This document outlines a customer service training workshop for pharmacists and pharmacy assistants. The workshop covers objectives like improving telephone and in-person customer service skills. Specific topics covered include customer service mission statements, interacting with customers, telephone etiquette, handling difficult customers, and concluding the interaction on a positive note. The goal is for participants to learn skills like making customers feel welcome, addressing problems promptly, showing empathy, and defusing angry situations.

1. Pharmacy
Management
Workshop
Customer Service
Techniques
For
Pharmacist

2. COURSE OVERVIEW:
 This course is designed to help pharmacist and
Assistant pharmacist to improve their customer
service effectiveness. This course will focus on
tackling difficulties of effective customer service
by sharpening staff’s telephone and face-to- face
customer service skills.

3. OUTLINE:
 Objectives
 Introduction
 Customer Service Mission Statement
 Interacting With Customers
 Face-to-Face Customer Service
 Telephone Customer Service
 The Difficult/Angry Customer
 Conclusion

4. COURSE OBJECTIVES:
By the conclusion of this course, participants should be
able to …
 · Identify invaluable skills for interacting with
customers
 · Identify appropriate face-to- face customer service
practices
 · Explain the standards for telephone customer service
 · Describe approaches for handling difficult/angry
customers

5. Introduction
Customer- A person or group with whom a business
has dealings with, i.e. paying customers,
insurance companies/agents, doctors,
pharmacists, distributors (vendors).

6.  Customer service- The act of serving a customer;
everything you do to add value to your core product or
service. Customer service is everything you do to add
value to your core product or service.
Good customer service can set one business apart from
other competitors (Fisk, 1995). It can result in increased
sales from existing customers and bring in new
customers through good word of mouth.

7.  According to Orvel Ray Wilson (1996) in “A
Crash Course in Customer Recourse”,
If someone has a good experience at your
place of work, they will tell at least three
people, while a disgruntled customer will tell
twelve people about an unpleasant
experience with a company.

8.  Who pays our salaries?
* The customers do.
 Without customers, you wouldn’t have a job. In
a sense, customers are your employers and you
must do all you can to keep these individuals or
groups satisfied to the fullest extent; therefore,
your real job is to instill in the customer the
highest level of end-result satisfaction.

9.  In some work settings, customer service only
becomes an issue when a complaint is received.
Then customer service functions are
implemented to resolve the problem; only after
it has already occurred. The best approach to
avoid any discontent invoked by the initial
problem is to practice good customer service
from the start.

10. “Helping people spend their time, effort and/or
money efficiently is what good customer service
is all about and what business is, and has always
been, about”

11. GENERAL CUSTOMER SERVICE
MISSION STATEMENT
All customers are entitled to be treated in the
following manner…
 With quality products and services
 With full focus and attention
 With the freedom to ask questions and receive
appropriate feedback
 With the right to file a complaint if the
company/employee has made an error
 With respect, fairness, and courtesy

12. Invaluable Skills for Interacting With
Customers
Whether helping customers face-to-face or
speaking with them on the phone, it is
important to use good manners and enthusiasm.
To win a customer over, you need to establish a
rapport early on. This can be done by letting
them know you genuinely care and want to help.

13.  Have a good attitude. Service begins with
attitude. If you have a positive attitude, you’ll
find being friendly and helpful comes naturally.
Only about 20% of your customers will give you
a tough time. So why let such a small percentage
of them ruin your entire day?
Customer service is 80% attitude and 20% technique: 80
+ 20=100% service

14.  Make a lasting first impression. Customers
will form an initial impression and make
judgments about you in the first three to four
seconds after they meet you or talk to you on
the phone.
Make eye contact and smile. If you can’t help a
customer right away, let them know you will be
with them as soon as possible. What ever you
do, don’t ignore your customers.

15.  Go for the quick fix. Customers don’t like to
wait, especially when they have a problem they
need you to solve. Begin trouble shooting with
the customer right away. A prompt partial
solution is better than a full resolution that takes
a long time.

16.  Always follow up. If you promise to look into
something for a customer, do so, and do it
promptly. Keep the customer updated. Such
thoughtfulness will score you big points

17.  Talk the talk. Make sure dialogue is as effective as
possible. Choose your words carefully. Choose words
that reflect a service attitude. The very way you say
something is important. For example, “May I help you?”
does not sound as friendly or complete as “How may I
help you?” Other service friendly phrases include:
“I apologize for the inconvenience.”
“Thank you for taking the time to let me know.”
“I don’t know the answer right now, but I’d be happy to find out for
you.”

18.  Show some empathy! Empathy is more than
sympathy. It means understanding the needs of
your customers. Your customers will be more
impressed by how much you empathize than by
how much you know. No one likes having their
questions met with an apathetic or rude
response. A little human concern goes a long
way; especially when you are trying to win over
customers.

19.  Heed customer criticism. If customers
constantly make the same complaints, it’s a sign
that your service system needs improvement.
Make sure this feedback gets in the hands of the
proper policy makers.

