It is obvious that if you experience poor service from a company, you will think twice before using their goods and services again. This has always been the case, but unfortunately the rules have changed and expectations are higher than ever. There are four basic reasons for this development:

• Increased customer choice €“ There are so many choices for customers nowadays and so many options and channels for them to obtain the products and services they require. People simply do not have to put up with poor service or assistants who seem uninterested.
• Price comparison is so much easier using the internet. It is no longer necessary to put up with inflated local prices because it easier to find goods elsewhere
• The quality of goods and services is being driven higher by technology and by contractual requirements. Pharmacies are being encouraged to improve the quality of what they do and what they provide. The result is that competing on product range or price alone is more difficult, and you have to differentiate on service
• The pace of life is getting faster, people have less time and are less tolerant of poor service, slow service and shoddy goods than they used to be.

With challenges on prescription margins and increased competition for every pound of over-the-counter spend, pharmacies have to compete seriously in the way they treat their customers and with the quality of everything they provide.

Today, how you deliver your products and services is as important as what they are. You can offer promotions and discounts to try to bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get them to come back repeatedly your business will not remain profitable for long.

So, we know how important providing good customer service is. The next question to address is 'How do we do it'?