By Michele Feldner, for the Resolutions for Independent Pharmacies blog series
It’s important to know about and understand the front-end products you carry. It’s especially important in your wellness and OTC areas, and you should also have familiarity with the beauty products you stock.
When it comes to wellness and OTC products, being knowledgeable about the active ingredients in these products, in certain instances, will help you narrow down what you recommend to a prescription patient. It can be useful when customers are taking more than one OTC as well. Understanding active ingredients can help you explain the benefits of the product and how it may provide a solution to the issue the customer is challenged with.
Spread the knowledge! Encourage your staff to become familiar with the products in the front-end, too. When they are better informed, they are in a better position to assist customers. While they can’t – and shouldn’t – make recommendations, knowing what department a brand is in, and being able to locate it easily is good customer service.
There are a number of resources to help you learn about products if the packaging alone doesn’t suffice. Some manufacturers will send educational materials for you, the pharmacist, as well as for the consumer, to help illustrate the features and benefits of an item. You can also look to the brand’s website, seek out resource guides published by industry publications, attend your wholesaler’s tradeshow, speak to manufacturer reps when they stop in, or look for direct mail pieces that contain product details. If you are one of HRG’s TEMPS® Category Manager customers, you receive product information monthly, by category, as well as new item information across categories.
Learning about the products you carry will improve customer service and provide a better shopping experience for your customers. You have the advantage of being able to offer this type of personal care for your shoppers which will build trust, loyalty, and sales.