This is a review of the Walgreen's pharmacy in San Mateo, not the rest of the store. The non-pharmacy portion of Walgreen's is for the most part great and I shop here frequently. I'm giving the pharmacy a rating of 2 stars because of the people who work there. Of the two times that I've filled scripts here, I thought that the pharmacy techs were not very good at customer service. They seem to ignore you for as long as possible and then when they help you their tone of voice is short, as if they are annoyed with you for doing business there. I've seen many a customer at the counter in an unhappy if not angry mood. Now, I realize that lots of customers are unreasonable and I usually sympathize with the sales people, but in this instance I'm leaning toward my fellow customers. I'd definitely recommend some customer service training for the pharmacy team. read more

On 11/18/21 I brought a prescription to this Walgreens. They told me that they needed to order it and that I would receive a call when it was filled. They never called me. On 12/4/21 I called to ask what happened with my prescription. The female that answered the phone put me on hold and then told me it was not filled. I asked what the problem was, and she placed me on hold. While I was on hold (for over 5 minutes) an Automatic call came in from Walgreens stating that my prescription was filled. A second call came into my cell phone almost immediately stating that the pharmacy was working on my prescription. The employee never picked up the phone but instead initiated these auto calls. So I called back (and again waited on hold for over 15 minutes). I asked to speak to someone about this prescription. This man informed me that the prescription had just sat there and was never addressed. He called me back after investigating and said that the provider wrote a trade name and they needed to contact that provider to see if they would authorize a generic (non-trade) item. He could not tell me why no one had done this. We agreed that Walgreens would try to contact the provider and I also would try to call the provider. I left a message for my provider to call the pharmacy. Again I never heard from Walgreens. On 12/20/21 I drove to the pharmacy to retrieve the prescription. They could have ordered the trade prescription but instead did nothing and failed to call me to let me know that there was still a problem. Because of my insurance, I am restricted to which pharmacies I can use. So this pharmacy left me without the necessary medication for over one month. I called the corporate Walgreens office to complain on 12/21/21. On 12/22/21 I received an automatic call from the pharmacy saying that the prescription was ready for pick up. Within 2 minutes of that automated call, a woman from this Walgreen called my cell number stating that I had given them a work number (implying that it was therefore my fault for not receiving any calls). I just hung up! I have used Walgreens for years and they always identify me by my phone number (which has been the same for over 15 years). In addition, their automated system knows my cell phone number (I get plenty of these calls to the correct cell phone). In addition, the male in this Walgreens called me back on 12/4/21 on my cell. Words cannot be expressed regarding the poor service in this pharmacy. read more

This Walgreens is just ok. You would assume given their prime location (downtown San Mateo) they'd be cleaner, or nicer. Not really the case. It's got everything you'll need, but nothing special. Their customer service can be improved too. I prefer the one on El Camino/41st more. read more

Horrible customer service, didn't hear they calling me next at the line and cashier was very rude! Lucky them medication can't be bought at Amazon yet! Hopefully soon they get scare of running out of business and get better or close their door! read more

This place was good many years back regarding the pharmacy. Past few years I've a noticed a huge decline in customer service . They put you on-hold when calling then often don't answer, no notifications of prescriptions once the insurance approves it. You have to call several times just to get an answer. One lane has been closed in the drive through for a long time now and the clerks seem lazy. read more

I don't know they offer curbside pickup when never never have personal to bring the stuff to the car CURBSIDE PICKUP REALLY BAD SERVICE

This Walgreens is awesome! I've been shopping here for years because I work within walking distance, and have always been treated well by all of the employees and love the deals that they constantly have going on. Today I decided to write this review because Mike, one of the Sales Managers, went above and beyond to help me find something that I wanted to get for my brother and I really appreciate it. Thank you Mike & Walgreens! read more

It's a Walgreens peeps. Random supplies for random ass needs. Nuff said

Every downtown should have a convenience store and Walgreens is always the one to step up. A big round of applause for Walgreens - especially the ones that are open 24/7! Walgreens is perfect for emergencies. Here are some examples: 1). "Oh no - my lips are chap and flakey!!" (blistex) 2). "That pigeon is doing something funny! I wish I could take a picture!" (disposable cameras) 3). "I think I'm going to puke from that rotten sushi i just had" (pepto bismo or bucket) Walgreens has always met my expectations. It is good place to get your quick necessities such as shampoo, Mother's Day card, People magazine, or dancing cactus toy. read more

