Have you ever worked for a company where you were supposed to tell customers about a new product or service? This could be a paid service or it could be a free app they download, for example.

Either way, it takes time to tell customers about new products or services, time that might be better used to actually help as many customers as possible instead of focusing on one customer for a long period of time.

In today’s story, one employee at a pharmacy is told to tell customers about the new + service and to help them set it up. Keep reading to find out what happens when this employee complies.

You want me to tell people about our + service AND set it up for them? Bet.

We had a new push come through last week from my pharmacy manager and DM where we are “strongly encouraged to tell people about the + service and set it up for them.

I’m sure you see where this is going.

Again, it’s busy where we are. It’s summer, people are snowbirding down here, so business is still high, we’re fixing issues with insurance and still filling a good bit every day as well as doing all our usual inventory stuff – I really don’t have more time for stuff at this point.

A customer came in, and OP decided to tell her about the + service.

So around 3-ish we have a customer come in. Mom that I know. Very nice. Also had a big family. She didn’t know we have an online platform. Guess who had to show her and kick off MC.

I took her down to the counseling window and she pulled out her phone.

I then showed her what to download, how to set up her account and explain what to do to refill her scripts, check refills and show her how to have us request a refill.

Oh but wait. Remember she has a big family? Let’s make it a family account. Four more people to add that have scripts. Need names, DOB’s and address checks.

It took a long time to set all of this up.

So, about 20-25 minutes later, everything is explained and set up and she’s asking me a few more questions when my pharmacist pops out and says “hey we really need you to get back in here” and so when I got back in soon after we had a quick talk, after we got the queue caught back up that went downhill after the time I was out there.

Pharmacist: “You can’t spend that much time with a patient showing them the + option.”

Me: “But the email/text you sent me said the DM WANTS us to be active in setting up the accounts and assisting customers. Are you asking me to not do what he’s asking now?”

That’s not exactly what the pharmacist meant.

Pharmacist: “We just need it to be faster.”

Me: “Then I won’t do it so I can be fast. You can’t have this both ways if a customer needs help and they happen to be slow. Should I email the DM and ask if he wants this to be another ‘use your best judgment’ like our last issue?”

Convo basically ended there, kinda ticked off the pharmacist but that’s not my problem. You tell me to do the job… don’t be surprised when I do the job. If you don’t like it, then don’t ask for it.

Seriously, you can’t have it both ways. What really IS the priority, upselling or being fast?

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

The pharmacist was just doing his job. The revenge should’ve been directed elsewhere.

Another person points out who really suffers from OP’s compliance.

This person rants about supervisors who make rules without understanding the reality of the situation.

Seriously, time to hire more employees.

You can’t expect employees to be quick while explaining new services.

If you liked that story, read this one about grandparents who set up a college fund for their grandkid because his parents won’t, but then his parents want to use the money to cover sibling’s medical expenses.