The link in this title leads to a nostalgic website that is practically all that remains of a 56-year old Buckhead institution, King's Drugs at Peachtree Battle. It was briefly an Eckerd and is now Rite Aid Peachtree Battle store #11788. They've done a physical remodel, installed bright lighting and restocked the floor. The medical equipment, gift shop, designer cosmetics, high end candies, food and perfumes are gone. The pharmacy no longer does compounding, charge accounts or home delivery service. Unusual, interesting brands have been replaced by the exact same low-priced mass market merchandise found in every single chain drugstore in America. Yes, that's the free market. It had to happen.
But gone also are the familiar pharmacists and pharmacy assistants who greeted everyone by name for years, gave helpful advice and took care of our needs. Gone, apparently, is King's practice of hiring and training intelligent pharmacy employees who were courteous, welcoming and efficient. This is only speculation, but it looks as if they have dumped long-term, higher-paid, older employees for inexperienced low-paid, less qualified people. This is a guess from my most recent visit (which will sadly be my last).
For some reason, Rite Aid has reconfigured the pharmacy with high glass barriers which make it much more difficult to communicate with the pharmacists themselves, of which there are fewer on duty, leaving customers at the mercy of snippy teenage pharmacy technicians who rule the roost, and are just lawsuits begging to happen, in my humble opinion.
It might be to Rite Aid's corporate advantage to hint to their teenage pharmacy employees not to give customers medical advice, especially when it contradicts their doctor's instructions, when the customer has put the doctor's written orders right on the counter. And they should also not take it upon themselves to pontificate freely about actions of the drug they are recommending that are not only completely inaccurate, but dangerously conflict with a prescription that the customer happens to be picking up at the same time -- which is also written on the same piece of paper. (Not that Miss Knowitall would recognize the name of the drug, but she certainly acted as if she should have.)
The recalcitrance of this particular teenage pharmacy technician at Rite Aid Peachtree-Battle, Atlanta GA, #11788 (who wasn't wearing her name badge) was stretching my visit out to infinity. I just wanted to get my prescriptions, my non-prescription item and go home, as I really wasn't feeling well, but the teenage pharmacy technician at Peachtree-Battle Rite Aid #11788 just wouldn't give the item I needed, in the size I wanted. Since it was kept behind the counter, I couldn't just pick it up and take it to another register, and she did have my prescriptions as well. She wanted to argue and convince me to purchase what she thought I needed.
Eventually a supervisor showed up, and without apologizing or looking me in the eye, he simply took over and completed my transaction. I think she had terrorized him, too.
The only vestige of the King's Drugs era is the lovely lady at the cash register at the front of the store. I don't know how much longer she will be there. Rite Aid doesn't seem to know much about dealing with the public. I don't think they will appreciate her. Hopefully, another independent retailer in this neighborhood will snap her up. It would be a shame for us to lose her.
Did I mention I don't recommend patronizing the pharmacy at Rite Aid store #11788, Peachtree Battle Shopping Center?
Sunday, March 23, 2008
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2 comments:
Yes, it is sad that King's Drugs is gone. One thing I remember, in addition to the smiling face at the front register, is the older gentleman who would replace the battery in your good wristwatch and only charge the $3 for the battery. I guess it is the marketplace in action. I am reminded of a similar situation in Clayton, GA, when the local full service appliance store had to figure out how to adjust to Lowe's arrival in a nearby town. On a lark they took an old (antique, really) refrigerator, painted it red and put in the store window. Immediately, passersby stopped and were intrigued -- the refrigerator sold immediately and people begged for more. This was the genesis of a now-thriving business devoted solely to finding very old stoves, refrigerators etc., restoring, refinishing and rewiring them, and selling them for $3000-$16000. Their web site is www.antiqueappliances.com if you want to check them out. They kind of fell into this line when they realized they couldn't compete with the "Big Box" stores, but it does show how some ingenuity can rescue a business. (They did read the handwriting on the wall, for a couple of years later Home Depot came to Clayton). I suspect the owners of King's Drugs probably just wanted to sell the business and retire, so their situation may have been different. However, it is sad to see the local, friendly institutions go by the wayside. As the French say, tant pis.
I am adding a comment to this post as well on behalf of the Rite Aid at Peachtree-Battle. They have worked on customer service. Credit where credit is due. I've seen a couple of familiar, friendly faces in the store. I have not used the pharmacy again, however. I have been completely cured of the Rite-Aid pharmacy at Howell Mill by the arrogance of one of the pharmacists, although the store manager there is exceedingly helpful, knowledgeable and dedicated. I will simply buy my non-prescription items from his store and fill my prescriptions elsewhere. Too bad his hard work is being undermined by one of the professionals in the pharmacy.
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