Been here many times. Almost 10 years. There's no improving this store. The employees never eager to smile at you when checking out. Some employees will stare at you for no apparent reason. This Hispanic lady was very rude. Didn't even tell me how much my total was. So I just waited 4 whole minutes, YES 4 WHOLE MINUTES to let her tell me cause I believe in GOOD customer service. Manager is honestly the same. Don't bother going here! read more

The downtown San Mateo Walgreens is better than the other nearby locations- the one on El Camino by Yumi Yogurt, and the one in Burlingame, by Safeway. They have a pharmacy drive thru which I'm sure is convenient if Walgreens is your pharmacy of choice. If you're into cheap fragrances, they have an extensive selection of parfums and colognes here. The Sunday Walgreens ad has lots of cheap stuff. Everything from made for TV exercise equipment to index cards and canned mandarin oranges. My 10-year-old cousin said that a shady looking guy followed her around the store. Though I've never had this happen to me, keep your eyes on your children! read more

THE BEST CANDY IN THE WORLD IS TO BE FOUND AT THIS WALGREENS. But only sometimes, not all the time. They are....Trolli's gummy eggs. A candy shell coated gummy that looks like "eggs". I often send out the bf in search of these delectable treats. At 12:19am. Good thing this place is open 24/7! In other areas, ho-hum. I can buy everything they have here cheaper at Costco's. read more

Pretty poor customer service. I came over to buy one of the La Roche-Posay sunscreens and creams. When I was walking around the beauty section and checking other products, I picked up one last tube of a primer from other brand and opened the cap, checking if it has been used. (Very common that some cosmetic has been used on the shelf.) Not only I found the primer has been used (there is residue on the opening), one stuff immediately told me, "no tester! There is only tester in front of the cashier." She thought I used the product. When I asked for the La Roche-Posay samples, she was pretty mean and said there is no tester again. I pointed at the sign "asked for assistance for sample", and she repeated, "It's not available today." In the end, I put down a couple La Roche-Posay products in my hand, foundation from other shelf and walked away. I felt like I was being treat as a thief. I would rather buy the same thing from Target. read more

If I could give negative stars I would . This place is a joke and the pharmacy is run by clowns . I came in to pick up a prescription in November and was told I couldn't pick it up until the end of January. Fast forward to January and I come to pick up my prescription and low and behold they tell me I don't have a prescription and after ten minutes they find it and then they tell me it wasn't filled . Then they tell me it's not covered by my insurance, which I find very odd because it's always been covered before . After dealing with these 2 guys in the pharmacy who have no clue and shouldn't be working there I was so irritated I paid out of pocket . Keep in mind I drove from 3 hrs away to get this prescription just to get the run around from the 2 imbeciles. Later I call my insurance and it was supposed to be covered . I would avoid this pharmacy at all costs . Every time I come in the guy is extremely slow , it takes him about 10-15 minutes per customer. He can't type or find your order , etc. Don't waste your time here , it's no wonder Walgreens is going under read more

Once again my experience with Walgreens Pharmacy was worth talking about and giving an excellent rating. I have been so impressed with the Pharmacy Mgr..- Kevin. His professional, tireless, "Boots to the Ground" approach regardless of how busy things are has continued to impress me. He is always so kind and willing to help which makes it easier when things don't go as expected. Kevin was on vacation & though things did not go well, Huey was kind enough to call around to locate a much needed medication which I was able to pick up that day. If Huey did not offer to help & take this extra step I would of been very, very, sick. "Thank You Huey". When Kevin is there things just run smooth, as smooth as one could hope for in a very busy pharmacy. I want to give my accolades to Kevin and Huey for your continuous 5 Star Service!! read more

