Healthcare Meets Commerce at Walmart Medical
My Walmart has a clinic. It’s extremely convenient on a weekend when your kid spikes a fever and is coughing like a barking seal. Just pop in, take a number, and wait for an exam. A quick, illegible scribble on the magic pad translates to a full night of sleep.
They don’t give you a number, though. They give you one of those beeper things like at the Olive Garden. They encourage you to go shop around the store - handle some greeting cards, breathe on the produce – whatever you want. But you’re not waiting for all you can eat soup, salad, and bread sticks. You’re trying to prevent the spread of disease.
Maybe the clinic people just want you out of their hair or maybe the save-money-live-better people are simply squeezing savings out of not buying waiting room chairs. Maybe they’re passing those savings on to you, the consumer with the contagious kid. After all, you have better things to spend your money on – like those Mommy’s Little Helpers also known as Benadryl and cough syrup.
Maybe I’m cynical (okay I am), but if the clinic people send you and your nasty germs out into the store where all the other people are, doesn’t it follow that more people will get sick and need clinic services? Makes you think twice about sampling the grapes too. Win-win.
by Lela Davidson on October 16, 2009
in Random Amusements
Obviously, the point of them giving you the beeper is so you won’t be tethered to the clinic and will be free to purchase something from the store. The clinic is another reason to get you in the store, where you are likely to make a purchase (hopefully unplanned, and therefore incremental) and grow sales. Clinics, photo services, pharmacy, 3-cents-off-gas-with-a-gift-card-that-you-can-only-purchase-inside, hunting licenses, banking services, salons, T&L…all are convenient for you, but are also a way to get you into their doors and not another retailer’s.
As for the spread of disease…I doubt the clinic is encouraging anymore sick people to walk around and cough on merchandise than would normally. Afterall, you’ve got to go to the pharmacy to get your ‘scrip.
I suppose Vanessa has a point, but with the exception of the hunting license all of those other services don’t actively encourage the potential endangerment of fellow shoppers. And even the hunting license is only dangerous if you’re in line at the pharmacy behind Dick Cheney.
I think from now on you should take a little pup tent with you to the clinic. Take your beeper, set up your tent in the middle of the clinic, and wait your turn. I bet your number comes up in RECORD time.
I agree~it’s silly to let sick people walk around the store, but then again don’t people do that anyway?
Then there is the fact that the (very small) clinic waiting area is completely open to public view. Airborne viruses are going to flow right out to the the general public no matter what.
This is why I secretly hold my breath as I pass by the clinic and use hand sanitizer the second I get in my car!
Wow, you guys feel strongly about this one! I’ve heard this one’s making the rounds at the Home Office. I’m making it big in Bentonville!
@Danae – Why do I need to read any blogs when your comments keep me laughing out loud?
An excellent question, Lela. Just keep reading mine. That’s all I ask.