Here's A New Acronym That Could Improve Your Profits

 A few years ago, I attended a pharmacy CE session that impressed me.  The featured speaker was not a pharmacist nor did he speak about pharmacy. 

He owned a small chain of hair salons and he espoused a customer service technique called, F.O.R.D. I think the idea he shared was ingenious and feel to share it here. Indeed, I’d like to see some pharmacy management system company find a way to build the capability of using it into their software. 

As you’d expect his business management system kept track of appointments, the salon’s pricing schedule and calculated the commissions to be paid to each stylist. But in his business, the speaker said, relationships where paramount, so he’d added the ability for the system to house other information that helped his staff build relationship. 

Here’s what they put in, under the acronym of F.O.R.D.:

1.     Family: names of spouse, children, pets, etc.

2.     Occupation: What kind of work do they do, what company, how long there, etc. 

3.     Recreation: How do they like to spend their free time; skiing, bingo, reading, etc.

4.     Dreams: What do they wish they could do; have kids, travel, get married, etc.

So, here’s an example; the receptionist gets a call from Mary Jones asking, “When is the soonest you can get me in to see Wanda?” The receptionist says, “Let me check,” and then while checking casually asks Mary Jones, “What’s up, why the rush?” Mary explains her mother passed and she needs to leave in two days for the funeral. The receptionist tells her there are two times available tomorrow. Mary Jones selects one and the receptionist books the appointment. But that is not all, she also adds a note in the customer relationship module under, the family tab. 

When Mary Jones comes in, Wanda has reviewed the note, expresses her condolences and chats about Mary Jones’ mother.  A relationship is strengthened because the system captured and shared the information. 

Now another example; Sally Smith comes in on her regular visit and while chatting mentions she is up for a promotion.  Wanda makes a note under the occupation tab. When Mary comes in eight weeks later, she asks for an update on the promotion and offers congratulations or condolences.

Whenever a new person comes in the stylist is trained to ask how the new person heard about the salon. The reply is entered into the system for management review. But if the new person indicates a current customer suggested the salon the stylist adds that into the customer relationship management module for the referring customer.  The next time the person who referred a friend comes in the stylist thanks the person and is authorized to provide the customer with a small gift, a bottle of shampoo, or other item the salon features.   

You get the idea, get, capture and appropriately use all the information you can on your patients. People rarely leave their stylist because a new salon opened down the street. When it come to independent community pharmacy your very much like the hair salon, personal relationships are the backbone of pharmacy. Always remember, pharmacy is a people business.