Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Afterwards He Wasn't Sure It Was Worth It.

At the time though, he was full of hope. When he started this whole thing he knew the odds were long and that the process would be difficult, but he was confident he had what it took. The patience, the skill set, the appropriate comfort with technology. Still, there was no way this would be easy.

The effort was started and he was immediately thanked. In a cold, anonymous way. He was told he was important, just not important enough to personalize. Encouraged to hang in there and try for the payoff. Many people began this process, but few completed it successfully, and no one who failed ever heard a harsh word.

The waiting was killing him. Long stretches of nothingness before yet another impersonal contact.

Frustration set in. Maybe he was crazy for trying. Surely there was a better way. This wasn't going to work. It took the encouragement of friends to lift his spirit enough to carry on.

Then......a voice.

"Thank you for calling Walgreens, may I help you?" The past 39 minutes waiting for human contact were the biggest emotional roller coaster ride of his life. Finally though, he had beaten the odds. Someone had answered the phone.

He asked if his doctor had phoned in his alprazolam refill, which he needed far more now than when he began the call.

7 comments:

was1 said...

Wow... for a minute there I thought he was calling DEAecom to get information about renewing his CSOS certificate. Then I saw that a human answered after only 39 minutes and I knew it couldn't be a call to the DEA. The modern drug store is indeed a model of efficiency.

Anonymous said...

If it was in Florida, the patient would have reached a technician in the call center in Orlando. He would then (most likely) be transferred to a Pharmacist in the call center, who would then transfer him to a technician at the store an so forth.

C said...

Government financial computer system at the end of the fiscal year-wait time for a tech, 1 hour and 45 minutes.

This = my rarely drinking husband having a beer at the end of last week.

We feel ya.

ThoughtsOFARandomCollegeStudent said...

Wow, this sounds like me trying to get into pharmacy school.
LOL....

Anonymous said...

After the phone was finally answered, I'm sure he was put on hold for another 39 minutes...Happens every time I call for a transfer

Carter said...

Eighteen minutes yesterday for transfers, told they would transfer, had to call BACK today to get the transfers. REALLY?!

Anonymous said...

Hilarious