God I love Walgreens. I decided to head on over to good ol' Walgreens to purchase a Mach 3 razor and some shaving cream to clean up my disgusting overgrown pube-nest. I had just left Forever 21 and figured if i plan on wearing some sexy panties for my nighttime sleep, I better clean up a little bit. They were reasonable priced, and they even had a deal "Buy 1 set and get the other one 50% off". I ended up getting two sets, and that;ll last me at the least 3 months.....Thank you Walgreens. -Gary the Goober read more

How do these pharmacists still have jobs???!! This is the worst pharmacy I've ever been involved with. They take forever to answer the phones and just don't seem to care about their jobs. I called from inside the store to see how they handle phone calls because I thought there is no way they could be that bad. Nobody was doing anything and they made no effort to get to the phone for 15 minutes. It said I had two callers ahead of me the whole time. There have also been two other times I've tried to get the pharmacist's attention when I am in the front of the line and all 4 pharmacists avoided eye contact. How do these people still have jobs? I'm sure there are other pharmacists looking for work that would be happy to help customers and not be annoyed or avoid asking questions or making eye contact. Why aren't you allowed to give ZERO stars? read more

Well alright! 1st review for Walgreens. What an accomplishment. lol Things that make me a fan: Parking for customers in the middle of downtown San Mateo. It's close to the Post Office. Friendly helpful staff in all departments. Well stocked. Organized. It has a Red Box now. Photo center. Drivethru pharmacy. Everything that makes Walgreens so awesome. I have a special thanks to the Pharmacist. One night my husband was fighting a nasty little cold, so I dropped by Walgreens for desperate help. The pharmacist recommended a trifecta of 3 meds that wiped out the funky cold. My husband (who typically is not a fan of meds) was very impressed by how quickly his health came back. THANK YOU! read more

No better. Still huge lines at the pharmacy nearly all the time. 5:28pm on a Monday and there are nine cars in line for the drive-through pharmacy pickup. read more

Walgreens - Nearly always a line for the pharmacy, inside and out. - Drugstores Near Me - San Mateo, California

The review is solely for the pharmacy. I came in couple of weeks ago in ton of pain after root canal. The pharmacist took my prescription and said it'd be ready in 30 min. 10 min later she called me and said they couldn't fill it because prescription slip was not dated. I came back and asked if they could just call my doctors office and verify that I was just there. Doctors office is in SF and I live in San Mateo. Pharmacist said they can't call the doctors office and I have to go back and get correctly filled out prescription slip. I drove back to SF in pain after root canal procedure, described an issue to my doctor and he goes: "oh, they could have just called us". I said I did ask pharmacist to call the office and verify when the prescription was issued, but they said they couldn't . He said they could call but you know they didn't want to. This was my second bad experience with this pharmacy, thus finally a bad review. But after getting new prescription I just went to the different pharmacy cause after being there total of 2 times and having bad experience both times, I didn't really want to go back. read more

This is walking distance from home so it's my go-to place for getting prescriptions filled. And for OTC drugs. And for candy when we go to the movies. Just like a Walgreens should be. My only complaint about this Walgreens is that it is not open 24 hours. It would be really convenient if they were open around-the-clock in case I have an emergency prescription to fill. read more

Wow, rude pharmacy tech! Couldn't explain why the rx called in from my doctor's office takes over an hour to fill. Rather than offering to rush it or provide some kind of response, she hangs up the phone (I was at the drive thru). Honestly, I feel lousy right now and just needed to pick up an rx, not deal with a Walgreens employee who is too rude to give a darn. read more

It's kinda scary here, even during daylight hours. Lots of thug-ish guys looking at me funny. What? I'm just picking up a prescription, I'm not looking for a date. Glad hubby was with me as backup. Overall pharmacy was fine. Did not do any other shopping, as I wanted to leave asap. I would never come here alone. read more

I wanna start off by saying some of the employees are pretty nice. BUT, there has to be one that screws it up for everyone else. I like browsing walgreens for lipsticks and new products. Just minding my business. Some of these lipsticks have testers. So i was using these testers to swatch the colors on my wrist (just little lines to compare the colors). After I was done I decided to look at the Burt's Bee tinted lipsticks. These ones didnt have any testers and i wasnt opening new products to try the colors. THIS BTCH comes over and sees my wrist with the colors from the testers and rudely tells me I'm ruining the product and that I'm not supposed to be testing the lipsticks. I told her i wasn't trying these ones. She pointed at my hand and says "look at how many you tried already." This pissed me off. I raised my voice and said "These are from the the other shelf. The tester colors are matte and bright, unlike the ones im looking at now." I get this woman is attempting to do her job but no need to be so damn rude about it. She had nothing to say and walked away, no apology or nothing. If you're going to accuse people, either be sure or have proof. I was so close to walking her ass over to the testers to show her-.- Also, this location is understaffed so the line was pretty long. Walgreens, please hire some competent staff-.- read more

