Wait times and the theory of relativity

Let me start off here by saying that I'm not one of those pharmacists that will just automatically say out of habit that the wait is 15 minutes, or 20, or even 60. I say it like it is. So, here at don'tcallmedoc Apothecary, when I say 10 minutes, I mean 10 minutes, give or take a few. When I say 15, you guessed it, I mean about 15.

I'm curious why this concept is so hard for the average patient to understand. I usually get a jolly out of those patients that say "Really? That long?" when I doll out a 15 minute wait time. "Yea, that long. Don't like it? Go up the street to the CVS and wait 45 if you like." I just want to know why I am not believed. If I didn't "mean" it, I wouldn't say it. Yea, I have a good sense of humor, I can joke around, make things up for the hell of it...but not at work where I certainly do not have the time for it.

The other side of that story are the patients that say "OK" and then proceed to just stand there, making sure the counter doesn't run away or something....totally oblivious to the 3 or 4 other people I need to help behind him/her. I don't know, maybe it's a part of Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity that I missed...does time move more slowly inside a pharmacy's frame of reference? I'll have to investigate that.

Another interesting question tonight - "Why don't your reciepts tear apart easily?"

Err...what?