The Uninterested Customer

What sort of behaviours will they display?

They have zero interest in what you are saying, are completely disengaged, may be on their phone, appear to be ignoring you, not responding to questions.

How can we manage the uninterested customer?

First, you need to check if they are ignoring you through choice or if they have an additional need such as a hearing impairment, learning disability or English isn’t their first language. This is another example of where knowing your customers is very useful. If the customer does have an additional need because of a disability, impairment or sensory loss we need to make sure we are meeting their needs according to the Accessible Information Standard. You can download a copy of the Accessible Information Standard SOP from NumarkNet. The customer may make the pharmacy aware of their needs or you could use some of the following questions to clarify the customer’s individual needs.

•        Do you need information provided in a format other than standard print?

•        Do you have any special communication needs?

•        How do you prefer to be contacted?

•        What is your preferred method of communication?

•        How would you like us to communicate with you?

•        Can you explain what support would be useful?

•        What is the best way to provide you with information?

Once you have established the customer’s specific need and are using the correct communication method for them it is good practice to check for understanding after you have given them some information e.g. “Could I just check you understood how many of these you should take in a day?”. Make sure you aren’t patronising the customer when you do this.

If the customer is ignoring you through choice, then you need to give them a reason to listen to you. You could start with a polite prompt “would you like to finish your phone call before I serve you?” or “could you put your phone down whilst I ask you some important questions?”. If they are still not listening or answering your questions, then be assertive and follow up with a comment such as “I’ll come back to you when you have finished with your phone” or “I need the answer to my question before I can serve you”.