How to Stop Losing Money on Bad Customers

Do you have those customers who take up a lot of your time? They come in, spend a little money and then complain, complain, complain. It’s frustrating. As a pharmacist you feel obligated to take care of them, don’t you? As a business owner, that is the worst thing you can do. News flash, it is not your responsibility to take care of every person who walks in the door. If you can’t keep your pharmacy open, someone else will be taking care of these patients. With that in mind, let’s look at things from a different perspective.

How much is your time worth? Take your salary and divide it by the number of hours you work. What is your hourly rate? Now, take a look at how much money that patient spends in your pharmacy? How much extra time do you spend with them? Are there other things you could be doing instead of talking to them? Are they really worth keeping around?

Sure, I know you want business. Who doesn’t? However it is vital that you understand that you are losing money on this patient. Keeping them as a customer is a poor business decision. It is time to “FIRE” this client and every client just like them. Trust me, you will feel liberated when you do so.

There is a chain not far away from you who is always looking for new customers. Why not send the customers you are losing money on to the chain and concentrate on bringing more ideal customers into your store.

You need to understand that increasing the number of customers is not your top priority. Your goal is to have the ideal patient (you defined in our last blog post) come in to your pharmacy and spend a significant amount of money on a consistent basis. Isn’t that what you really need? So, why are you hanging onto the wrong customers?

We challenge you to fire your bad patients. The next time they complain say something like, “I am so sorry we can’t help you. Have you tried ________ chain pharmacy down the street? I think they will be a better fit for your needs.”

Once you fire your first one, come back to this blog post and let us know how it went. If you need help or advice on this topic call (800)603-2519. We will be happy to offer you one free session for being a faithful reader to the Keep Your Pharmacy Open blog.