Whether you are a pharmacy technician, sales person, cashier, or a pharmacist, you will always find yourself needing good customer service skills. Customer service in any industry is an important position. Connecting with customers personally is an important part of doing business. Businesses like your local pharmacy needs to be exceptionally personable when handling customer’s personal prescriptions and over the counter medications. Here are our 10 tips for excellent customer service in a pharmacy technician position that will help you be successful.
- Knowing the Customer by Name
If you speak to a customer by their first name, it resonates with them that you care about them personally. Showing that you genuinely care about their needs counts. Try to repeat their first name at least three times during a conversation. This will allow you to remember their name more quickly.
- Speak About Past Visits
When a customer comes into the pharmacy, greet them and ask them how they are doing. You can also bring up the last conversation you had during their last visit. Even though it may be tempting, you should never speak to a customer about their prescription.
- Be Prepared
The lines at a pharmacy can get pretty busy, so it can help if you grab a well-known customers prescription on your way back to the register. If you know someone’s schedule, try to keep their prescriptions on stand-by for the time they come in.
- Positivity
Customer service with a smile! Okay, we know it’s not always possible to keep a “Disney smile” on at all times. You should only talk about positive things with customers and keep things upbeat. A majority of the time, customers are coming in to get prescriptions for a loved one or themselves. Being understanding and polite can make the customer’s day that much better – even for a short time.
- Moral Code of Ethics
Being ethical in a pharmacy tech position includes following the APhA ethical guidelines. These guidelines show what you should be saying to a customer when they come in. Even though this code of ethics applies to pharmacists, pharmacy techs should adhere to them as well when interacting with customers.
- How to Present Yourself
You should always present yourself in a calm, courteous, and professional manner. When you interact with a customer, you are not only representing yourself, but the pharmacy as well.
- Know Medications
A customer may ask about a certain medication or over the counter drug. Become acclimated with the different types of drugs and their side effects, if any. This will give you experience and will also instill trust between you and the customer. You should always end with “but you should consult with your doctor about any medication” after speaking about medications prescription or over the counter.
- Answering the Phone
You should always be courteous and straight to the point when answering the phone as a pharmacy technician. If you can’t help the customer over the phone right away, assess the call and put them on hold for a pharmacist.
- Listening Skills
When speaking to a customer you should always listen careful and respond slowly and clearly.
- HIPAA
Be discreet when speaking to a customer. HIPAA law prohibits revealing customer medical information, including their prescription.
Do you have any questions about being a pharmacy technician? Let us know in the comments below.