Portland, Tennessee Blog

This is the first time that I have blogged, anything. I have to say that Wayne Bandy is a fine man I have known him for several years. I don't think it is fair to judge Wayne for his fathers actions. Larry is just Larry!!!! He has his ways and alot of the people that HATE him have rented from him. What would provoke a man to put a family out of a rental? my guess would be maybe they are behind on rent.. I know Mr Bandy well and he has helped my family out. He put new gutters up for my elderly mother and didn't charge her anything. Believe it or not he does have a heart and he is a tough man to deal with. If you grew up the way he did you would be filled with bitterness too, Until you know someone don't judge them get to know that person and then make your decision.

Nice site. Thank you!

Man, I need to go to bed!....LOL

We also had a negative experience with CVS when we first moved and bought our house here in 2000. The staff at that time were so rude it was comical. I believe 100% of the stories posted on here, because I too saw firsthand the rudeness of thier employees, and that was in 2000. I never went back....

Anyway, I just wanted to say that Pharmacy Express has been awesome to us! Wayne and his staff are always friendly and professional, and go beyond the call of duty to take care of us as customers!!! One of the reasons I chose to go there initially was because it reminded me of when I was little and my mom would go to the old Prescription Shop in the same building. Remember the old Prescription Shop, and the Pharmacy right across the street?

Oh man, I better get off here before I get too nostalgic and ramble on and on and on.....

When i told my pharmacy supervisor that i could not work 14 hour days due to nerve damage in my feet, she put me in a position where i was forced to quit. If CVS treats its pharmacists this way do you think they're going to treat you, the public any better????

I went there one time and never went back. It took forever for them to fill one prescription and there was no one waiting in line. There were 4 people working there that day too. I go to Pharmacy Express now, and I have had very few problems since I started going there. If I do have a problem, Wayne resolves it quickly.

Because people love to gossip because their lives are so boring there is nothing else to do but don't worry about it, 99 percent of them have not the guts to say it to anyone's face so it just sounds like a bunch of children crying to me.

Why are people so mean ??? its like their waiting to find something u say or do wrong to point it out, I just dont understand Ive lived here long enough to know I dont want to live here anymore, it must be in the water because though there lots of churches, its mostly houses of hypocrites, and what does a smile cost you??? why is it so much fun to gossip and say hurtful things about people, no im not perfect im so far from it, but what happened to this town??? why are their so many back biters and self righteous people was it a freak accident and they all got dumped in one spot and never moved on, well I can and soon I will...

I went to CVS today to pick up some medicine that I had called in. I was pleasantly surprised! There were 6 people working behind the pharmacy counter and the lady that waited on me was very friendly. Maybe our post here did some good. If they keep this up I just might change my mind about going elsewhere.

As for CVS, I do not go there anymore, I was a cashier for about 8 years at a store here in Portland and I don't care what kind of day or what pressure the company is putting on you, the customers are why you are getting paid. You can't treat them like crap and I can honestly tell you I have NEVER treated any of my customers the way CVS treats theirs. As for Wayne Bandy, I personally think he is a great guy, I know not everyone will agree with me, but I'm sure you can't find anyone that Wayne has mistreated or has done wrong by. He has to live everyday being judged for things that Larry has done, but guys that is his father and I'm sure that he loves his Dad very much but I also know that he does not agree with what he does. You can't judge him by his fathers actions and for those of you who are, for one you are missing out on a wonderful, caring pharmacy that puts thier customers first and two, always remember that only GOD can judge. I'm sure that we all have family members that have done wrong and we still love them and by no means should that reflect on us..

For all of you folks that have been around the Portland area for a long time, does anyone remember Glenn Witham that used to own the Town and Country Pharmacy on Broadway? He set the example of a super/caring pharmacist that would go out of his way to help anyone. Apparently the big chains have changed that philosophy.

It never ceases to amaze me how any thread that is started on this weblog ends up totally off of subject.

This thread is about CVS am I correct?

