MAY,Edition # 25, 2001

We all know the expectations of the modern customer can vary between individuals.
What one customer would say was exceptional service by one pharmacy, another would say it was adequate, and another state it was below par.
The online customer is no different.
The perception of the wider market is that customers will forgo customer service and the professional and ethical obligations of the pharmacist to save a dollar.
I do not deny that the primary motive for internet shopping at present would be price advantage, but these customers do expect excellent service as well.
One of the keys of success for ePharmacy to date is the fact that we have not changed our levels of service even though our price point has differentiated between supply chains.
The online customer is aware of their service levels in retail pharmacy, and ePharmacy has used this existing awareness and transferred it to expectations in online pharmacy.
Not all expectations can be met such as face-to-face consultations, but if the customer is made aware that the pharmacist can be contacted directly by different methods, seven days a week, and the online pharmacy delivers this promise, the customer may associate this convenience with the fact that their local pharmacist is normally to busy to talk to them directly.
They may also associate this with the fact that the last few visits to their local pharmacy they bought the same product, and spoke to a shop assistant who may or may not have even known what they were selling.
The cost of providing this service is extremely cost effective via the internet.
The advent of email has not only provided a fast, cost effective way of communicating between individuals, it also provides an excellent record of events for documentation.

The online customer also expects:

· Same day responses to emails and calls
· Familiarity of staff and operations
· Extensive product information
· Direct Pharmacist contact
· Itemised receipts of all products purchased with private access to past orders.
· Secure Site technology in payment systems.
· After hour deliveries.
· The ability to pick their parcel up from the store to save delivery charges.

The online customer does not feel guilty about purchasing from online pharmacies in regard to the effect it may have on their local pharmacy's ability to survive. They justify their action by saying that they still frequent their local pharmacy for acute medications and NHS prescriptions.
This is a concerning issue as I have my foot in both camps and I have been concerned over the past years of the "leakage" of sales to internet/mail-order pharmacies.
The so called acute and NHS medications tend either to be of not large quantities or very low margins.
An example of the new breed online pharmacy customer is listed below.
EPharmacy received a phone call from a regular customer in Melbourne one day telling us to have her prescriptions ready, as she will be down in an hour. Perplexed I asked her to explain what she meant, only to be told that she had pressed the wrong pharmacy speed dial on her phone.
The online pharmacy customer is evolving rapidly with the business.
They tend to be appreciative of your efforts, but will only be too happy to put in extensive emails how you can improve your site.
They tend to be loyal with over 65% repeat shopping.
They also enjoy telling their friends that not only do they shop online for their pharmaceuticals, they save costs, have it delivered to their door, and know all the people there by their first names.
Their expectations will continue to grow.
end

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The comments and views expressed in the above article are those of the author and no other. The author welcomes any comment and interaction that may result from this and future articles, and can be contacted directly at brett@epharmacy.com.au

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