We have all at some stage experienced excellent customer service. For those not working in the service industry, they must be left wondering why on earth, can this so seemingly effortless task be performed so badly, and so often. Unfortunately there is a huge gap between an employee with excellent customer service mentality and their colleagues who lack this gift. Marketing, advertising, promotions and location can bring in customers, but it is then the job of the products on offer, the pharmacy presentation and finally, but most importantly, the staff to turn them into satisfied customers for life.

Choosing the right person for the job should be of paramount importance. In most cases, at least at interview stage, the potential employee will want to belong to this team. They want to feel connected to the girl on the floor doing such a professional job. They want to wear the nice uniform and feel part of the team that serves the customers. So what goes wrong? They simply need continuous direction.

Therefore a manager who wants to achieve an overall excellent service must; ask for it, support it, and positively reinforce it in order to get it and keep it thriving. The manager must be able to recognise the person with the correct mentality and understand what makes them act as they do. This employee will take every aspect of their job personally and is driven towards excellent customer service because that's the way they like to be treated as a customer, and they have an emotional involvement in what they're doing every day. They will engage with the customer more, care more, and have a welcome for every customer regardless who will serve them. They will have an appetite for learning about the products and they will enlighten their team mates when they need assistance.

Every retail business needs people like this. These qualities become more important in pharmacy because we are a caring profession. All employees need positive guidelines and continuous training to enable the business to grow, and for each employee to develop excellent customer service skills. The more contact a customer has with an employee, the greater the average sale. This direct contact has been proven to keep your customer loyal. Understanding the importance of training, and, the methods used for different aspects of the job, will guarantee the desired outcome. With existing staff, consider each person's individuality, challenge them to improve their skills and knowledge and provide them with the support and training to do so. Know their strengths and their limits, and devise a training plan.

Use the training to clearly outline expectations, establish goals, performance levels and accountability. Encourage the employee to use their own personality, their creativity, encourage emotional involvement and help them shine on the basics like courtesy, efficiency, cleanliness, safety etc. Involving the staff and encouraging them to come up with solutions will ensure they remain mentally and emotionally engaged in their work. Have workshops to develop your standards and this will also keep the employee involved and give them ownership. Give employees authority to assist the customer in every way possible. Do not put barriers in their way, for instance allow them to make informed decisions to remedy customer complaints and ensure the customer leaves feeling satisfied. Give their work purpose and direction and remember staff can be energised by the opportunity to explain what to do on the floor to team mates. Outlining the most successful customers service requirements at an employee's induction will set the stage for standards required.

Another important factor in the success of this training will be the managers own attitude.  They will have to make a conscious decision to examine their own behaviour and perhaps realise they may need some outside assistance. Managing people can be very stressful and interpersonal skills and motivational skills don't always come naturally. Many of your staff may resist the changes made and so remember your employees learn best from what you do as a manager, not what you say. Your employees are treating the customer exactly the way they are being treated by you. Personal, face to face communication with customers and staff is the most effective in promoting future behaviour and standards. To win their trust, you have to make yourself accessible to help deal with problems. Create an environment in which anyone can tell the boss "this is not working". People should be able to express their views without fear of reprisal. Encourage questions and ideas. This way you won't miss any of those original ideas for improvements that so often come about in these situations. Show that you support and appreciate their efforts.

Once you have sorted any bad attitude problems and instilled the excellent customer service mindset, it is then time to concentrate on your shop floor, the products you offer and where they are located. Continuing your excellent service will demand that you make the shopping experience as comfortable, easy and practical as possible. Taking into account that people face and walk forward presents a challenge to all pharmacy shops. The area a customer approaches head-on (the ends of your gondola) will have the most impact as they see them plainly and fully. In most pharmacies the customer will make their way to the back of the shop to see the pharmacist so ensure the merchandising is considered from the rear as well as from the front. Make sure there is something interesting on each end of the gondolas to ensure the customer is tempted to investigate. Change your displays often taking into account how often your average customer visits the shop. The window displays are so important to any business so it is worth freeing a staff member from routine tasks every 2-3 weeks to showcase your products and services.

Getting back to the staff member with the correct mentality, apply the golden rule to all your customers – treat customers the way you wish to be treated. Don't save it for the special occasions, it is for every encounter.