Much of the bull spewed on this weblog is why I no longer go to church....

Gossip....Gossip....Gossip!

clean out your own closet before you start examining someones elses!!!!

You are right! I shouldn't have said "What this man has done". I should have said "What this man has been accused of". My apologies.
I do not know if he was ever convicted of the Dog charges or the kidnapping charges which also show up on Google. The info is there for anyone interested. I don't care and I really don't have the time to search court docs. But alot of people in Portland do think he is guilty and that is the point I am trying to make. Because of that is why some people do not want to do business with his son.

I duplicated your search. Plenty of documents do appear, but many of the "Larry Bandy" listings are for other persons, not the elder Mr. Bandy. Of the two found in the top 50 listings referring to him, these are cites for positions related to the Miracle dog case. As far as I know, Mr. Bandy was not convicted. I am speaking here on memory, so if incorrect, then so be it.

But, when you make a statement on a public forum such as " It's no secret or private what this man has done." then you open yourself up for libel. You also imply that we are all privy to information, when that is not the case.

I am not on here to be an apologist for anyone. I just think speculative accusations diminish the quality of this site, and its purpose.

As for the question on spelling.... no, you don't have to have a college degree. Many people make mistakes. However, spelling mistakes, poor grammar, etc., make it difficult to communicate. Unfortunately, many who post have difficulties with these things. That, I might add, is not a Portland thing, but a cultural statement for all of America, and it speaks volumes about our public school systems.

I did a google also, not goodgle,(I don't guess you have ever misspelled a word?) I put in "Larry Bandy" and all sort of things came up. It's no secret or private what this man has done. I have no doubt Wayne Bandy is a honorable man. It's just sad we have to live with "The sins of our Fathers" and for that reason some people will refuse to do business with him.

I don't know Mr. George. I just asked him a simple question. No harm intended.

As for the "Caps", I understand the web etiquette, but some people don't and Joseph could have been a little nicer to Hugs when he pointed this out. I have observed on this blog that many people are quick to point out misspelled words, punctuation, etc. Why is this? Do we all need a college education to post here?

I went to google (not goodgle) and searched on the following: "bandy rentals portland problems". After scanning the first 200 documents, I cannot find anything to support the claims stated here. And, I would not expect to, as many such matters are private and not publicly posted online. But I tested the dare nevertheless.

The first post online listed on such a search DID mention Wayne Bandy, and his position with the local Lions Club. This proves his civi mindedness, as I stated earlier. Wayne and his staff are fine people.

Mr. George is a very nice, honorable, Christian man. I have known him for several years, and I have found him to be a coolheaded, intelligent person, who supports local business and endeavors, and who is also concerned with local issues. His experiences as a landlord are not uncommon, and you will find many who rent in America are not always the best at paying for property or taking care of it these days, and Portland is no exception. I am sure his remarks earlier simply mean that Mr. Bandy is often put under the same scrutiny, but most complainers are freeloaders who crossed Mr. Bandy for some reason and then said things to save face. It is a tough business to be in, especially these days. Sometimes, you need to be a little rough around the edges. I am speaking specifically here about the issue of rentals.

As to web etiquette, it is universally understood that if you use CAPS in an entire post, your intention is to communicate the fact that you are yelling or shouting. If this is not the case, turn off caps. Otherwise, people will interpret your remarks accordingly. Also, it is difficult to read most all-cap remarks.

The same reason you go to work,to provide for my family.

Hugs, you can use caps anytime you want. Some people just hunt for things to grip about.

Terry, if being a landlord is such a hassel, why do you keep doing it?

Micki, yeah sometimes the truth is ugly. That's life.

Jessica, you can search any of the local newspapers and court records to find out about Mr. Bandy or talk to some of his previous renters. You might try a Goodgle search and see if anything comes up.

I hope Mr. Wescott does something besides blow hot air up our tails. We will be watching!!

