For the third consecutive year, Guardian Pharmacy was awarded the Roy Morgan Chemist/Pharmacy of the Year title for 2014, with an overall customer satisfaction rating of 92 per cent.
Snapping at its heels was Chemmart Pharmacy, which scored just more than 91 per cent, as well as Chemist Warehouse and Soul Pattinson (both just under 91 per cent).
Considering that 10,000,000 Australians, more than half the population, made at least one purchase from a chemist/pharmacy in any given four weeks last year, these consistently high levels of satisfaction are especially noteworthy, according to Roy Morgan.
“They say you can’t please everyone all of the time, but Australian chemists come close. Our final customer satisfaction results for pharmacies/chemists last year were generally in the upper-80s and above, testament to the high standards of this tightly regulated retail category,” Angela Smith, group account Director, Roy Morgan Research, said.
While 58 per cent of total chemist customers are women, they are not always more satisfied than their male counterparts. For example, Guardian’s female customers outnumber male shoppers by two to one, but a higher proportion of men were satisfied with the service they received – 94 per cent compared to 91 per cent respectively.
“It’s intriguing to note that Guardian, whose customer base is only about one third male, satisfies this group more than its greater number of female shoppers, while Chemmart — which has a 40-60 split between men and women — has a higher satisfaction level among its larger, female customer-base,” Smith said.
Discount Drug Stores’ male customers also recorded higher satisfaction levels, with 88 per cent; than women who shopped there, 85 per cent. In contrast, Chemmart’s female customers tended to be more satisfied (93 per cent) than its male shoppers (89 per cent); so too were women who shopped at Priceline (91 per cent per cent compared to 86 per cent).
“With its strategy of low prices and warehouse-style shop fronts, Chemist Warehouse is attracting more customers than ever (with visitation growing from 2,810,000 to 4,886,000 shoppers per average four weeks between 2010 and 2014) and it appears that they are doing well – keeping them happy.
“A wide range of cosmetics, as well as skincare and haircare products, not to mention instore beauty advisors, has built Priceline’s reputation as a one-stop beauty shop. This is undoubtedly the reason for the chain’s particularly high satisfaction levels among its female shoppers. On the other hand, its sister brand Soul Pattinson has higher satisfaction among its male patrons.
“In this incredibly competitive market, it’s vital for chemists/pharmacies to know exactly who their customers are, and how to cater for their specific expectations, attitudes and preferences, or their satisfaction levels may suffer.”
