Pesky Annoying Pill Bottle Cap - Publix

Clearly, at the top of the list of mistakes any business makes (New Coke) is not asking customers what they think and want first. Once again, the supermarket chain Publix enters into the picture. They introduced some annoying coupon integration into their check out payment system. Nobody wanted it or could figure out how to use or why and senior regularly got upset that they were somehow being "shorted" by the confusing "service". It lastest about 90 days before they changed it and it made some sense. A lot of customers were angry about this.

Here we go again. So look at the photo. I'm comparing side by side two pills bottles and the tops (caps) used by their pharmacies. On the left is a fairly "standard" WalMart cap. It is relatively easy to twist off and on. On the right is the absurd Publix cap. I'm not quite sure where to begin describing this "device". It has two sides - flip it and it's (I think) a child resistant safety cap. Flip it around and (I think) it's not. I really don't know which side is for what and I shouldn't have to. A standard cap is a 1/4" high. The Publix version 3/4" high - the increased height adds no value to the cap.

This is Publix way of being clever - stupidily clever. One cap for (I think) two purposes? All while - as one side says and not the other - please keep our planet "green" by recycling this container when empty. The cap has a child warning along the top (???) edge in both English and Spanish. The WalMart cap is a simple pill bottle cap - very straight forward. It makes sense to me and is not making any political statements about recycling or warning children (none in my home) in two languages.

Along with the other things I do, I am a Hospice volunteer. As a disabled person I also take about 10 medications a day. So you might say I'm surrounded by pill bottles. I also listen a great deal to what people say and think about lots of products and services. My 88 year old mother lives in a "senior" community and, yes, talks to lots of older people. Guess what? Nobody likes the Publix multipurpose bilingual recycleble pill bottle cap.

My suspicion is that some idiot in Lakeland (Publix corporate headquarters) ordered thousands - perhaps hundreds of thousands - of these evil annoying pain in the ass "screwy" tops. I can also with say with much confidence that Publix never checked with - asked - or demonstrated this "thing" to either seniors or everybody else that has to take medicine on a regular basis. I even asked the pharmacy employees at three Publix locations and "they" don't like them either. So I have to think that Publix never even asked their own employees about this horrid pill bottle top.

This is why Publix in a desperate attempt to do better than WalMart is losing customers in large numbers now to - guess who - WalMart! I've written before about unresponsive Publix store management, their high prices and now these ridiculous caps. This is how a business makes costly errors when they get "stressed" about the competition. If you are saying, why is he focusing in on something as small and inconsequential as pill bottles?

My response to that is think about how many MILLIONS Publix pharamacies contribute to their corporate bottom line. Personally, both my brother and mother have moved their prescriptions over to WalMart. One of my patients has moved their presscription from Publix to Target. I'm next. If you don't listen or ask or react quickly when customers complain about the "little" things, they think you don't care and go elsewhere. It's not like I have to go out of my way (same with thousands of others in my neck of the woods) to shop somewhere else - as just one example - WalMart supercenters in Pinellas County FL are popping up EVERYWHERE.

In the past if I wanted to purchase aspirin along with a gallon of milk and bread, my first choice would be to run over to Publix. Not any more. I now have WaWa, 7-11, CVS, Walgreen's, Hess, Exxon, Shell, Racetrak, Thorton's, Circle K, Dollar General, Rally, Kwik Mart and many others to purchase those three items AND leave the store satisfied with my purchase. With all those choices, why does Publix elect to "piss off" their customers?

Publix - get rid of the arrogance - get rid of the ridiculous pill bottle caps - keep those shelves well stocked with inventory - keep prices fair and make sure your store managers are kept out of hiding in their offices and in the "back" - make sure their up front interfacing with customers - asking and listening about the service and products. I used to really love Publix, now I don't. It's where "shopping used to be a pleasure". Not any more. It's all their fault.

for my Spanish shoppers -

Publix - deshacerse de la arrogancia - deshacerse de las tapas de las botellas de píldoras ridículas - mantener los estantes bien surtidos con inventario - mantener los precios justos y asegúrese de que los gerentes de las tiendas se mantienen fuera de su escondite en sus oficinas y en el "nuevo" y más interfaz frontal con los clientes. Me encantaba Publix, ahora no lo hago. Es el lugar donde "shopping solía ser un placer". Ya no más. Todo es culpa de ellos.