How Can a Community Pharmacist Working for Boots Have an Influence on Customer Care - Essay Example

?'How can a Community Pharmacist working for Boots have an influence on care? How have your findings changed your practice to improve your customer care?' The customer is one of the major stakeholders in an organization whose role is pivotal for its success and sustained operation through the entire life of a business entity. Due to the customers’ paramount importance, business organizations have designed strategies to ensure that their needs and demands are appropriately addressed. The objectives of organizations include provision of excellence in customer service and achieving customer satisfaction at its best. For Boots, a corporate name synonymous with health and beauty, customer care remains the focus and thrust of its organizational purpose and has been instrumental for continued success for the last 160 years (Boots, n.d.). As disclosed, “our customers are at the heart of our business. We're committed to providing exceptional customer and patient care, be the first choice for pharmacy and healthcare, offer innovative products 'only at Boots', with great value our customers love” (Boots, n.d., par. 2). In this regard, the current essay aims to address the following questions, to wit: (1) how can a Community Pharmacist working for Boots have an influence on customer care? And (2) how have your findings changed your practice to improve your customer care? Ways a Community Pharmacist at Boots Can Influence on Customer Care “I love the fact that a quick chat about medicines could benefit so many people and have a massive impact on their lives” – Jina, Pharmacist (Boots, n.d.) A review of the role of a pharmacist at Boots indicate that people who are hired for the position need to possess exemplary people skills in terms of the ability to easily and effectively related to diverse kinds of people from different cultural backgrounds and walks of life. Likewise, pharmacists at Boots are also expected to perform their duties and responsibilities by adhering to their professional code of ethical standards that encompasses conformity to observing ethical, moral, and legal rules. As disclosed, there are two relevant sides that must be addressed through the role expected from pharmacists: “The people-side of the job is about getting to know your customers and inspiring your team to deliver the kind of expert service they expect from Boots. The professional side is making sure your pharmacy complies with high standards, building relationships with GPs and local healthcare professionals and sharing expertise with other pharmacists across the company” (Boots, n.d.). Having been made aware of the roles and responsibilities of the community pharmacist at Boots, one can therefore deduce that they play a significant and pivotal role in customer service through provision of customer care and satisfaction. According to Turban, Lee, King, & Chung (2002), “customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction - that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation” (p. 87). At Boots, the corporate purpose clearly and explicitly indicated providing exceptional customer and patient care which is instrumental in eliciting customer satisfaction. In a study written by Giese and Cote (2002) on defining consumer satisfaction, the authors revealed their most accurate definition as: “A summary affective response of varying intensity… With a time-specific point of determination and limited duration… Directed toward focal aspects of product acquisition and/or consumption” (Giese and Cote, 2002, p. 15). Given the three relevant elements of consumer satisfaction, a Community Pharmacist can influence customer care through the following means: (1) providing professional patient care and advice on health care and aesthetic concerns; (2) assuming a pro-active stance in effective assessment of the customers’ needs and being able to surpass addressing these needs; (3) showing genuine concern, commitment and dedication to serving the needs of the customers within their respective roles as pharmacists and being able to provide referrals or support in addressing inquiries on other related concerns; and (4) being instrumental in the customers’ repeat purchase of the products served by Boots and their continued patronage of the organization in the future. How have your findings changed your practice to improve your customer care? The findings, experiences, and lessons learned from communicating with various stakeholders of Boots, in conjunction with relevant research from authoritative sources enhanced one’s awareness on the crucial elements needed for customer service that leads to exemplifying genuine customer care. Boot’s commitment and dedication to serve the needs and demands of the customer is taken seriously as manifested from their Central Customer Care team, composed of 250 experts (Boots, n.d.). As revealed, “they're there for the nice things: helping to place an online order, advising on Advantage Card offers or booking a Boots Opticians' eye test. They're also there if things don't go well, putting it right when customers have an enquiry” (Boots, n.d., par. 3). Therefore, inasmuch as Pharmacists at Boots are expected to influence and contribute positively to customer care, when significant customer concerns emerge – which are beyond the Pharmacists’ duties, roles, and responsibilities – it is good to know that there is a team of customer care experts who they can rely on to assist various issues relayed by the customers. This knowledge enhanced one’s understanding that customer care is not a simple series of activities that could be addressed solely by the Pharmacists or by the Store Manager. Customer service and customer care that leads to exemplary customer satisfaction is a collaborative and integrative effort undertaken by various departments at Boots to ensure that every facet and aspect of the needs and demands of the customers are effectively addressed. As such, by assuming a proactive stance in customer service through updates on current and future trends, Pharmacists and other workers at Boots would be able to comply with the organizational purpose of putting the customers at the heart of Boots’ business. As emphasized, the central customer care team envisions that “when you consider that everything we do here is about making our customers look and feel better than they ever thought possible then you realise just how much this team contributes towards our mission of becoming the world's best pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer” (Boots, n.d., par. 4). The secret to customer service and care therefore lies in genuine concern for their interests and well-being. Reference List Boots. (n.d.) "About Boots." [Online]. Available at: http://www.boots- uk.com/About_Boots.aspx [Accessed July 14, 2012] —. (n.d.) "Boots Jobs Home." [Online]. Available at: http://www.boots.jobs/ [Accessed July 14, 2012] —. (n.d.) "Central Customer Care." [Online]. Available at: http://www.boots.jobs/headoffice/a-z-of-departments/central-customer-care/ [Accessed July 14, 2012] —. (n.d.) "Pharmacists." [Online]. Available at: http://www.boots.jobs/pharmacy/roles/pharmacists/ [Accessed July 14, 2012] Giese, J.L., & Cote, J.A. (2002). Defining Consumer Satisfaction. Academy of Marketing Science Review, 1-24. Turban, E., Lee J., King D., & Chung, H. (2002). Electronic commerce: A managerial perspective (International ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall International. Read More