The pharmacy does NOT answer the phone. They repeatedly keep you on indefinite hold, then disconnect you!

Quick place to stop for whatever you need. This Walgreens is pretty tidy and the workers are friendly. They carry lots of items and their seasonal items are fun to look at. It's your run of the mill chain Walgreens store. Service is good. However when I used to smoke and would buy cigarettes one of the male cashiers would give me the dirtiest looks and wouldn't talk to me any time I'd buy them. When I was buying other items and not cigarettes he was pleasant. Haha. The pharmacy isn't too bad. The pharmacist has seemed pleasant and not too stressed out. The workers seems stressed when it gets busy, but who wouldn't? They are still pleasant regardless when I've dealt with them. Anyways, it's a convenient location to walk to if you work nearby. They also have a dedicated parking lot if you are driving. The parking lot tends to get crowded so I'd recommend not coming at peak hours like lunch time and after work - if you are driving. read more

Expensive, full of beggars outside the door and I forgot...expensive. I will buy from them just on last minute occasion. read more

Walgreens: this is for Cristina. I've been going to this same Walgreens for years now and two days ago was the first time I received exceptional service at any Walgreens ANYWHERE. An employee named Cristina helped me while l was looking for leave-in conditioner and she went above and beyond to check if they had it in stock. when I could get it, and more. When she realized it was not, she gave me her own recommendations. (which btw, was a good recommendation) She was friendly, earnest, and easy to talk to. She made me feel like Walgreens cares about their customers, which is a first. I was so impressed that I even told my brother about her, and he said he had overheard her great customer service from the other side of the isle! Thank you Cristina. Walgreens on 3rd Ave: Please take notice, you have a valuable employee here. read more

I've been coming to this Walgreens for 5 plus years and I continue to find myself waiting in such incredibly long lines to get prescriptions. They seem to be constantly understaffed and many times given me the wrong prescription or promised it would be ready and it wasn't. Can someone help me understand what is going on or give me another pharmacy which gives better service? read more

5 stars SOLELY because of Cristina from the cosmetics department. She makes this walgreen feel like sephora. 1) I have sensitive skin and sticked to a mediocre foundation for years because any other one I tried would make me break out. Cristina helped me find a very good foundation that didn't give me allergies! (N7 btw). 2) I'm a make up retard and she helped me found lip stick that wouldn't come off or stain. 3) most importantly, she doesn't try to sell. She will give you all the options in different prices and tell you to try first. Love her. This Walgreen is the only place I buy make up now. GIVE CRISTINA A RAISE =D read more

Came yesterday and dropped off a prescription. They said it's going to be ready in half an hour and it was done in half. Took it home and when I was ready for the prescription I then realized half of the medicine is missing. Immediately I called the pharmacy and they realized the mistake. Went back today to pick up and found two lines at the window, one said "drop off and pick up" and the other said "express pick up and express pass required". For unknown reason there was only a line in front of the express line so I waited at the non express line. When the clerk was ready, she said there's only one line and I have to wait at the end of the express line. Fine I made a mistake and should have had better observation. What I didn't get is why can't they tell me I was at the wrong line when I started waiting 10 minutes prior. Poor experience told me they may be busy but they aren't so careful at the same time that they are slow. Not only they made mistakes they are also rude to the customers. Very Disappointing!! read more

One of the better Wally's around town. I have been to quite a few and in North Bay. This one, I like, its got a drive thru pharmacy. I needed a last minute prescription and was able to transfer it to this one. They filled it quickly and I was thrilled I didn't have to drive back up to my regular pharmacist in the Marin to get it. Service was good too. I needed help finding an item and when I finally found the aisle, it was sold out! So I hunt down an employee and he was able to go to the back , came back, and re-stock the shelf. I got my item and cashier line was short. Everything was neat and organized. Parking was a piece of cake since they have their own parking lot. No headaches of needing to drive around for a space. I'd gladly go back here. Thank you! read more

