Everyone who's worked at a place who deals with customers should know what I talk about. These people, who suddenly got all the training and information required to make statements about your work, without the actual education for it, nor anything closely related to it.
I work at a pharmacy, as a technician (actually, I have this Wednesday the entrance exam for becoming a pharmacist, wish me luck!). A new feature in our pharmacy is that with a certain bonus card you get bonus points for all products we sell, that aren't classified as drugs. According to the law concerning drugs, we just can't give bonuses for said substances (the law passed last autumn). Pretty straightforward one would think, but no. A couple of days ago a man wanted to give his bonus card to me while buying only drugs, and I kindly told him that no bonus this time. By assessing his reaction one could have thought me accusing him of being a fat, smelly piece of turd. In other words, he was really offended. I told him of the law, when another man in the line cried "This is a cartel, set up by the government!" I readily agreed, selling licensed drugs is a state monopoly. One guy in the line also said that the law is complete bullshit, and there is no such thing.
I could only sigh and a few thoughts went through my head. A) Were those guys a) doctors b) nurses c) pharmacists d) chemists e) working for a pharmaceutical company or perhaps f) lawyers or g) judges? No, I highly doubted that they were. B) The legal monopoly is there because a) drugs without proper knowledge are dangerous (did you know that one of the most common drugs misused is paracetamol/acetaminophen?) and b) every pharmacy around the country is required to sell drugs at the same price so that people living in small cities and towns won't have to pay twice the price that people in big cities for the medicines they need.
And C) does one really need to get 5% of the money back for paying 3.00 € for a medicine?!
Do you think I've missed something essential, that the quarrel wasn't about bonuses and drugs? Is it wrong for the government to protect ignorant people from the dangers of medicines? Have you had a funny, horrible, memorable situation with a customer?
I work at a pharmacy, as a technician (actually, I have this Wednesday the entrance exam for becoming a pharmacist, wish me luck!). A new feature in our pharmacy is that with a certain bonus card you get bonus points for all products we sell, that aren't classified as drugs. According to the law concerning drugs, we just can't give bonuses for said substances (the law passed last autumn). Pretty straightforward one would think, but no. A couple of days ago a man wanted to give his bonus card to me while buying only drugs, and I kindly told him that no bonus this time. By assessing his reaction one could have thought me accusing him of being a fat, smelly piece of turd. In other words, he was really offended. I told him of the law, when another man in the line cried "This is a cartel, set up by the government!" I readily agreed, selling licensed drugs is a state monopoly. One guy in the line also said that the law is complete bullshit, and there is no such thing.
I could only sigh and a few thoughts went through my head. A) Were those guys a) doctors b) nurses c) pharmacists d) chemists e) working for a pharmaceutical company or perhaps f) lawyers or g) judges? No, I highly doubted that they were. B) The legal monopoly is there because a) drugs without proper knowledge are dangerous (did you know that one of the most common drugs misused is paracetamol/acetaminophen?) and b) every pharmacy around the country is required to sell drugs at the same price so that people living in small cities and towns won't have to pay twice the price that people in big cities for the medicines they need.
And C) does one really need to get 5% of the money back for paying 3.00 € for a medicine?!
Do you think I've missed something essential, that the quarrel wasn't about bonuses and drugs? Is it wrong for the government to protect ignorant people from the dangers of medicines? Have you had a funny, horrible, memorable situation with a customer?
When I was young, there was a god with infinite power protecting me. Is there anyone else who felt that way? And was sure about it? but the first time I fell in love, I was thrown down - or maybe I broke free - and I bade farewell to God and became human. Now I don't have God's protection, and I walk on the ground without wings, but I don't regret this hardship. I want to live as a person. -Arina Tanemura
