The most rewarding paycheck

By Hana Chehade

Source: Living City

How putting customers’ needs first can change a workplace

If I had to give my own definition of unity, I would say it means to make a particular situation or environment friendly and welcoming to everyone, demonstrating a boundless, selfless love for each person and highlighting the good in others. I do my best to try and bring this idea of unity into my workplace every day.

I work with my parents in their Economy of Communion (EoC)  pharmacy. EoC businesses strive to promote an economic culture imprinted with communion, gratuitousness and reciprocity. My parents remind me often that my biggest and most important job is to highlight the dignity of every customer and employee, and together with them, help create a loving and accepting environment for all.

After attending a special EoC congress in Mexico in August with my father, we developed an even better understanding of each person’s needs and a clearer mindset on how to reach our pharmacy’s goal.

Naturally, I find this task difficult every now and then, like when a coworker is thoughtlessly rude to a customer, or when I encounter unhappy or unfair customers. Every once in a while we’ll have a customer who complains about the price of his or her medications, or comes in angry because they believe our service is sub-par.

The easiest way for me to deal with these types of customers would be to simply tell them they’re wrong and that there’s nothing I can do about it. But going back to my definition of unity, and our pharmacy’s goal of this ideal environment, I find it much more rewarding to spend my time finding a reasonable solution and, if there isn’t one, listening to the customer’s needs, putting myself in their place and understanding their pain.

Practicing this form of customer service not only makes for happy customers, but for a beautiful overall work environment as well. Whenever I put this idea of unity in my mind and into practice, I can’t help but feel overjoyed seeing everyone getting along and collectively providing exceptional service to others.

After all, seeing our customers leave with a smile, feeling loved, is the most rewarding paycheck!                    

Hana works at Playa Pharmacy in Los Angeles.

For more information about the EoC: edc-online.org/en