Effective communication skills are a vital ingredient of customer service. Have there ever been occasions where you yourself have received a home delivery and it felt abundantly clear that the driver simply didn’t want to be doing that job? Perhaps they had their arms folded, avoided eye contact, were talking on their phone, spoke with little enthusiasm or just generally looked miserable. They may have said all the right things but their demeanour and attitude left you with a poor perception of the overall service and company they represent.

• When communicating with your customers:
• Adopt a positive attitude and be friendly and enthusiastic when talking
• Keep an open body posture and face the person you are speaking to whilst avoiding crossing your arms as this can appear defensive
• Maintain an appropriate amount of eye contact with the customer
• Consider your facial expressions

There are three keys to success in communication:

Be clear and concise – Don’t be blunt but do get to the point when communicating so that the other person fully understands what you are telling them. This is specifically important if you are relaying information regarding medication to the customer as it is critical they understand what the pharmacist needs them to know. If you are writing a note for a customer, ensure your writing is clear and legible.

Be an effective listener – It is important to give a customer your full attention when they are speaking, avoid listening in a ‘ready to pounce’ state where you have already made an assumption about what the customer will say and prematurely have a response prepared. Instead take the ‘blank slate’ approach. Listen carefully to customers, avoid interrupting or making any assumptions and only then consider your response.

Check understanding – You will need to check the customer has understood what you have told them regarding the medication. If you are unsure, politely ask them to relay the information back to you. “Could I just check I was clear explaining what you need to do…?”