Wegmans has the best pharmacy, too
It’s pretty common for Wegmans to appear at or near the top of various studies ranking the best supermarkets in the U.S. Now, according to a nationwide study by J.D. Power, it tops the list of the nation’s best pharmacies, as well.
According to the study of nearly 14,914 consumers, Wegmans scored highest on a scale that evaluated cost, prescription ordering and non-pharmacist staff.
"Our pharmacy employees have built relationships with our customers that start with caring," said Danny Wegman, CEO of Wegmans, in a statement. "The results of this study are important because they show the extent to which our customers value those relationships and trust our people."
According to J.D. Power’s findings, pharmacy staff plays a critical role in customer satisfaction levels. Asking customers if they would like to speak with a pharmacist boosts satisfaction by 54 points on the research firm’s scale. Providing a private area for discussions between customers and pharmacists further improves customer satisfaction by 99 points.
Source: J.D.Power 2015 U.S. Pharmacy Study SM
Overall satisfaction with supermarket pharmacies improved from 843 points on a scale of 1,000 in 2014 to 851 this year. Wegmans topped the list with 887 points, followed by H-E-B at 866 and Kroger at 861.
Satisfaction with chain drug stores also improved year-over-year by two points to an average of 842. Good Neighbor Pharmacy (876) topped all chain drug pharmacies followed by Health Mart (871) and The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy (861).
Mail order pharmacies and mass merchants saw their scores decline in 2015 versus the year before. Interestingly, Target ranked highest among mass merchants with a score of 858. In June, Target announced it was getting out of the pharmacy business after signing a definitive agreement with CVS for the drug chain to take over management of pharmacies and clinics within its locations.
- Pharmacy’s Focus on Customer Satisfaction Sets the Bar for the Healthcare Industry – J.D. Power
- J.D. Power and Associates U.S. Pharmacy Study Ranks Wegmans Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Supermarket Pharmacies – Wegmans
- Wegmans Pharmacy earns No.?1 national ranking – The Buffalo News (tiered sub.)
- Will the Target/CVS pharmacy deal lead to a future merger? – RetailWire
Discussion Questions
Why do you think supermarkets, whose main focus is food, are rated higher for customer satisfaction than drugstores when it comes to pharmacy operations? What will the J.D. Power recognition do for Wegmans?
Poll
BrainTrust
This is all in the training and philosophy of Wegmans, which is why they are tops in many things. Their pharmacy has employees who must act the same as the cashiers in how they treat customers, and it is a great extension of how they do business. Professionalism in everything they do and it shows across the entire store. What is not to like?
First of all George, I’ve never had the wonderful experiences that you and apparently others have had at Wegmans. My experience (based on two stores) is that it’s a very average supermarket where I’ve encountered one nasty employee, many mostly average employees, and at least one asinine customer policy. Not knowing why they are well regarded for anything and not ever using the pharmacy, this ranking is hard to fathom.
My guess is that those willing to use supermarket pharmacies appreciate the convenience of having a prescription filled while shopping, avoiding wasted time or second trips. It may very well be that simple advantage rather than some superior service over chains.
The J.D. Power recognition will have no influence on the existing believers and little to generate new ones.
What is the brighter light in this topic is the ability for Wegmans to get the consumer to use their brick & mortar facilities as a place for one stop shopping. This is what their competitors should look into. The goal of merging store shopping experience(s) with a conterminous occurrence using 21st century technologies must be the focus in measuring success against the market conditions we now face. Shopper friendly and ease of use are the goals for the consumers we have to supply for.
A pharmacy in a supermarket is a matter of convenience. And, you can do some shopping while waiting for the prescription to be filled.
For Wegmans, I wouldn’t expect anything less than customer accolades. And the J.D. Power report confirms what everyone already knows. Wegmans is amazing. If they decided to sell cars, their customers would love them. They get the importance of delivering an amazing customer service experience.