20.  Let them down easily. If you have to decline a customer
request to uphold company policy, do so in a gentle way( Not
Giving discounts)
Briefly explain, without being defensive, why the policy exists
and how it protects the customer, i.e. “we established this policy
to protect customer confidentiality.”
When possible, offer the customer an alternate solution.
Avoid being excessively apologetic to the point your apology
sounds defensive or false.
Express your disappointment at not being able to meet the
customer’s needs.

21.  All’s well that ends well. Last impressions are
just as important as first ones. Make sure
customers leave or hang up the phone on a
positive note. Stay friendly, maintain eye contact
(if in person), and remember to say “thank you”,
“come/call again”, and “goodbye”

22. Quality Face-to-Face Customer Service
Customers will remember the way you treated
them for a long time. Their first impression of
you and the business for which you work will
determine whether they will bring their business
to you again.

23. When a customer comes in person to drop off a
prescription, pick up a prescription, or for any
other reason, you must be aware of the
customer’s expectations of his/her visit to your
work setting. Employees should make special
effort to take note of people who enter their
place of work. It is important to immediately
make the customer feel welcome.

24. let’s discuss what experiences a customer would
wish to steer clear of during a visit.
Consider the following:
 Being forced to wait in a long line
 Being ignored
 Being waited on by a poorly informed staff
member
 Being treated in a casual manner or as if you are
an unimportant customer

25. The following appropriate
standards for face-to-face customer
service should be practiced at all
times.

26.  Never ignore a customer. Acknowledge
anyone who the pharmacist encounter swithin
30 seconds.
Thank customers who have waited, no matter
how long the wait.

27.  Greet customers with a smile and eye contact.
Even if you don’t feel like smiling, get in the habit of
doing it anyway. Believe it or not, smiling can help you
relax and can positively influence your mood. Any smile
(even a half a smile) is more appealing than a grouchy
mood, shrug, or sigh.
It is also important to maintain eye contact with your
customers when greeting and speaking to them, for
drifting eyes indicate a drifting mind.

28.  Keep an open eye on customer service areas.
There is nothing worse for a customer than
waiting on employees to approach the customer
service area after socializing or chatting with
other co-workers. Make sure to be at or near the
customer service areas at all times.

29.  It’s all in the name. If you think you might be
doing business with a customer again (and it is
hoped that you will), try to remember the
customer’s name and any special information
about their needs. Customers feel important
when you show that you remember them from a
previous visit to your work environment.

30.  NOTE: It is always best to address a customer
by their last name (i.e. Mr., Mrs., Miss Smith),
unless the customer requests otherwise.

31.  Actions speak louder than words. When a
customer asks for directions (e.g., location of a
product), do not just point toward the
appropriate area., take the initiative to walk the
customer to where he/she needs to go.

32.  People first, paper second. Rather than answer
customers’ questions by handing them a brochure or
information card, take the time to personally help them.
Walk the customer through the brochure, pointing out
important information. Instead of immediately asking
for information to fill out your paperwork, i.e. “What’s
your date of birth, etc?”,
take the time to foster a relationship with the customer.

33.  NOTE: Remember to always ask customers
before they leave the prescription counter if
there are any questions about their
medication(s). All questions specific to
prescription and over the counter medications
should be directed to the pharmacist or
assistants. Cashiers should not answer any
customers questions.

34.  When you go the extra mile for the customer,
you can’t go wrong! Follow the golden rule as it
relates to customer service; “Do unto others as
you would have them do unto you.”

35. Standards for Telephone Customer
Service
Inevitably, the phone will ring while you are
involved in another activity. As a result, many
employees view the phone call as an
interruption; something that should be
dispensed with as quickly as possible. But
telephone customer service is just as important
as any other activity that you might be engaging
in on a day-to-day basis. Let us begin our
investigation into telephone customer service
standards by defining what should be avoided.

37. The following are telephone service
problems the caller wishes to avoid:
 Waiting while the phone rings continuously
 Being greeted in a cursory or rude fashion
 Being transferred to someone who is not
available or to someone who cannot help them
 Being placed on “hold” for a long period of
time
 Getting the call transferred several times

38. Good telephone customer service
consists of the following:
 Answer the phone promptly. The customer is
calling for some sort of assistance. The longer
you let the phone ring, the more impatient the
customer gets. Answering the phone quickly
(preferably by the second ring) shows your
concern for the customer on the other end, and
it also portrays you as efficient.

39.  Identify yourself and the pharmacy name
immediately. In addition to this being the
polite and professional way to answer the
phone, it confirms to the customer that they
have reached the number that they intended to
call.

40.  Be friendly. Sounds simple, but this is often
forgotten. Start with a helpful and friendly
attitude. Practice if you need to, but always make
it a practice when you pick up the phone. When
you’re on the phone, your voice always sounds
exactly like your face looks. All the more reason
to keep smiling- it relaxes your vocal chords!

41.  Have all your resources available. When your
customer calls with a question or a problem, the
last thing they want to do is wait for you to be
prepared to help them. Being unprepared gives
the impression that you don’t know what you
are doing.

