By Dave Wendland, vice president, strategic relations
‘Twas the hour before opening when all through the store,
several creatures were stirring; the locks were on doors.
The stocking was done on the store shelves with care,
in hope that consumers soon would be there.
The pharmacist was busily preparing some scripts.
The clerks were in a meeting discussing sales tips.
When in the front of the store there rose such a clatter,
the pharmacist ran past the counter so to see what was the matter.
And what to his wandering eyes should appear,
but a rather disturbed clerk and a hole on each tier.
An out-of-stock condition would cost him much profit,
he called up his wholesaler to see if he could stop it.
Just then the doors swung open and customers came in.
They brushed by the pharmacist with a smile and grin.
Then they shook their heads angrily and began speaking,
“If you don’t have what we need we’re not coming again!”
The pharmacist scared by the prospect of losing his loyalty,
got his staff together and told them to treat customers like royalty.
So they re-merchandised shelves and made sure products were stocked;
they planogrammed the products to be billboard and blocked.
They learned that when an item isn’t there when customers needs it,
the sale will be lost and the most loyal customers may quit.
Now the staff works to keep items on shelves and arranged just right;
that’s what running a drugstore is about; so to all a good night!