Literally the WORST customer service I've ever had in a pharmacy. After waiting for a much-too-long line (5 people in front of me and 5-6 behind), I went to the front to talk to a manager. When I told him how long the line was, his reply was "we don't have enough people. Call corporate.". That's it. So, I called corporate and have already complained. I'm hoping others are treated better here as I will never return to this store. read more

Go to San Mateo Neighborhood Pharmacy. Walgreens is currently on the wrong end of multiple class action lawsuits for overcharging customers among other predatory practices. It's not worth dealing with them when there are other 5 star rated options around the corner. read more

Rude indifferent and ignorant (of a product-) pharmacist(s) and one technician (she called herself-). I normally love Walgreens! This was a shocker. Reluctant to help me find an important product, actually threw empty pill bottles on her counter when I asked for assistance! read more

By far the worst pharmacy to deal with. I have never left a review before but my experiences here seem to always be bad over the last year plus. No one ever knows what is going on and my prescriptions are never ready despite having the order all day or even sometimes days. When you try to call you end up waiting on hold for 20 minutes to never get an answer. Sometimes you can sit in the drive through line for 30 minutes plus just to have to circle back around or go in because nothing is organized or ready to go. I highly recommend finding a different pharmacy so that you never have to deal with this place. read more

High Prescription Prices, Rude Pharmacy Staff. I called the Walgreens pharmacy to get a price quote on a generic prescription I use regularly. The quote was $224.97 "cash price" for a 90 day supply. No mention was made of any available discounts. I was shocked, as I had been obtaining the drug for far less from another source. My health plan does not cover drugs. I went online to the Costco pharmacy website and found the same drug for $9.99 for a 90-day supply. I couldn't believe the difference so I went to Walgreens to see if there had been a mistake. I saw a sign which advertised "Generics for less than $1 a week" via Walgreens Prescription Savings Club. The Walgreens pharmacist confirmed the cash price of $224.97 for my prescription but, when I asked about the Prescription Savings Club, she said if I joined the club I could save money. After I paid a $20 annual membership fee, I could receive the drug for a mere $57.57. When I pointed out that Walgreens' cash price was over 2200% higher than the Costco price, and the club price was almost 600% higher than the Costco price, the pharmacist just shrugged and offered no explanation. She said Walgreens did not match other pharmacists' prices. When asked to speak to the pharmacy manager, he ignored me for a while and then brushed me off rudely, again without explanation for the outrageous difference in prices. I did some checking on Walgreens' pricing on other drugs. The results were similar. The moral of this story is that if you have to pay for your own prescription drugs, go elsewhere. If you have a drug plan and are buying prescription drugs that you think might be cheap, like some cream your dermatologist prescribes, check with Costco first as the price there might be cheaper than the cost of your health plan deductible. This episode firmly convinced me that our health-care system really does need to be reformed. If you have a $25 deductible for your drug plan, then Walgreens pockets the $25, charges your insurance company a steep fee, and probably obtains the drug, in my case at least, for only $4-5. What a ripoff! read more

I have been a customer at the Walgreen's on 3rd Avenue in San Mateo for 10 years. Over the last 12 months I have noticed a steady decline in customer service. The girls at the drive thru window are more zombie like than human. If there is an issue with a prescription, it is NEVER their fault, even when they don't inform you of a doctor's denial. Speaking with a pharmacist is not much better. Lack of communication and frustration with service is the reason I am leaving this business. I would suggest that you don't bother becoming a customer. read more

While i consider Walgreens a nice local store that meets most of my needs. The paranoia over catching the virus is getting ridiculous. If you bring your own bag . They will know longer bag your purchase. I gues the thinking is your bag might be covered with virus germs. Of course if we get a plastic bag from them. How do we know that its not covered in germs also.? read more

No other pharmacy requires anything close to this time commitment, or cares as little about wasting your time. Leave an hour for prescription pickup. read more