I also have had several negative experiences with CVS. I walked in thier door about 2 weeks ago and was told to "go somewhere else, they were too busy" by Chastity there at the pharmacy. This same employee also threw a prescription book in a customer's face when they asked why it was taking so many DAYS to fill thier medicine. "Because all these people are in front of you, THAT'S WHY!" was her remark along with book tossing.We still waited over 2 hours for my daughter's medicene and we only got it out of persistance and giving them no option. Even worse, I wrote thier headquarters 2 weeks ago and have yet to get a response(I requested they call me when it was recieved.)I have heard story after story on CVS and it seems to be getting worse. I will be switching soon!

sorry for the caps i got the hint as to bandy i have nothing against bandy at the pharmacy i dont know him at all so no i cant say anthing about him i just spoke to another bandy no i never rent houses from him i just called to get information from him and yes that bandy was very rude to me for no reason i think maybe he was having a bad day so i opoligize for the confusion.Im a very nice person didnt mean to step on any toes by my remarks next time i think i will just keep my thoughts to my self

I personally have never had any problems getting prescriptions filled there. They have always been ready when they said they would be and have never been out of anything. It does sound like they are trying to correct the problems they are having.

Hello all,

My name is Brantley Wescott and I am the Pharmacy Supervisor for CVS in the Middle TN area. I would like to personally apologize to anyone who has been having problems with my store in Portland. Everything posted here is exactly right. This store does not meet CVS standards. The issues that you are experincing are absolutely unacceptable. I promise every resident that I am personally working to correct this situation as quickly as possible. I appreciate that you care enough to post comments on this site. My email is blwescott@cvs.com please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. I will do my best to address them for you.

Thank you for your time.
Brantley L. Wescott, Pharm.D.
Pharmacy Supervisor District 3605

I agree with you Terry very well put.

I am a Portland "Newbie" and am unsure what the deal is with the Bandy talk..anyone care to fill me in?

How did this go from a CVS blog to a Larry Bandy bash session.Until you own rental property and have people destroy YOUR property,leave without paying you and generally disrespect and disregard every rule that they have agreed to(in writing)you should not judge any landlord.Walk in our shoes for a while and you'll want to stick one up somebody's hind end yourself.

Wow what an ugly statment that was! If you were to ever go in that store you know those are the nicest people in town. Helpful and caring.... I am so glad the business is booming.It is hard to find friendly hometown service in this day and age.That is what Pharmacy Express does.

Is Walgreens still planning on coming to Portland? Haven't heard anymore about it lately.

As for Wayne Bandy some people are going to think that "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree". I don't know him but he does have some "evil" blood running thru his veins.

Yes, CVS sucks. I hate that store! Too pricey!! Employees are too rude!! And from the post on this board the employees are too stupid also!!

Wayne Bandy and the entire staff at Pharmacy Express have always been professional, kind, and considerate in all their dealings with me, and I owe them my gratitude for much support and locally-minded business. Portland is lucky to have such a well-run establishment.

Although I have often heard things about the elder Mr. Bandy, I can say from personal experience that he was nothing but considerate to me in a time when I needed help. He seems a straightforward man. Sometimes people take that the wrong way.

I know that when I had my business in Portland, Wayne Bandy was very conscientious about supporting local endeavors. He has my respect for that. His profits are used locally, and not sent to some out-of-area corporate office. His staff treated me like family, and there is not a day that goes by that I do not count myself lucky for knowing people like them.

Well, I used to actually work at the CVS in Portland. I've relocated to Hendersonville and work at the Wal-Mart pharmacy there. About the $4 generics question, most maintenance medications are covered, and for those without insurance it is truly a blessing.

As far as judging Wayne Bandy because of Larry's actions, that is not fair at all. Indeed, don't let that bad apple spoil the lot. From my dealings with Wayne, he is a good man, and (though he used to work for CVS) his pharmacy is run well and I have never heard any complaints from their clients.

