Professional or Performing Chimp?

[johnep]

I was trained to never pick up the 'phone if dealing directly with a customer.
As said customer will 'phone back, but your existing customer will feel she/he is not important if you break off dealing with them.
johnep
1st post from my cruise ship, currently berthed in Solvaer Norway.

[Pharmanaut]

quite difficult though when it's an open plan pharmacy, the ringer is really load and people keep looking at you, as to why no one's picking up the phone.

And when you do answer it you get stuck on a query, like the antimalarial example earlier, then everyone complains that their scripts are taking ages.

[Defblade]

quite difficult though when it's an open plan pharmacy, the ringer is really load and people keep looking at you, as to why no one's picking up the phone.

Unplug it from the wall until you (or someone who can be trusted not to refer the call immediately to you) can answer it. Seriously.

[dizzyb23]

Unplugging is the way to go......the amount of calls we get per day that are actually worth answering for add up to about three per day. the rest is all crap and pointless rubbish. So, one person in our dispensary answers the phone (not the pharmacist) and we filter the calls. If we are very busy, the phone gets unplugged.....simple

[Jeff]

Unplugging is the way to go

You don't do a lot of repeat requests over the phone then.

[DavidS]

I was trained to never pick up the 'phone if dealing directly with a customer.

me too

As said customer will 'phone back, but your existing customer will feel she/he is not important if you break off dealing with them.

some multiples seem to have an opposite approach: they think that the customer here will have to wait, but the one on the phone may try somewhere else.

1st post from my cruise ship, currently berthed in Solvaer Norway.

And the phone number so I can redirect customers is .....

[bobbin]

me too some multiples seem to have an opposite approach: they think that the customer here will have to wait, but the one on the phone may try somewhere else. And the phone number so I can redirect customers is .....

In my opinion, customers waiting in the shop should always be dealt with before answering the phone. Also, I'm not generally in favour of taking repeat requests over the phone............this is something which ought to be dealt with by receptionists or office staff at the surgery.

[Jeff]

Also, I'm not generally in favour of taking repeat requests over the phone............this is something which ought to be dealt with by receptionists or office staff at the surgery.

The PCT decided that telephone requests for repeats were a "bad thing" so local surgeries have stopped taking them. Requests have to be on paper. Some pharmacies have moved to fill the gap. Organising the system isn't difficult and it is delegated to a member of staff who has the repeat request slips issued by the surgery kept on file.

Jeff

[Defblade]

The PCT decided that telephone requests for repeats were a "bad thing" so local surgeries have stopped taking them. Requests have to be on paper. Some pharmacies have moved to fill the gap. Organising the system isn't difficult and it is delegated to a member of staff who has the repeat request slips issued by the surgery kept on file.

Jeff

Most surgeries have dropped phone repeats due to constant confusion over what is being requested - a patient who has no idea what their tablets are called, or a strange idea of what they're for, talking to a receptionist who has had no medical training. A dispenser taking the calls may be a little better, but still extra sources of error over printed material (eg misunderstanding, poor handwriting on request slip)

RPSGB says these schemes shouldn't be run from pharmacy (unless you're boots or lloyds, natch) due to the temptation to tick extra items and claim for them without dispensing. Not sure even Boots and Lloyds "sign for them" systems really protect anything due to patients' trust and lack of engagment in the system..

Busier shop = more repeat requests, BUT less time to deal with them (usual circle).

Maybe have a seperate phone number for repeats? At least you'd know what sort of call you where ignoring

[DavidS]

Maybe have a seperate phone number for repeats? At least you'd know what sort of call you where ignoring

Great idea. 0870 anyone? At least it might cover some of the cost.