1 Min In News
Follow this topic
Bookmark
Record learning outcomes
Photography Credit: Nathalie Crouch Photography
Above: Raymond Lofters
Raymond Lofters Boots UK, Sedley Place
Product Adviser Award Winner
Raymond, a long-standing member of the pharmacy team, was described by his nominator, Victoria Lowe, the store’s general manager, as someone who offers “a total solution to every health concern he is consulted about”.
Victoria also said that it is Raymond’s abundant healthcare knowledge that allows him to give the best advice, supplemented by his continuous upskilling and training. Beyond his wealth of healthcare knowledge, it is also Raymond’s positive disposition that draws customers to him.
He has built good relationships with many of his customers, allowing him to have sensitive and sometimes difficult conversations. “Our customers actively seek him out when they need specialist advice, sometimes you wonder if the customers are his friends because they come back for his customer service, expert advice, and at times to simply say hello,” said Victoria.
Listen, then advise
Over the years, Raymond has helped countless customers deal with an array of ailments, but it was one in particular that caught the judges’ attention this year. Raymond was asked by a mother and teenage daughter for some sleeping pills, as the teenager was having trouble sleeping.
Instead of simply making a recommendation, Raymond asked if he could discuss her symptoms a bit more. The conversation that followed led to the young girl opening up about feelings of anxiety, problems sleeping and feeling down.
“I mainly listened,” said Raymond, before recommending St John’s Wort for anxiety and stress relief, and providing the mother and daughter with a leaflet for an online doctor, as she was having trouble getting an appointment with her GP. “We came up with good bullet points and tips that she could go away with, and I think that’s what she needed, too,” said Raymond.
Understanding the customer
“Awareness of customer sensitivity, making use of a private space to talk, and not just jumping to the easiest solution,” are traits of Raymond’s that judge Richard Stephenson, Right Medicine Pharmacy Ltd operations director, picked up on.
“Raymond brings exceptional emotional intelligence, empathy, and product expertise to a high-pressure flagship environment. His ability to offer product advice and holistic support, especially in sensitive mental health cases, goes above and beyond expectations,” said judge Ifti Khan, pharmacy superintendent at Well.
“It is great to know when I have helped someone with something, and sometimes, it is not always giving them a product, it’s empathy,” said Raymond. “Sometimes, the customer may not always leave with a product, but what you do make the customer leave with is 10 times better than how they felt when they came into the store. A lot of advising is reading a customer and understanding what they need before they do.”
Helen Joscelyne, Tesco Pharmacy, Salterton Road
Product Adviser Award Highly Commended
It is no wonder Helen’s product knowledge is top tier, after spending 15 years in the pharmacy. “She offers exceptional customer service, going over and above to help those in need. Her knowledge and skills are exemplary, and she always manages to have a smile on her face,” said nominator and pharmacist Sarah Quilty.
Helen credits being attentive to customers as the key to recommending the right product or line of treatment. “I have learnt over the years how to read customers, to know what they are really looking for or what they might need,” said Helen.
“You have to listen and look to help customers.” One such customer was a gentleman who asked Helen for some cold and flu medication. After asking about his symptoms, she thought it sounded more like hayfever, and suggested antihistamines. He returned not long after and told Helen she had “changed his life”.
Another customer came in asking for pain relief, but after noticing that his face looked swollen, Helen recommended that he be seen by a doctor. This customer was then admitted to hospital with sepsis. “Helen recognises the importance of listening to patients and taking note of body language and other methods of communication,” said judge Nicola Stockmann, APTUK president.
Superintendent pharmacist at Well and judge, Ifti Khan, added: “Helen brings deep experience and intuitive patient care from over 15 years in pharmacy. Her clinical instincts and attention to detail helped identify sepsis and misdiagnosed hayfever, leading to life-changing interventions.”
Kirsty Riddell, Paydens (Fenns) Pharmacy
Product Adviser Award Highly Commended
“During Kirsty’s time as a retail co-ordinator, she has consistently demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to our customers and ensuring she is guiding our customers towards health and wellbeing solutions,” said Kirsty’s nominator Alison Ware, pharmacist co-ordinator at Paydens Ltd.
“Her passion for delivering exceptional service and genuine desire to help customers find the best solutions have left a lasting impression on all who have had the pleasure of working with her. She has good product knowledge and always goes the extra mile to assist her customers.”
Kirsty tries her best to make herself approachable to customers, especially when out on the shop floor. It is here, too, where she conducts product research, searching for gaps in the pharmacy’s offering. “If someone is looking for something we don’t have, I do try to order it in. I try to keep new ideas coming into the pharmacy,” she said.
Crucially, Kirsty has re-arranged the shopfloor to sort items into an easy to find format after hearing from customers that the previous layout was confusing. She also encourages the stocking of more affordable products after noticing that certain items were staying on the shelves for months, resulting in them often reaching their sell-by date and having to be disposed of. This has prevented customers being priced out whilst also being price positive for the pharmacy.
Judge Mike Holden, managing director at MH Associates, commented that Kirsty is “totally dedicated to her and her pharmacy’s cause”. Richard Dunne, head of Healthcare Capability at Boots UK and judge, added: “Kirsty brilliantly puts people at the heart of her decisions.”
In News