Principles of Customer Service

Intended Learning Outcomes: 2

The students should be able to:

1. Provide good customer service to different types of clients
2. Identify the types of client in a drug establishment
3. Compare ways of handling different types of clients.
Entering the ABC pharmacy, MP remembered the advertisements 3

and commercials focusing on the expertise, availability, and

compassion of the pharmacists at this pharmacy.
MP entered the pharmacy clutching a handful of prescriptions for
her aging mother who had just been discharged from the hospital
following a heart attack.
MP anticipated that she would be taking care of her mother in her
home for the next several weeks and would be responsible for her
mother’s medications.

Case scenario
Fighting her way down aisles clogged with boxes, MP made it to the 4

pharmacy and was greeted by a 19-year-old clerk. The clerk was

chewing gum and was casually indifferent, instructing MP to take a
seat.
Counting the prescriptions yet to be completed, the clerk said that it
would take at least an hour, if there were no problems.
Ninety minutes later, MP was still waiting. In addition, her mother
was waiting outside in the car. Insistently and loudly, MP asked
what the problem was.

Case scenario
At this point a stressed-out pharmacist walked over to the counter. 5

Without calling the clerk by name, the pharmacist said he was very
busy, only worked in this store once a month, was having problems
with the insurance company, and needed to talk to the doctor.
Further, the pharmacist informed MP that interrupting him by
asking questions would only add to the wait.
Finally, 30 minutes later a new technician, not the one who had
greeted her, came to the counter with her prescriptions. MP never
saw the pharmacist again but remembers signing some book.

Case scenario
 Of the six prescriptions she presented, four were filled and 6

two were not filled, one because, the pharmacy was out of the
medication and the other because of delays in the doctor
callback. Of the four prescriptions filled, two of the names on
the prescription bottles did not match the list of names given
her by the doctor.
MP left the pharmacy considering the discrepancy in the experience
at this pharmacy portrayed on the television and the reality of
actually being there.

Case scenario
 7

What exactly is a “good”

customer service?
Delivering good customer service requires the ff: 8

» Solving customer problems with no hassle

» Solving customer problems promptly
» Providing people who know what they are doing
» Providing people empowered to solve customer problems
» Treating people with dignity and empathy
» Correcting mistakes when they are made (adapted from Karr
and Blohowiak, 1997)
A customer is… 9

» a person, group, system and

organization that one interacts with in
his/her day to day function
 10

Internal Customers External

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» Addition of customer service other than what is expected,

merely giving the medication based on the prescription but
also giving additional services such as patient and medication
counselling, free blood glucose, blood sugar and lipid level
determination and others.
 12

» There are different types of clients that require different

approach to address their needs.
» Angry patients/entitled customers
» Patients who cannot pay for their medicine
» Complaints about drug prices
» Illegal/Expired prescriptions
» Dispensing errors
 13

» There is a need for review of the process and provided

service and it can be done thru feedback and evaluation of
feedbacks to serve as a basis for providing changes on the
services.
 MP experienced service failures from the pharmacy, and her 14

expectations clearly were not met. Some contingencies arise

that are beyond the immediate control of the pharmacist.
For example, a physician may require contact prior to
dispensing a prescribed agent, and said physician or an
appropriate agent of the physician may not be able to get
back with you very promptly.
However, you have direct influence over the kind of service
you deliver and the resulting customer perceptions
regardless of the situation.
Revisiting the Case…
 The manager of the pharmacy that MP visited has 15

underestimated the importance of various intangibles to

Maria, such as the pharmacy’s appearance and the way
support personnel greeted her.

Revisiting the Case…