doing it. So, I've never heard of a success story. To make matters worse, they bother us at our already hectic jobs. This pisses us off and REALLY makes me want to jump ship!
What makes this specific commenter all the more asinine is that I had a run in with her a while back. The Pharmacy Alliance had an oft-used email listserv prior to their meeting in Texas. She chimed in with this same recruitment chum. I didn't reply in a swear laden hate-speech. I didn't even tell her to go fuck herself. I just replied with, "Whoa."
Now, at work, I like to fuck with these people. The way I see it is that my time is money. I'm sure my time is worth more than there's, but I'm a huge dick and I like to get a laugh at other people's expense. I often ask them for all the details and not pay a lick of attention. Then I ask them again. After that I'll ask them random questions they have no business knowing until they get the hint. "Ma'am, why can't tigecycline be used for bactermia?" or "Why is Zyvox contraindicated in people on MAOIs?" or "What's the max daily dose of Oxycodone in a properly titrated person" or my personal favorite, "Why can't enteric coated aspirin be used to treat a headache?" If they still don't get the hint, I ask them, "Why does Mickey Mouse have big ears?" -- That's usually the fuck off question that gets em.
Bonus points for answering the real questions in the comments.
A new submission (form: "Contact Form")
============================================
Submitted on: June 4, 2008
Via: http://www.theangriestpharmacist.com/contact/
By <edited out IP> (visitor IP).
| Contact Form | |
| Your Name | Libby <edited> |
| I am a | Not in Pharmacy |
| Email Address | <edited>@vermilliongroup.com |
| Website | http://www.vermilliongroup.com |
| Comment | Please contact me if you would like to find a new position! We have contracts with a lot of the Hospitals throughout the US looking for full time Pharmacist, Pharmacy director's and Managers. We work with several large retail chains as well!! We would love to help you find your dream job!!
Libby <edited> |
Mind Your Own Business
The Angriest Fiance and I visited a local eatery tonight. Not a high priced place like PF Chang's, but we certainly weren't at McDonald's. Quite frankly, I think the place is into witchcraft. I saw their delicacy of choice in a large tank of dihydrogen monoxide when I entered, and they were brownish black. Yet, when they served me a dead one to eat, it was obviously bright red. Either they are wikken-kind or someone has some talent with the paint brush in the kitchen.
All kidding aside, it was 9pm. It was an odd assortment of customers. We sat across from a black man and woman. It was her birthday. Our waiter was amazing. He was polite, quick, and always around when he needed to be. Anyway, it was the lady's birthday - she was rewarded with a free daiquiri for her achievements.
As our wonderful waiter was serving us our salads and asking us if we needed anything else, our neighbor across the aisle decided that he needed my waiter's attention more than I did. I guess he didn't notice the fact that I had a male waiter, while his server was most definitely a female. Nonetheless, he let out a resounding, "Excuse me!" while a salad was being placed before me. In pure Angriest-Pharmacist fashion, the waiter ignored the man like he was a fart in the wind. After we were tended to, the waiter's response was perfect. He acknowledged the man (barely), told him to wait just a second as he returned the "serving table" to the back, and walked away. He never returned -- however their waitress came by a few moments later. I found this absolutely hilarious.
Finally, they brought out our main course. I proceeded to chow down on my feast before me. As most may know, there is some splatter involved with food that lives in water. You break a hard shell to get to the sweet, succulent, heroin-like substance within. I'm also a very, very, very messy eater. I got a little on me...and my date. She was not as amused as I was.
Our neighbors thought my entire meal was quite funny. They giggled and laughed. Hell, I think they pointed. It was pretty fucking irritating. I'm not sure why someone would spend more time watching someone else eat than staring at their own food and their own wife's tits. I hope they enjoyed my dinner - I did.
Moral: Keep your eyes on your own fucking plate.
Tip on $50 check? $15 for service. $5 for ignoring rude ass people.
TAestP Twitter
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