Last week I had Cataract surgery and my Covid test PRIOR to that fueled this letter to our local papers. I don't know if they'll print it or not, so I will print it HERE....
Editor,
They say we "shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth," and that's generally good advice. However, those free COVID tests at Rite-Aid on Mule Road in Toms River bear some serious, serious scrutiny. They are "free" of charge, yes, but certainly not "free" of unnecessary stress and inconvenience. Note: It's not the Testing, itself, which is the issue but the total confusion about how long it will take for Results to return is the issue. The test, itself, was easy and quite well organized. I share the following experiences via your paper to hopefully help anyone else who is or will be in my situation to know what to expect.
Last Wednesday, I was due to have Cataract Surgery via Dr. Lakhani of Toms River who, by the way is an absolutely genius of a doctor. Anyway, by law I had to be COVID tested three days in advance so I went Sunday after church to Rite-Aid. After being told all along that Results would be available in "2-5" days or "2-7" days ("but most often two days or less"), I went ahead, but my results were not in by 11 am Tuesday, 48 hours after the test. I called Rite-Aid back and for the first time it was clarified to me that it was two BUSINESS days, which meant the earliest I'd be eligible to get Results was Wednesday morning (the surgery was slated for Wednesday afternoon, at noonish.) See, I learned that the hours after my test on Sunday did not count now, because Sunday is not a business day. Would have been nice to know that at the outset!
I called the Lab who processes the results and they could not confirm that Rite-Aid even sent them (more on that later.) Rite-Aid, of course, insisted that the results were, indeed, sent to the Lab (there in New York State.)
Wednesday morning still brought no Results, and Rite-Aid then changed the goal posts and explained that the usual waiting time was now "2-10" days. I forfeited my surgery for Wednesday but thankfully, Dr. Lakhani re-scheduled me for Friday. On Thursday, STILL no Results by noon and I called the Lab again. Long story short, they blamed Rite-Aid for not leveling with me in the first place about how long this might take (so do I.) I called Rite-Aid again and one of the people who work there actually suggested that the Lab was extra long getting Results to me because I might have COVID and they're re-testing the sample to make sure before they inform me! Friday morning I finally got the Results. I was negative for COVID (whew) and Doc Lakhani worked his wonders on me again that afternoon (he did my right eye in 2016, this time he did my left eye.) I have since heard a rumor that this very Rite-Aid lost a batch of samples for a group of people who had free COVID tests there, and I tend to believe it because I see how my own situation was mishandled. I believe this is why the Lab suggested Rite-Aid may have lost my results---it wouldn't have been the first time, sadly.
Thank you, Rite-Aid, for the free COVID tests but a little more honesty and specificity about how long it might possibly take to get Results would be very, very helpful to customers lined up for surgery. I used to run a business in North Jersey, and when I gave my customers something that was "Free" I endeavored to make the gift "hassle-free," as well as "Free" from a financial standpoint. It's best to under-promise and over-deliver, not the other way around! I know that COVID testing is a relatively new thing and you're inexperienced at it, but these principles of how to do business the right way are ancient and are still necessary, here in 2020. Yes, most often we shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth but if it leaves a bad taste in OUR mouths, well....
Chet Jelinski
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