Chain Pharmacies Named Customer Service Champs

Retail chains were honored by JD Power and Associates for consistently meeting and exceeding customer expectations.

Chain drug retailers racked up points for customer service last week, earning their place among an elite list of 40 companies and organizations designated as the 2011 “Customer Service Champions” by the marketing firm JD Power and Associates.

Chains that received the distinction were Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Health Mart Pharmacy, Publix Pharmacy, Wegmans Pharmacy, and Winn-Dixie Pharmacy. According to JD Power, they ranked in the top 5% for customer feedback out of more than 800 evaluated organizations in 20 industries.

The report’s authors measured customer opinions and perceptions using JD Power’s 5 customer service touch points: people, presentation, price, product, and process. Top-ranking brands stood out in all of these areas—not only among their peers, but across multiple industries as well, the report noted.

Customers gave Wegmans Pharmacy high scores for product and price, according to the research. Danny Wegman, chief executive officer at Wegmans, attributes some of that success to the chain’s low-cost and free antibiotic prescription programs. “But above all, I credit our employees and the incredible service they provide every day,” he said.

John Fegan, RPh, pharmacy vice president of Winn-Dixie, also gave credit to individual pharmacists for making customer service a priority for the chain. “We are honored that our pharmacy team has been recognized for delivering exceptional, individualized services and solutions to our customers every day,” he said.

“Today’s consumers expect companies to do it all and have the right people, the right presentation, the right price, the right product and the right process,” said Gary Tucker, senior vice president of global services and emerging industries at J.D. Power and Associates. “Brands identified as J.D. Power Customer Service Champions are getting all of these things right.”

For other articles in this issue, see:

• Study Confirms Benefits of Zinc for Cold Relief
• Senate Bill to Tackle Worsening Drug Shortages