By Beth Maas for our 99 Ways to Make a Positive Difference in Your Pharmacy blog series
Conducting a customer survey has many benefits for you as a professional, for your pharmacy as a business, and for your patients. Although it might seem daunting to launch the survey process, taking this opportunity to touch base with your customers can have an extremely positive impact.
To begin conducting a customer survey, start by asking yourself a simple question: What do you want to know? Do you want to know more about your customers’ demographics? Are you thinking of expanding your pharmacy services? Focus the goal of your survey on one main objective to make the process most effective.
Delegate to one of your staff members the lead role in seeing the survey through, and let him/her be responsible for summarizing the data for you at the end. By letting your staff member own this project, you’ll allow him/her the opportunity to grow professionally and take pride in their assignment, and you will be free to focus on patient care while this important survey project moves forward.
What survey method is best? While online surveys might seem the easiest route, face-to-face surveys conducted while shoppers are in your store might be most effective and provide a detailed response. Set aside a week to conduct the surveys and steer shoppers to the staff member leading the project. As shoppers pick up their prescriptions, you might say, “We are conducting a survey this week because we want to know what our patients think of our pharmacy so we may better serve you. If you have a few minutes, please stop by our front register and talk to Jim to complete the survey.” If space allows, your project manager could set up a table and chairs near the entrance to your pharmacy with a “Take Our Survey” sign to intercept shoppers. These personal interviews with your patients will provide deeper insights than a digital survey, and will make survey participants feel valued. When they see the time and effort your team is putting into the surveys, they will be more apt to sit and share their feedback than they might seeing an easily-ignored “Take Our Survey” button on your website.
After the surveys are complete, give your project manager a timeframe to sift through and organize the data for you. Review and digest the information, and then schedule a follow up meeting with your pharmacy team to share the results. Brainstorm next steps based on the feedback you received. Prioritize how to address negative feedback, and create an action plan to resolve the concerns raised by your survey respondents.
Surveys are a time consuming undertaking, but offer a wonderful opportunity to interact with your patients, share responsibilities with your team, and gain valuable insights that can help your pharmacy remain strong.
As HR Coordinator, Beth is responsible for the administration of all financial and daily activities related to human resources and employee relations. She also processes payroll and maintains all files relative to employee benefits, and is involved with the recruiting process in addition to company event planning.