4 Tips for Providing Extraordinary Customer Service in Your Pharmacy

Exceptional customer service is essential for customer satisfaction and retention in any industry, and it holds especially true for pharmacies. While many of the national chain pharmacies offer the same services as you do, your pharmacy can provide your customers with more. Your pharmacy should be more than a place where you fill prescriptions, it should be a place where your customers know they are your neighbors and feel valued. Having a well-defined customer service strategy in place can not be an afterthought if you want to stay competitive.

Here are a few simple ways to ensure your customers are receiving top-quality service:

Tip #1: Train Your Employees

Your customer service process will never succeed without good people behind it. Hire talent with great people skills and help them improve through ongoing training. Employees that are personable, positive, friendly and have the right skill set will take your company further than you can imagine.

Tip #2: Listen to Your Customers

Excellent customer service is more than what you say and do for the customer. It also means giving them a chance to make their feelings known. With today’s technology, this can be easier than ever. Listen to what your followers are saying on social media and respond accordingly. If you’re getting more than one person with the similar comments, chances are many of your customers may be feeling the same way.

Tip #3: Admit Any Wrongdoings

Going above and beyond to resolve an issue is especially important when a customer has a complaint or a problem. There are many ways of showing the customer you care. When a prescription has been delayed, what should you do?

• Call the customer personally with an update on the status of the order and expected completion time
• Offer a small discount
• Send a note apologizing for the delay after they have picked up their medicine
• Include a gift card for an over-the-counter purchase

Tip #4: Show Your Customers That They are Valued

Nowadays, customers have more choices than ever for where to get theirprescriptions filled. Automating the “thank you” process using email and other digital message delivery systems is certainly easy, but it lacks the personal touch of a birthday card or hand-written message your customers appreciate. This is an excellent way to differentiate your independent pharmacy from big corporate giants.

Customer service is an integral part of owning a pharmacy and should be seen as a key component of running your business. Your most vital assets are your customers, and there are countless ways to provide them with extraordinary customer service.