To get down to CVS, like I said, I used to work there, and sadly I agree with most all of the statements concerning them posted here. CVS on the whole is an uncaring company that mistreats its employees, uses grotesquely outdated technology, and is overall run by what I perceive to be nothing more than greedy bastards up top. Their prices are ridiculously high, and I see no reason to get a prescription filled there, when there are much more affordable and friendly places to go. Wayne's pharmacy is so cheap we at CVS wondered how he even manages to stay in business :) and Fred's is very competitively priced with a very pleasant staff. In defense of the crew at CVS, the working conditions are horrible - the people up top keep them extremely shorthanded at all times and do not pay nearly as well as any of their competitors. Also, (at least while I worked there, a lot of turnover has occurred since) the employees are cynical and distrustful because of the crap that Dr. Ladd pulled for years. Imagine coming into work everyday and doling out prescription after prescription of Vicodin, Xanax, Soma, etc that you know are just ending up on the streets, while there is nothing you can do to stop it or fight it. Then add injury to insult and realize that at least 95% of those prescriptions are being paid for by TennCare, and thus coming out of taxes. Think of how that would change your outlook on humanity if that is what you were exposed to 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Still that does not account for nor justify the employees attitudes, especially in the case of the original post. If a prescription comes in, obviously for a sick child, there is no reason to put the patient through all that.

The ultimate irony, to me, lies in CVS's name. Ever wonder what it stood for? I did, and I asked. It turns out the acronym stands for Customer, Value, Service. What a joke.

Customer - CVS treats its customer's like dirt. I'll never forget what one of the other techs told me on one of my first days - "The customer works for you - they can wait"

Value - Excuse me? That's complete bullshit, pardon the language. They are THE most overpriced retail center I've ever encounter in a nationwide chain. From the drugs to the other products they sell, everything is at a ridiculous markup, yet the employees never see any of the profit. At the beginning of this year while I worked there, our profits were up, our script counts were through the roof, yet every week they would cut our hours. Why? They were in the process of buying out Osco's up north. Recently they bought Caremark. The folks up top see the profits, and continue to worsen the working conditions of the employees. (Hence, "Greedy Bastards")

Service - Yeah, right. The service is almost as horrible as the prices.

I would strongly recommend that customers switch over. The problem is not the Portland CVS, but rather the company's mindset.

If anyone has any feedback or questions, feel free to ask.

David

I am the one who wrote the original comment. I have emailed CVS and have gotten an email and a phone call from from the person in the home office of the pharmacists. Maybe something positive will come out of it.

For all of you looking for a good pharmacy, I recommend Fred's. The staff are really quite friendly most of the time and they always take time to answer my questions and do so in a timely manner. But while we are on the subject of a pharmacy..has anyone tried the WalMart $4 thing? Is it worth the drive? Are many of your medications covered?

Wow! I am glad that I am not the only one who no longer goes to CVS. As for 'hugs' comment about the "Bandy that rents houses". Is it really fair to judge an individual based on the actions of their relatives? One bad apple doesn't spoil the whole bunch. The people at Pharmacy Express have never been rude to me or my family, and have always been very thorough, they have never taken longer than 5 minutes to get my prescriptions filled. All I am getting at is please don't judge people based on how you feel about their family. I do agree that CVS should not even be in business any longer. Has anyone ever complained to anyone at CVS? I have, but nothing ever got resolved (obviously), so I no longer go there.

And as an aside, by "RENTS HOUSES", do you mean "BURNS HOUSES"?

Portland is going to hell in a handbasket.

You know what the problem is? It's that Jack Bunch. The man is rude as hell, half of the time when I try to talk to him he ignores me, and mumbles something about vacuuming, then something that sounds like "I'm gonna eat ya!" What is his problem? I mean, how old is the guy, 80? I'm not confident putting my medications under his charge! I think that CVS needs to be torn down, I hear one of the former pharmacy employees repeatedly tried to burn it, using flammable solvents, and one time, even a bag of popcorn. Sheesh.

