5/2 Reflection

The difference between my current knowledge about pharmacy, business techniques, and customer service and the knowledge I had at the beginning of my mentorship is substantial. I have not only learned about the listed concepts, but so much more. I have learned the importance of being punctual. Each employee plays a very important role in the daily success of a business, and if they do not make it to their job on time, it delays the business’ functions for that day. My mentorship has also taught me how important good customer service is to a company. It is the key to keeping consistent customers. I pushed to learn as much as possible in the short amount of time I had at the pharmacy each morning. When I wasn’t completing a task, I was watching how my coworkers did their jobs and how they interacted with customers.

This is the logo of the Johnson’s pharmacy, the location of my mentorship. https://www.johnsonsrx.com

My mentorship has taught me what running a business is like, so I can be prepared for work in the future. Working at the pharmacy has taught me hundreds of possible difficulties you may run into and how to deal with them. I will be prepared in my future careers for anything I might come across, such as difficult customers, difficult deadlines, and making the most out of a work day. My mentorship has also taught me more about the field of pharmacy. When I began this program, my heart was set on becoming a pharmacist; I liked everything about it. However, my mentorship has made me realize that pharmacy is not the right career for me. I still find pharmacy interesting, but I realize now that I do not have a passion for it.

This is a photo of a pharmacist filling a prescription, something I did almost every day at my mentorship. http://www.excite.com/education/online-education/pharmacy-technician-degree

If I could give future HMP students any advice, I would tell them to make the most out of every minute they have at their mentorships. If the students believe they want to work in a certain career field, they will never know for certain unless they experience what it is truly like working in that area. By getting hands-on experience, the students can see if their passion is where they think it is. However, they can only get a full experience if they push themselves as much as possible every day they are at their mentorships. Also, they should not be afraid to ask their mentors questions about anything. By asking them questions, they can further develop their knowledge about their mentorship while showing their mentor that they truly want to learn.

3/14 Assignment- Presentation Video Reflection

This video about public speaking gave a very good insight on how to be well prepared and comfortable during a speech. I will use all of these tips in my presentation to a relevant group. I will make sure to be prepared by practicing my speech until I know it back and forth. The video stressed that it’s not only important for you to be comfortable, but also your audience. In doing so I’ll stand relaxed and at ease in front of the class. By presenting myself in a calm way, the audience will also become more at ease. Following the simple steps the video provides will ensure the success of my speech.

2/1 Assignment- Capstone Project Work

Recently, I have been working on several different things to add to my final project. I have planned another interview with my boss about customer service, and I am deciding how to present the information. I have continued to develop my research on customer service techniques. I have found several bad and good personal experiences from customers and what aspects formed their opinions on companies. I am working on determining what my visual presentation will be. It may be a prezi, handout, or even a video. I have also been working on how to present each part of my final project in regard of the audience, time, and visual aspects.

1/19 Assignment-

 

Source #____ Bibliography (MLA or APA) 10 pts	Evey, Kristina. “How to Handle Upset Customers with Empathy.” CSM, 2016
Annotation: (Describe ALL info. that might be important for your paper. Explain to the reader and/or summarize what might be found in this source) 35 pts	This article explains a very important aspect of customer service: empathizing with the customer’s complaints. It describes how shifting the way a business handles complaints can positively affect the business overall.
Potential Quotes: (Are there any significant quotes you can use or paraphrase from this source?) 15 pts	“A problem or issue does not define the staff or the company. How the company handles the issue does define them.” (2nd pp) “By putting the customer’s best interest first and resolving it to their benefit, you will exceed their expectations, delight them, and earn their continued loyalty.” (8th pp)
Assessment: (Analyze and explain why this source is credible) 15 pts	This article comes from a website that is completely focused on customer service. It comes from the website CSM (Customer Service Manager), which is “the leading resource for Customer Service Managers and professionals.”
Reflection: (How will you potentially use it?) 25 pts	I will use the information in this article to further my understanding on how to develop the best customer service possible. This gave me a very good insight on how simply showing the customer that the employees care about their opinions and well being can truly make a huge difference in their satisfaction.

1/11 Assignment- The Interview

Since my project is about customer service, I decided to interview my mother, Bridget, who has been working in customer service for years.

1. How long have you been working with and developing your customer service skills?

-I have worked as a customer service trainer and manager for more than 20 years with several different companies.

2. What is the most important part of customer service in your opinion?

-Customer satisfaction. No matter what happens in any situation you must compromise so the customer walks away happy.

3. How would you describe “perfect customer service”?

-Through experiences of giving and recieving, perfect customer service is when both the customer and the company are happy, and when a good relationship is established between the two. You have to be sensitive to the customer’s needs and knowing what your company expects from you. Every customer’s problem is different, so you must know how to handle each situation properly.

