I don't usually use this blog for personal rants. This week I changed my mind after receiving poor service at Walgreens. I am usually a stickler for quality customer service and I don't suffer poor service easily or cheaply. I recently changed all of my prescriptions to the nearby Walgreens rather than at Walmart. I had always received excellent customer service at WalMart.

This week I decided to get a flu shot and following their websites recommendation I spent 20 minutes on-line making an appointment and filling out all of the pre-check-in information. I made the appointment for first thing (actually their second appointment) in the morning.

When I arrived (early) I was told that it would take a few minutes because there were "walk-in" customers already in line for vaccinations. Wait a minute.. surely the purpose of making an appointment was to insure that you had a specific time to receive service. First rule of good customer service... live up to the most basic expectations of customers (like having appointments honored). It is unacceptable to have to wait 45 minutes when you have an appointment.

The clerk asked me a series of questions about my health... the same questions that I answered on line. I was later given a sheet to fill out answering the same questions that I had already answered twice. I guess these were for their manual system... obviously they don't trust their own redundent computer system. Is this a stupid system or what? Second rule of good customer service, don't create busy work for customers (or your own staff)

Rite-Aide is right next door to Walgreens. I think I will try them next.