Friday, June 1, 2007

So sleepy...

I know I’ve been gone for ages, leaving Wrathos to pick up the slack, and I only have a moment to spare this morning. I’ll be back with more soon, though, including some international comparison shopping and more in the continuing series “Douchebags at the Movies.” For the moment, I’ve got this little gem:

Walked into DR this morning to pick up a fresh pair of stockings (Thanks for pointing out the run in the back helpful stranger on the N train! I really did appreciate you letting me know, but did you really not expect me to curse when I noticed it?). One of the cashiers was taking a nap. At her register. I mean her head was literally on the cash register. I’m guessing she wasn’t dead or injured, because her fellow employees were showing her just about as much concern as they show me when I ask where to find Q-Tips.

In all fairness, the other cashier was quick and courteous and got me in and out in record time. Of course on my way out, I had to walk past her colleague who was sleeping on her feet like a horse at a glue factory, which begs the question, why are there two cashiers on at 7:30 in the morning when nobody is in the place, and only one at 5:00 when there are no less than 600 people in line? I guess technically there was only one person working, but still. Why even bother to schedule someone to stand behind the counter?

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, you actually found pantyhose in your size at DR? Every time I go to find them, they have every size but mine.

Sometimes they're out of toothbrushes too, which strikes me as even worse. You're a drugstore: didn't you think people were going to come in looking for toothbrushes??!!

Anonymous said...

I just discovered your great blog moments after I was in a Duane Reade, seething while I waited on line for 10 minutes to buy 3 items. There were three cashiers there and only 2 other customers. Truly logic-defying.

I work on 57th Street, and I truly thought the world was ending last spring when two DRs opened directly across the street from each other. There should be some kind of law against that. Aieeeee.

Anonymous said...

I gotta say, I LOVE my Duane Reade (North End Avenue in Battery park City). Yesterday I was there and my regular friendly, smiling clerk said to the woman behind me, "You did NOT come in here without the baby!", feigning irritation, and then they shared stories about baby growth WHILE she was manually processing my credit card purchase. Then I got a $5 Duane Reade Card discount for my next purchase. I also noted that they are stocking food (crackers and stuff), a real blessing in a neighborhood with only two crappy, overpriced delis.

Dare I go on? last month I was at one of seemingly several Duane Reades on the corner of 56th and Broadway (or thereabouts) and a helpful clerk TOOK me to the section I was looking for. When I tried to pay for part of the purchase with (another) $5 Duane Reade card credit, the clerk saw that it had expired and called the manager to see if she could accept it. He quickly came UPSTAIRS and approved it (not an easy process as it involved unlocking the cash register).

I joke with my boyfriend that Duane Reade is my favorite store, but I'm only half-joking.

Anonymous said...

I once came in after the four minutes a day when one can pick up prescriptions to see that security gate blocking the prescriptions area, so I tried to knock the little white envelope out with a sponge mop, but then someone in a DR uniform showed up. The store is terrible (mine is on Broad and 8th), and they never have black liquid eyeliner (who wears brown??) I use my local mom and pop drugstore now.

For more opinions, check out www.ThePanelist.com.

Anonymous said...

its customers like you that make it bad for us. why dont you try working for a shitty company like Daune Reade and see how much enthusiasm you have to be there.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the comments left by the employee. Instead of having any compassion for people who obviously hate their jobs, you rant and rave about them. Obviously, you think you're terribly clever but in fact, you are clearly a sad, angry, probably incredibly insecure whiner.

You must consider yourself so self important to keep this blog current, yet you say the exact same thing over and over. And what's especially great is that hardly anyone cares - what do you get, like 6 comments max?

"I hate everything about Duane Reade! I need what I want exactly how I want it or else I pout and whine and complain!" I mean, don't you realize the world doesn't revolve around you? We ALL have to wait in lines, deal with people who aren't in a hurry, and generally, just be patient.

You are obviously someone with too much time on their hands, and little inclination to do anything but type. Your stories are tiresome, predictable and lame.

Just shut up already.

Anonymous said...

No kidding. I wish this dope would just crawl back into her hole and find something better to do.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Employee, does it seem fair that you spread the misery? Like a parent who beats a kid and the kid turns into a bully, does that make anything better?

Mediocre Situation (good for DR, bad for you): you lack experience, good fortune, and/or the inclination to make things better for yourself, and even though you sink to your boss's level and become that which you despise, maybe people complain/vent about it in a blog, blog contributes to awareness and bad press, and parent company wakes up to negative press and fixes things to some extent. But fixing involves firing employees of your caliber, so you hop from job to job until you settle into another position working for someone similar to the bad-old DR. There you fester for the rest of your short life unless the cycle resets itself.