4. How do you deal with angry customers? Yelling customers?

-It’s difficult dealing with these customers because their anger upsets you, especially if you think they are wrong. It’s important to stay calm; focus on finding a peaceful resolution and taking motion out of the situation. Use the facts. If you can’t handle the situation yourself, ask a superior for help. If a yelling customer sees that you are acting reasonably, they will stop yelling. Never tell a customer to calm down.

5. What do you do if a customer is clearly upset?

-Offer them a more private location, if there is one. Try to resolve it the same way you would as a yelling customer, but with more empathy. Let them tell you the problem, but if they don’t want to tell you, don’t push them to.

6. What are some things in customer service you’d like to improve with yourself?

-Patience with difficult customers. I sometimes have to force back aggravation, so I’d like to develop involuntary patience.

7. What is the biggest struggle you have in dealing with customers? How do you deal with it?

-I have had a hard time with customers who are dishonest and don’t have a real problem, but are just trying to take advantage of the company. To deal with these customers, I have to hide my aggravation and fake it with the customer in order to do what’s best for the company.

1/5 Assignment- My Upcoming Project

My essential question that is guiding my research for my upcoming project is about putting together different aspects of a work place to create the best possible experience for the customers. What are the aspects of perfect customer service? Every time I go into any type of organization, whether it be a store, restaurant, or doctor’s office, my opinion is formed based on the treatment of guests. Therefore, customer service is extremely important to make sure the client leaves with a smile on his face. I want to fabricate the perfect customer service by researching and combining the most successful techniques.

I will also create an illustrated story to help my readers visualize the results of my research. Within the story I will exhibit the benefits and disadvantages of each technique of customer service. To help people further understand the results, I will provide a survey from my friends and family on how they would react to different customer service techniques.

12/7 Assignment-My Mentorship Experience

When I began my internship, I had various expectations and assumptions about what I would experience. Many things I expected to do, I do every day at the pharmacy, such as sorting and putting away medications and giving clients refills. However, I was very surprised when I learned how much more complex pharmacy is than I expected. Each medication is very unique, and each order must have the exact amount of the correct medication. Drugs can be extremely dangerous if misused, so it is very important for each prescription to be filled correctly at the correct time. I was also surprised by how fast the pharmacy techs have learned to fill and check prescriptions.

To be a pharmacist or to work in pharmacy in general, I have learned that it is necessary to be a fast learner, work well with other people, and know how to be productive. While working in a pharmacy, you interact with dozens of people each hour. You must be prepared to deal with any type of person that might come in. Each day you have a lot of tasks to complete, which is why you must constantly be productive and completing tasks the fastest way possible.

11/30 Assignment-My Essential Question

The essential question that I chose is: “How can I, a young adult in the work place, administer principal efforts to create the best experience for my clients or customers?”

In my opinion, this question is very important for every new and old employee to understand the answer to. When your customers are treated well and feel happy, it makes your job easier and more enjoyable. Discovering the perfect way to answer this question excites me because the answer will help me improve the way I work and deal with customers. It will not only make the customers happier, but also make my life easier. After I gain this new knowledge, I can also share it with my coworkers to help them too. I think this question will really help me learn more about customer service and how to do my job as efficiently as possible to make a magical experience for the guests.

11/16 Assignment- Article Review

http://growingleaders.com/blog/first-soft-skill-develop-students/

In the article “The First Soft Skill to Develop in Students,” Tim Elmore describes the problems recently graduated young adults are faced with when coming into an interview or a workplace for the first time. In today’s society, a large portion of the youth lacks basic respect and job etiquette. This prevents other people in the workplace from respecting them and taking them seriously. Young people must start their job or interview acting professional, friendly, and respectful. A first impression is what creates lasting opinions about a person, all based on his speech and body language.

Social intelligence is portrayed as “‘the capacity to effectively negotiate complex social relationships and environments.'” Developing strong, well grounded relationships is critically important for any job. It is much easier for humans to interact if they are calm, organized, and understanding. A young adult with social intelligence simply makes a much better employee and coworker than one without it. The tone you use when you say something also makes a big difference. People that lack social intelligence might demand something using an aggressive tone and without saying “please.” Someone with social intelligence would kindly ask for what they needed, using a soft and respectful tone.

This article made me aware of just how important it is to have respect and concern for everyone in order to have developed, stable relationships. Those relationships will make your work experience much more enjoyable and relaxed, and it all starts with a good first impression

11/9 Assignment- My Experiences

Over the past month, I have learned and done many things through my internship at the pharmacy. To begin the day, the pharmacy receives an order of medications that they are low in, which we label with stickers. Those medicines are then put away in the correct place on the shelves, which are organized alphabetically. I have also learned how to check, by using a program on the computer, if a client is due for a refill. I learned the whole process of filling a prescription as well as completing a refill. My mentors have helped me through each process, and tested my abilities.

Taking the honors chemistry class at my high school surprisingly helped prepare me for learning about pharmacy. Many medications in pharmacy are combinations of drugs, which was something we learned about in the chemistry course. These chemical combinations are very important to know because they determine the effect the medication will have on the body.