When it comes to providing excellent service to patients in the pharmacy, one essential area is often overlooked. The waiting room. It may seem like a small cog in your day-to-day operations, but waiting plays a major role in your patients’ health care experience. And that experience can have a significant influence on how patients’ perceive your pharmacy.
Transforming your pharmacy’s waiting area from an underutilized space to a more functional and positive environment can have a subliminal, but powerful, effect on patients’ experiences.
A successful waiting room engages and educates customers while supporting your image. Worn chairs thrown together with a stack of old magazines may cause patients to view your pharmacy as outdated. Picture how a clean, organized and inviting space can exude comfort and satisfaction in your store. Here are five keys to creating a better pharmacy waiting room.
1. Add comfort
Chances are that patients waiting on prescriptions may not be in the best of moods. They’re often rushed, tired or feeling under the weather. Make sure the mood of your waiting area doesn’t boost this negativity. Lots of natural light, preferably from a nearby window, and comfortable seating in a quieter, uncongested area all contribute to a less stressful environment.
2. Welcome patients
Waiting rooms often feel impersonal and neglected, especially in pharmacies where these areas aren’t a central focus. Combat this by making sure that your space is welcoming and friendly. Try your best to greet every customer upon arrival, even if you can’t provide service right away. Hang signage that introduces patients to the staff on duty and your pharmacy in general. Know the local florist? Consider making an arrangement where you receive leftover flowers in exchange for advertising their business in your waiting room. Little touches can make a large difference in overall impressions.
3. Educate with materials
Waiting often feels like time wasted. But reading or watching material that’s informational can turn time wasted into time well spent, in the eyes of the patient. Pamphlets with health tips, brochures about your pharmacy or even briefs videos that are seasonally or topically relevant can distract from a lengthy wait and teach patients something new.
4. Engage patients
Few things make patients more annoyed than feeling ignored. Whether you can attend to their needs immediately or not, demonstrating that you value waiting patients can go a long way towards keeping their business in the future. Try to update patients in the waiting area on the status of their medications to make sure they feel acknowledged. Provide a free beverage or set out a comment box to enhance their experience.
5. Provide entertainment
Perhaps the most effective way to occupy customers comes via entertainment. A television turned to regular programming or a stack of current magazines can help distract patients. Toys or children’s books can keep the kids tantrum-free and alleviate some parenting stress. The toughest facet of entertainment is finding outlets with broad allure. A TV show or magazine that satisfies soccer moms may alienate teenagers. To solve this problem, either purchase and display a wide variety of material or find diversions with mass appeal.
