Customer Service Concepts

• The Lyceum of the Philippines University Davao (LPU Davao) calls on God to bless scholarly pursuits, innovation, consideration, compassion, mindfulness, knowledge, skills, and harmonious interaction of students and faculty, so that the institution may grow from generation to generation and remain true to Laurelian values, Veritas et Fortitudo, Pro Deo et Patria.

Concepts of Customer Service

• Customer service involves how a company manages consumer interactions before, during, and after a purchase or service use
• Customer service aims to increase customer satisfaction
• A proactive attitude is essential: "I care and I can do"

Why Customer Service Matters

• Satisfied customers create benefits
• Dissatisfied customers incur costs

Who Delivers Customer Service

• All trained employees provide customer service
• Even those without direct customer contact
• Happy employees contribute to happy customers

Providing Customer Service

• Consistently exceed customer expectations
• Attitude and skills are both indispensable

Advantages of Keeping Customers

• Repeat customers spend 33% more
• A 5% increase in customer retention boosts profits 25-95%
• Acquiring new customers costs six times more

Ladder of Customer Loyalty

• Prospect is the entry point
• Customer
• Client
• Supporter
• Advocate is the peak of customer loyalty

Strategies to Cultivate Customer Loyalty

• Build brand equity, which is the measure of customer loyalty to a brand
• Create customer satisfaction
• Create and maintain relationships through:
  • Customer service
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Customer Service: Perceptions

• 80% of business leaders believe their companies perform well in customer service
• Only 8% of customers agree with this assessment

Facts about Customer Service

• 54% to 70% of complainants return if their issue is resolved
• 95% of complainants return if their issue is resolved quickly
• Outstanding customer service is now more crucial than low prices or superior products

Rules for Good Customer Service

• Always answer the phone promptly
• Ensure calls are answered
• Keep all promises
• Give customers your full attention
• Let customers explain the issue
• Show you are listening
• Offer solutions
• Resolve complaints
• Be helpful, polite, and informed

Words and Phrases That Damage Customer Relationships

• "You don't understand"
• "I don't know"
• "I can't..."
• "You don't see my point"
• "Hold on (or hang on) a second"
• "Our policy says (or prohibits)..."
• "That's not my job/responsibility"
• "You must/should..."
• "You'll have to..."
• "What you need to do is..."
• "What's your problem?"
• "Why don't you...?"
• "I never said..."

Words and Phrases That Build Customer Relationships

• Please
• Thank you
• I can/will...
• How may I help?
• I was wrong
• You're right
• I understand how you feel
• May I...?/Could we try...?
• Have you considered...?
• I'm sorry for...
• It's my/our fault
• What do you think?
• Would you mind?

Expressing Empathy

• Empathic phrases:
  • "I can see why you feel that way."
  • "I see what you mean."
  • "That must be very upsetting."
  • "I understand how frustrating this must be."
  • "I'm sorry about this."
  • Always apologize

Patient Communication in Pharmacy Practice

• Focus on respect, patient interactions, and sensitivity

Effective Communication is Key

• Communication avoids confusion, misunderstandings, and flawed drug therapy decisions

Navigating Patient Titles

• Address patients formally (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Rev., Dr.) unless directed otherwise
• "Assume nothing"
• Inquiries about preference are advisable
• Addressing everyone by first name can be seen as unequal and inferior

Respecting the Patient

• Show genuine respect
• See them as persons and not cases
• Maintain professional boundaries
• Convey respect by acknowledging their attributes without judgement

Behavioral Checklist

• Behavior promotes positive pharmacist-patient interaction
  • Relaxed, confident, and comfortable
  • Showing interest
  • Being objective, nonjudgemental, honest, and in control

Enhancing Patient Interaction

• Arrange sufficient time and limit disruptions
• Introduce yourself, gain consent, and clarify purpose
• Inform patients of who will view their data, and how
• Students should introduce themselves and their purpose clearly

Questioning Techniques

• Pharmacist drives the process to efficiently gather needed information
• Control is achieved by asking the right questions at the right pace
• Balance efficiency with courtesy and encourage dialogue when appropriate
• Improve by facing diverse patient types

Interview Dynamics

• Conduct the interview early with open-ended questions
• This encourages the patient and reveals their knowledge level
• "What medications are you currently taking?" for acute/chronic cases
• Listen actively without interrupting
• Allow time for the response
• Be ready to handle rambling patients
• Specific questions become relevant during rambling
• Tailor questions to the situation

More Techniques

• Ask refined questions following general ones
• Narrow the question's focus as needed
• Discuss one topic at a time
• Screen with "yes/no," however, refrain from overuse

Summarization and Agreement

• Take time to recap notes as verification of understanding for both pharmacist and customer
• Discrepancies during recall should be investigated

Closing Patient interaction

• Summarize the high points
• Allow clarifications and add information
• End professionally and kindly

Patient Instruction

• Labels are secondary to actual interaction
• Optimal instruction is interactive, not one-way
• Goals include targeting patient needs, controlling information delivery, specifying goals, and determining retention

Asthmatic examples

• Do not assume asthmatics correctly use inhalers and or properly manage their peak flow
• The knowledge must be verified
• A drug education plan must be developed and reinforced

Other Helpful concepts

• Evaluate patients capacity for learning
• Avoid overwhelming with information
• Verify patient learning
• Conduct evaluation in a non-threatening manner
• Be persistent

Medical Jargon

• Avoid medical jargon
• Translate terms for the patient

Patient Misinterpretation

• The term "hypertension"
• Can be nervous or hyperactive
• Use the term "high blood" for hypertension and use "low blood" for anemia

Special Situations in Healthcare Settings

• Communication standards must comply
• The patient's circumstances can be testing
• It can be very hard to convey a message
• Responsibility falls on the provider

Antagonistic Patients

• These patients refuse help
• Resist helping
• Direct professional help in order to not escalate hostility

Caring tips

• Direct
• Professional
• Clarification is necessary
• Respect goes a long way

Chronically Ill Patients

• Presents unique problems
• Patients can be consumers
• Can be difficult
• Can be well spoken

Remember facts

• Information to all
• Assess the patients needs
• Flexible communication
• Long process

Culturally Diverse Patients

• Interaction from culturally patients must adapt
• Respect norms
• Integrate beliefs
• Betancourt provides the ESFT framework

Elderly Patients

• Special
• Loss of hearing and vision
• Sensitive to light

Tips to help:

• Engage in a conversation
• Be respectful

Impaired patients

• Be relaxed because the customer cannot see
• Do not treat customers because people are there because they need help
• Be relaxed and show customers what you can do

Embarrassing Situations

• Most are embarrassing
• Sexual
• Financial

Tips for patients

• Put yourself in the customers shoes
• Be sensitive

Hard to reach

• People of low-income
• Minorities

Ways to help the patients

• Showed great kindness
• Be understanding
• Color-code