Worst situation: you lack the inclination and experience to make anything better for yourself, and you become that which you despise. DR stays in business by overcoming poor service with other business prowess (like it currently does) and you become embittered and crusty.

Either situation, it's pretty lose-lose for the actual employees. Try to better yourself if possible; there's almost always a way.

Best situation: Sure, you've got 3 kids at home, a booze problem, and the ladies/men can't stand your odor. So you deal with bureaucracy and get the services which exist, even if some aren't the best: a social worker, food stamps, rehab, daycare, and continuing education at a community college. Become something that you're proud of, even if the pay's not much better, and get the f*ck out of Duane Reade. You can't stand working there, and we can't stand you working there.

And hey, anonymous trolls that followed employee's comment, you are obviously following in the footsteps of Jesus. Good luck.

Anonymous said...

in regards to your comment about the unhappy employee. Sometimes its not easy for some people to find a job, so I do appreciate your somewhat motivation but I most likely have a better education than you. I am a pharmacist there and to tell things to someone that you know jack about is a problem you nust have a lot in lfe.

Anonymous said...

oh and by the way to call poeple trolls for agreeing with someone other than you is quite childish and shows that your mentally, oh how do I put it stupid. You should or you probably do work for Duane Reade Corporate.

Anonymous said...

FUNNY HOW THE DUANE READE DEFENDERS
CAN'T
SPELL.

DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

G.E.D much?

Anonymous said...

boy you must be so proud to make that comment. Really shows your maturity, what didnt finish High School. Then if thats the case you should look for a job in the corporate office of Duane Reade I hear they are looking for more idiots like you. Well what ever you do it must be a job where you dont use your mind much or at all.

Max Losk™ said...

Absolutelly agree!
I have never seen such overpriced store! I feel so bad every time I shop there, because I know that I've got ripped off atleast 30% to 50%!!!
I think community should do something about it, because there is no reasonable explanation to this. They gonna say that it is all about high rent price, but no way, there are stores right next to DR and they have normal prices

Anonymous said...

Well think about the good thing.. they have a chase atm machine in there and if you're lucky -Its not out of order :)

Anonymous said...

Interesting….I started working at Duane Reade today. It’s sad how everyone forgets that sometimes, it might be a person's first day on the job so things won’t come easy for them. They will mess up, they will forget to give change, and they probably wouldn’t know how to make a return. You people seem to forget they put up a new Duane Reade every week. Do you think they use previous Duane Reade employees? Nope, they are using brand new people like me who probably have never worked a cash register in their lives. And no, not everyone who works for Duane Reade is a high school dropout or a crack addict. Many people, like myself, are on vacation from school and decide to work and/or take classes so their summers aren’t wasted away. As for the employees who are really mean spirited and rude, I’m not going to defend them because wherever they work, they are going to be mean spirited and rude. That would be the day for you Duane Reade haters when someone like that starts working at your job haha.

Anonymous said...

ADVICE TO ALL PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES WHO WANT TO WORK AT DUANE READE,

PLEASE READ YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION CAREFULLY, DO NOT DO ANY OF THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION.DO WHATEVER YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO DO....THIS WILL MAKE YOU A NORMAL INDIVIDUAL AT DUANE READE AND NOT TO BE HARRASSED.

THIS IS A CONFIRMED PHILOSOPHY BY PHARMACY SERVICE MANAGER AND DISTRICT MANAGER AT DUANE READE..."HARRASSMENT ISN'T PERSONAL"

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR JOURNEY AT DR, BECAUSE YOUR BRAIN AND ENTHUSIASM WILL BE FUCKED UP IN COUPLE MONTHS.

Anonymous said...

i work at Duane Reade as well(45 and 2nd Manhattan and its really not that bad. their are people out their working 2 or three jobs and you dont see them sleeping on the register. yes customers can be a little cranky sometimes but all i do is laugh at them. If you dont like the job go get another one. if your by some chance stuck in a situation then complaining just makes it worse

Robertozoa said...

boy you must be so proud to make that comment. Really shows your maturity, what didnt finish High School. Then if thats the case you should look for a job in the corporate office of Duane Reade I hear they are looking for more idiots like you. Well what ever you do it must be a job where you dont use your mind much or at all.