Have you heard about the customer who drives all the way from his home in Lehigh Acres to a store in Bonita Springs just for the service he receives? Although this may sound like the beginning line to a joke, it isn’t. The Savon Pharmacy in Albertson’s grocery store located on Bonita Beach Road in Bonita Springs offers such exemplary service that it pulls customers as far as forty five minutes away for its repeat business.The satisfied customer who nominated Savon Pharmacy stated that the long drive is worth it when he gets treated like a valuable customer and is appreciated for his business. Patty Biltoft, Pharmacist of Savon Pharmacy, stated that they don’t do anything out of the ordinary in acknowledging their clientele. They like to get to know their patients and greet them by name in addition to taking the time to converse with them. Patty stated that by engaging engaging in conversation, they learn more about their patients on a personal level. It reminds me of how it must have been living in a small town long ago where the pace was slower and people knew one another by name.

How fantastic it is to see this same level of personal service exist among our current times in a growing city, such as Bonita Springs! This proves that any business, no matter its size, can evoke that personalized care to its customers, simply by making the time to talk with them. Ms. Biltoft admits that the pharmacy is slower than some of the larger chain pharmacies in the area. However, she doesn’t see this as a negative. Rather, the slower pace is what attracts many of their clientele to them because they receive quality time and don’t feel rushed. Moreover, any problems with medication or insurance are handled by the pharmacists rather than pushing it on the patient to find the answers. The pharmacists work as patient advocates assisting them in obtaining their medications. It’s operating from a perspective in which the customer’s well being is the focus and making the extra effort to deal with insurance or doctors is a customer perk that keeps them coming back.

In our busy lives, it is easy to get caught up in the “drive-through service” approach to customer care. More often than not, we focus on how to be quick with the service so that we can get to as many customers as possible. This may work for businesses geared for that type of service, as in the fast-food chains. However, in most other businesses, the focus needs to be on the quality and care given to the client in order for them to want to return. While this approach does take time by the business, it’s worth every minute when you realize a customer is willing to give up his own time for such personalized treatment.