Building Blocks to Customer Service Excellence

All other things being equal, customers will make purchases at your pharmacy regardless of how well they are served. However, their loyalty to your pharmacy and the frequency of their visits is forever affected by even one unsatisfactory experience. Customers who are left unimpressed by their experience are less likely to return, and when they do return they tend to purchase fewer items. You and your staff have the ability to influence customers shopping habits simply by the manner in which you conduct yourselves.

You Control the Customer's Experience

Providing good service in the pharmacy can be achieved through two different approaches, both of which you can directly control. One set of standards (Active Standards) has to do with behavior and the other (Passive Standards) relates to the image presented through the pharmacy?s appearance.

Active standards can be summarized by one overriding concept: everything done and said in the pharmacy makes an impression either positive or negative on the customer.

A friendly greeting offered to each customer as he or she enters naturally conveys the appearance that staff is eager to serve, and it sets the customer at ease. If, on the other hand, staff members lean on the check-out counter with an attitude of boredom and fail to acknowledge a customer's presence, the entire pharmacy appears disinterested in making a sale.

Active Standards of Customer Service Excellence, Conveyed by All Staff Members
Attentiveness
> Attitude of genuine caring
> Courtesy
> Pride in doing a good job
> Strong social skills
> Trustworthiness
> Confidentiality
> Knowing what you don?t know
> Professional appearance and demeanor
> Product knowledge
> Strong communication skills

Passive Standards of Customer Service Excellence
> Neatness and cleanliness of pharmacy
> Availability of products, no out-of-stocks
> Store merchandising and display
> Hours of operation
> Access to store personnel
> Convenience of shopping experience

Source: www.medscape.com