Think about some of the companies and products you admire most. Now think of the companies and products you love. I don’t mean cases where you just use the products or like the products, I mean you love them. Got it? Now then…
Question one: what is it that you love about the companies or products you listed?
Question two:were there any healthcare or pharma products on that list?
I’d almost guarantee the answer to question two is no.
How come? I guessing the answer to question one could tell you that. The reason I’ve seen for why people really love a company or product is because of something beyond the product. It’s all the added benefits and the emotional connections people make. One of the most critical added benefits comes from customer service. Customer service can be the difference between a reviled product and one that’s truly loved. You can spot these truly loved companies and products because they are the ones with intensely loyal customers and sustainable success. Can you name a single pharma product that fits that description? I can’t. And this, despite that fact that pharma products are often the difference between life and death for many people. You’d think that would create loyalty. You’d think that would cause someone to speak up at a cocktail party where the pharma companies are the focus of everyone’s anger. But it doesn’t.
Why?
Consider this from a recent Manhattan Research study, “More than three-quarters of ePharma Consumers report that they “expect” online customer service from a pharmaceutical company.” EPharma Consumers are “those who use the Internet to research prescription drug information. In past five years alone this group has tripled to about 95 million U.S. adults.”
75% expect online customer service. Why? In my opinion the answer is simple. I wrote about this a bit in my post about DFC (Direct from Consumer) marketing. People expect pharma companies to have online customer service because everything else they buy or research online has it. Whether they are buying shoes, computers, or golf clubs, someone is available to provide immediate customer service. This isn’t just customer service to help with a return or handle complaints. This is customer service to provide recommendations, to help find the right product, and, if necessary, direct you somewhere else if the company doesn’t have what you need.
So, do any healthcare companies do this? Some try at least. For example, GSK has their “GSK Response Center” and many other companies provide an “800″ number you can call to speak with someone as well. In my experience, these call centers exist more to deal with side effect issues versus providing real service. They are staffed with medical folks, sometimes nurses or PharmDs. They aren’t staffed with genuine customer service experts. Moreover, most companies probably don’t want you to call. Dealing with your side effect report is a pain, so it’s a bit difficult to find where to call in most cases.
Consider the GSK Response Center. A link is included on almost every product website, but finding it is a bit of a scavenger hunt.
There it is. All the way at the bottom in that little icon. Incidentally, the page “fold” falls right above the fair balance, so many people probably don’t know there’s anything down there. Contrast this with Zappos’ landing page.
Find how to contact them? Pretty simple. And, oh yes, you can chat live and don’t need to call.
So, we know that people are expecting there to be online customer service. Number one, if you don’t have it yet, you’d better figure out how to get it. Number two, if you do have it, make it easy for people to find. Number three, and most challenging, make it meaningful. It can’t be just about your drug. It needs to help in other ways too.
What I (and others at our company) do everyday is simple. I take the best of what’s being done in emarketing in every industry and figure out how it applies to healthcare and pharma. It sounds simple because it is. All it takes is a willingness to accept that innovation often comes from places far, far away from your industry. This begs the question: how come I can get better customer service from the company that sells me flip flops than the company that sell me my breast cancer drug? Before you answer, you should know that there isn’t a defensible answer.
Providing meaningful customer service, whether online or off, means adding value beyond your product. That’s why Progressive gives you quotes from other insurance companies or why Zappos (yes, them again) will help you find what you’re looking for if they don’t carry it. Seriously. Try it for yourself. Is your customer service group prepared or willing to do this? Are they standing by ready to talk people OUT of using your products? If not, they’re not and you’re not ready to tackle this.
You might say that you do this already. If someone calls and asks if they should take a drug that’s clearly not indicated for them, you probably tell them that. Before you pat yourself on the back remember that you’re REQUIRED to do that. How about when someone calls and is having a hard time paying for your product, but they don’t quite qualify for your assistance program? Are you going to tell them that a less expensive generic with equivilent data is just as good? If they call after starting your hypertension drug, are you prepared to answer how many milligrams of sodium they should have in a day or what’s a good way to get started with an exercise program? If not, you’re not ready. Don’t have customer support that can’t provide the support that people are used to receiving…
…from a shoe salesman.
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