And this is to "hugs"...The all caps thing is not even close to necessary, and is quite annoying to the rest of us. In your browser go to "View --> Text Size" and bump up the level a few times until you can read things. While I have your attention, an article (definite or indefinite) or punctuation character here or there would be a nice surprise once in a while....

WELL THE FIRST TIME I WENT TO CVS THE WORKER WAS VERY RUDE GUESS WHAT NEVER WENT BACK.DONT KNOW BANDY BUT I DONT CARE FOR THE BANDY THAT RENTS HOUSES I WILL STAY WITH FREDS HAVE NO PROBLEM THERE AND I BEEN USING THEM FOR A YEAR GOOD LUCK BUT STAY AWAY FROM CVS RUDE WORKERS ALL THROUGH THE STORE.
SORRY FOR CAPS HARD TO READ SMALL LETTERS SO THIS IS FOR ANYONE HAS TROUBLE SEEING LIKE MYSELF

Rude is the word best to use.. I have also been giving the excuse of we can not find your prescription.What is that?

I say something needs to be done! They are responsible for providing medication that effects people's health for goodness sakes, they aren't selling doughnuts! I have only been to their pharmacy once and vowed never again...the people are rude, slow, and do not care about the customers time,nor their health which is their job!When we first moved here, My son was very ill and at the time he was only 2 months old..he had an ear infection and was bawling and needed the medicated ear drops badly...it took CVS 2 stinkin' days to get my child his medication!!! When they didn't have it ready after the hour and 1/2 I dropped it off, I said just forget it,I'll go somewhere else and then they tell me they couldn't give me the presciption back because they lost it! By this time, the doctor's office was closed..I have never been so aggervated at a pharmacy in my life!

Something we can all agree on? LOL, This is way to funny. I just went to CVS, I dropped my daughters prescriptions off and was told to come back in two hours. I did, and they told me they only had the meds. to fill one of the three prescriptions, and to come back and they would have it ready in an hour. Needless to say, my daughter needed all 3 filled asap. When I came back, they told me they didnt have the one that they said they had. Being a little upset, I asked why they even kept the one prescription that they said they had, she got mad at me and in a very loud voice and walking away from the drive-thru, she said "ssooorrrryyy" like a spoiled brat. If we get enough comments posted here, I'm going to call them and tell them they might want to read this and start changing their ways.

I feel ya on this topic! I have not been in Cvs for over 2 years. I now go to freds to get my meds. I never have to wait very long there. When I stopped going to CVS, I sent a e-mail to CVS about the poor service, and they wanted to send me a 5.00 gift card for my trouble. I mailed that back to them. All of my life I never remember having to wait all day to get something filled untill doing business at CVS, and I refused to keep doing it there.

Oh Yes!! The doctor called in my husband's medicine on Friday of last week. I went Sunday to pick it up but they said they did not have a call in for him. My husband called the doctor back on Monday to see what was going on. They said they would call it in again. I also phoned in a refill for myself on Monday. I went Tuesday to pick up both medicines and was told they still did not have a call in for my husband and that they would call the doctor to check back later. I told them I would wait to get my medicine when I came back so I wouldn't have to write 2 different checks. They said okay. My husband went back Tuesday evening and they still did not have his medicine and couldn't fine mine. Finally on Wednesday they miraculously had his call in medicine but still couldn't find mine. I know my medicine was there to start with because they were going to give it to me the first day I went. The lady at the window had it in her hand. I know a couple of more people who have had the same problems lately. Plus the people there are not that friendly.

I loathe CVS Pharmacy! I quit going there as soon as Wayne Bandy opened his pharmacy. I got tired of going in for a prescription, or dropping it off, and it not being ready in a timely manner. The thing that really got me was the fact that they had at least 4 people working the pharmacy counter, and it still took so long to get your meds. I love Pharmacy Express! Wayne and his staff are so nice and helpful. It is also comforting to know that be it you, or a family member that is sick, Wayne will get your prescription filled quick.