Be On “Target” To Delight Your Customer

My decision to become an independent business person required me to purchase individual health insurance. With my new plan it became important to check the prices for a prescription that I will be taking for the rest of my life. I checked national big box retailers and local grocery stores with pharmacies. I also checked national pharmacy chains. The results surprised me. A 30 day supply, 60 – 40mg tables, would cost anywhere from $58 to $128.

The winner in this survey was Target at $58 for a 30 day supply. Since the Target store is only 2 miles from my home, it is also very convenient. Therefore, I became a satisfied customer of the Target pharmacy.

But wait, my experience gets better! The first time I had the opportunity to refill this prescription I called the automated refill phone number. At the end of processing my order, I was offered the opportunity to enroll in the automatic refill service. With this service, my prescription would be automatically filled each month, and I would receive a phone call letting me know that it was ready to be picked-up. To make things even better, when the 12 month prescription runs out, Target will contact my doctor to get authorization for another 12 months of refills. Needless to say, I pushed the appropriate buttons on the phone to enroll in this program.

Does it get any better than this? (The answer is yes, but I will explain that in a few moments.) I don’t have to keep track of my pills. Target will do it. I don’t have to call to get a refill. Target will call me. I don’t have to worry about getting a new prescription every year from my doctor. Target will handle that for me. I am no longer just a satisfied customer, I am a delighted customer.

In this instance Target has put the needs of the customer first. Target has made it very easy for a pharmacy customer to do business with Target. But what else has Target done with this process? Target has locked in the refill business. By making the refill process so easy for the customer, Target has made it more of an effort for the customer to switch pharmacies. After the 12 months of the prescription are completed, the customer would normally go to their doctor and get a new prescription. With this new prescription in hand, the customer may choose a different pharmacy. Target minimizes this possibility by contacting the doctor for the customer. This is a benefit for the customer that turns into repeat pharmacy business. Also, the customer must walk through the store at least 12 times a year, creating more opportunities to satisfy the customer and generate other sales.

I challenge you to look at your businesses. What can you do that will delight your customer and be a significant benefit to your business? Look for ways to create that win-win situation. Delight your customer first, and you will be delighted in return.

Finally, I had one more very pleasant surprise with this process. The last time I picked-up my automatic refill I was expecting to pay the normal $58. At the pick-up window that pharmacy person told me that if I would accept 120 – 20mg pills instead of 60 – 40mg pills, my cost would be $14 instead of $58. How can you refuse an offer like that?