SIRCCCS001
Interact with pharmacy customers


Application

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to deliver fundamental customer service to community pharmacy customers. It requires the ability to greet and serve customers and cover a range of customer service enquiries including routine customer problems.

This unit applies to pharmacy assistants who work under supervision, with guidance from more experienced team members, and ultimately under the supervising pharmacist. They provide routine customer service and would not be expected to respond to complex customer requests or complaints.

No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.


Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENTS

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Greet and interact with customers.

1.1.Prioritise customers over other workplace duties.

1.2.Greet customers in a polite and friendly manner within designated response times.

1.3.Communicate with customers clearly and concisely.

1.4.Question and actively listen to customer responses to determine their needs.

1.5.Identify and act on triggers for referral to a pharmacist or other pharmacy staff.

2. Respond to routine customer needs.

2.1.Direct customers to key product areas within the pharmacy.

2.2.Explain and match pharmacy products and services to customer needs.

2.3.Use tact and discretion when collecting and providing information to customers.

3. Work with others to deliver service.

3.1.Follow directions of supervisors and managers to deliver quality service.

3.2.Share information with others and contribute constructively to the team to maximise quality of service provided.

3.3.Resolve routine customer problems according to scope of own job role and organisational policy.

3.4.Refer service issues beyond scope of own job role to colleagues for action.

3.5.Provide customer feedback to supervisors or managers.

3.6.Recognise limits of own skills and knowledge in responding to customer needs and seek assistance from others.

Evidence of Performance

Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:

communicate effectively, using questioning and active listening to provide routine service to customers of diverse ages, physical wellbeing and cultural background

manage six customer interactions using the following communication methods:

face-to-face

telephone

resolve two different routine customer problems.


Evidence of Knowledge

Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:

importance of the customer within community pharmacies

principles of quality customer service and positive communication

value of customer feedback in improving service delivery

communication techniques:

open and closed questioning

active listening

verbal and non-verbal cues

voice tonality

body language

methods for conveying information clearly and concisely

professional service standards expected by community pharmacies; expected attitudes, attributes and ethics to work with customers:

discretion

patience

respect

sensitivity

tact

tolerance

community pharmacy industry and organisational:

types of internal and external customers and their varying needs

routine customer requests and needs and how to respond:

triggers for referral to pharmacist or more senior pharmacy colleagues

designated response times for acknowledging customers and their enquiry

personal presentation standards

customer service policies and procedures including those for handling routine customer service problems

typical routine customer problems that occur within community pharmacies and how to respond:

incorrect pricing of products and services

delays in providing products or services

misunderstanding of customer requests

providing incorrect products or services

requests for refunds or exchanges.


Assessment Conditions

Skills must be demonstrated in a community pharmacy customer service environment. This can be:

an industry workplace

a simulated industry environment.

Assessment must ensure use of:

telephones

community pharmacy industry policies and procedures:

customer service

resolving routine customer service problems

customers with whom the individual can interact; these can be:

paying customers in an industry workplace who are served by the individual during the assessment process; or

individuals who participate in role plays or simulated activities, set up for the purpose of assessment, in a simulated industry environment operated within a training organisation.

Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisation’s requirements for assessors, and:

have worked in the pharmacy sector for at least two years.


Foundation Skills

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.


Sectors

Community Pharmacy


Competency Field

Client and Customer Service