Choose Wisely

From the moment you get started in business, choose wisely when it comes to things that affect your customers.

For instance, your automated answering system may not be as wonderful as you thought. In your quest to reduce costs and handle general questions via your website, you might be forgetting how important your personal service is to certain customers, possibly the majority of your customers.

To you, it means cost savings and streamlining. To you, it means handling common and simple questions without taking up a human employee’s time.

And that’s great. Or is it?

Think about what it might mean to Mrs. Nelson.

Choose Wisely – Case in point…

It goes without saying that the segment of the population over the age of 65 uses considerably more prescription medications than younger people.

It’s also a well-known and understood fact that most seniors over 65 are not all that computer literate and many shy away from technology altogether.

Of course, there are plenty of exceptions, but we’re talking generally.

So, one might think a pharmacist or pharmacy management would take their customer base into account when designing their telephone answering system.

Wouldn’t you?

Certainly, if I were a pharmacist trying to ensure I attracted and maintained loyal customers to help my business grow, I would take their needs into account.

And anything else that I could identify as something that may be considered when they are deciding on where to get their prescriptions.

This group of seniors may not be computer literate, but they’re certainly aware of customer service standards. That aging Baby Boomer who is the most likely to need your services is not likely to forgive you for treating them like a number.

Here’s an example of something that occurred in real life:

Mrs. Nelson called her pharmacy to refill one of her three prescriptions. Mrs. Nelson is very fortunate that she only needs three drugs. Many people her age need many more.

Anyway, she has always been successful in handling that transaction. She calls the pharmacy and patiently listens to all the information about various new vaccines and hours of operation and then, when prompted, she presses the number that will put her through to a pharmacy employee.

She tells them her name and prescription number. The pharmacy employee cheerfully records the information, thanks Mrs. Nelson, and tells her when it will be ready.

A day or so later, when Mrs. Nelson is out grocery shopping, she stops by the pharmacy to pick up her prescription. All good.

Then, one day, she calls the pharmacy and hears a recorded voice that tells her everything she may want to know can be found on their website. There is no option to press 3 to speak with an employee.

There is an option to refill a prescription, so Mrs. Nelson presses the number for that option.

Then, a recorded voice asks her to input her prescription number. After she does that, the voice says that she needs to verify her name and to press a number if she hears the first four digits of her last name.

She did, so she does!

Then, the recorded voice says, “Your prescription cannot be refilled at this time—it may already be in the process of being refilled.” Please press 4 to speak with a pharmacy employee.

Great!

However, after Mrs. Nelson presses 4, the recorded voice starts right back at the beginning of the call where it tells her that everything she wants to know can be found on their website.

Ok, you get the picture. This is unbelievably frustrating for this senior – a good customer – who just wants to fill a prescription that the pharmacy will be very, very well paid for. 

Is the pharmacy owner convinced that sweet old Mrs. Nelson won’t transfer her prescriptions to another pharmacy that may make things more convenient for her?

If he is, he shouldn’t be. It happens all the time and competing pharmacies make it very easy to do.

Remember, Mrs. Nelson is a boomer, and she doesn’t like being treated like a number. Choose wisely in everything you do.