42.  Indicate your regret when applicable. There are
times when the customer needs reinforcement from
you. It may be due to frustration with the problem they
are calling about. It is important to recognize when you
should express regret, and do so in a genuine manner.
The following are some typical guidelines:
 If the customer was disconnected from an earlier call
 If the customer claims that somebody made a mistake
 If the customer has been on hold a long time

43.  Use the caller’s name. When ever possible, use
the customer’s name on the phone. Calling the
customer by his/her name shows that you are
interested and attentive to him/her.

44.  Don’t interrupt. Interrupting a customer only
sends the message that you are not polite or
sensitive to what the customer needs. It also
implies that you are not listening and that you
might be missing a critical piece of information.
Wait until the customer stops talking and then
get the information that you missed.

45.  Get as much information as quickly as
possible. Request information as soon as
possible. Ask for prescription number or
customer’s date of birth, telephone number and
any other pertinent information as soon as you
can.

46.  Speak clearly to make yourself understood.
If you are trying to help solve a problem with a
customer, speak slowly to be sure you are not
misunderstood.

47.  Transfer a call only when absolutely necessary. Try to
resolve the customer’s concern yourself. If you need to transfer a
call, follow this protocol:
 Explain the need to transfer and why.
 When transferring, announce the call to the person you are
transferring to and make sure the caller has the correct number
to call if they are disconnected for any reason.
 If you have to transfer an upset caller to a coworker, be sure to
“warn” your coworker. If you can, explain the customer’s
situation to your co worker to save the customer from repeating
the story and getting upset again.

48.  Hang up gently. There is nothing worse than
hearing a phone slammed in your ear! Let the
customer hang up first. Wait one second, and
then hang up the phone gently.

50. Handling The Difficult/Angry
Customer
 It is inevitable that you will come into contact with
customers who are frustrated, angry, and purely
unpleasant to deal with; however, it is essential that you
are able to respond to even the most difficult customer
in a way that not only addresses the customer’s
problems efficiently, but will also direct them toward
reasonable solutions. Your first response to any
customer that complains to you should be to thank
him/her for advising you of the situation and apologize

51.  When you apologize, you acknowledge that the
customer has had an unpleasant experience and you
express your personal concern. It doesn’t mean you are
accepting blame for the situation.
Remember, you cannot correct problems unless you are
aware of them. Respond as quickly as possible to
resolve the problem.
A customer who has their complaint satisfactorily
resolved is five times as likely to buy from you again!
(Wilson, 1996)

52. What is your view for handling a tough customer? Do
you (Check off any of the items below that match your
personal philosophy)…
 View a customer with a problem as a pain in the neck?
 Believe that the customer isn’t always right, and
sometimes you need to tell them so!
 Believe only a saint could avoid letting a moment filled
with angry customers get the best of them.
If you checked even one of the above items, it’s time to
transform your ideas about conflict resolution.

53. The following is a list of approaches
to take when dealing with the
difficult/angry customer
 Let the customer explain. Simply listen.
People need to air their frustrations before they
are ready to hear what you have to say, and you
need to fully understand their problem before
you can help.

54.  Investigate the situation thoroughly. Gather
all the facts so you know what’s happened-and
what actions you need to take. Ask the customer
to repeat any relevant information if necessary.
Stay neutral and avoid being defensive.

55.  State that you want to help. Make a positive
statement such as, “I’d like to help you take care
of this…” Let your customers know that you
understand their needs and that their situation is
worth listening to.

56.  Talk in a calm, sincere manner. Control your
tone without being falsely calm. Let your
warmth and concern shine through. Focus on
the customer’s concerns. Avoid blame or
insinuation.

57.  Empathize with the customer. View the
situation from the customer’s perspective. Listen
for feelings and perceptions, not just words.

58.  Neutralize the atmosphere by remaining
positive. See a conflict as an
opportunity to help someone rather than a
problem. People don’t always mean to be
difficult and demanding, but sometimes
situations get the best of them.

59.  NOTE: If the customer is upset due to a discrepancy
with his/her medication (i.e. wrong prescription was
filled, incorrect amount of pills in the bottle, etc.),
immediately direct the customer’s complaint to the
Chief pharmacist.
All of these pointers/tactics for dealing with the
angry/difficult customer is a way of putting yourself on
the customer’s side so you can start to work together to
solve the problem.
 Do not blame your co workers for the mistake. One of
us mistake is everyone’s mistake.

60. CONCLUSION
 Friendly, enthusiastic, and courteous customer service is an
essential for dealing with all types of customers in the pharmacy
setting (and any setting); whether the customer is a difficult one
or a pleasure to serve. Good customer service is not something
that should be practiced every once in a while; it is an ongoing,
long term commitment to all those you come into contact with
during your work shift. When good customer service is put to
practice, everyone wins. Good customer service builds a sense of
trust and satisfaction among your customers, while presenting
your work environment as professional and credible. These are
the qualities that will retain existing customers and make new
customers loyal ones.

61.  Now that you have completed the “Customer Service
Training Course For Pharmacist”, you will find that
applying the skills that you have learned will help you
consistently meet your customers’ needs and exceed
their expectations. Remember, a satisfied customer will
remain a loyal one, so make the commitment and effort
to build lasting relationships.
 “Continued good service goes hand-in-hand with
continued good business”