Evaluating Customer Satisfaction with Pharmaceutical Counseling Services using the Kano-Model Approach

Abstract

Liudmila A. Lobuteva, Alina D. Yermolaeva, Alisa V. Lobuteva, Oksana V. Zakharova, Oxana V. Kartashova

In the world today, the ability of pharmacy technicians to communicate effectively with customers is a prerequisite for running an effective business in the field of pharmacy. This study applied the Kano method to evaluate customer satisfaction with information from pharmacy technicians and suggested ways to improve effectiveness of counseling practice. The study was carried out by using a Kano model with discrete and continuous approaches towards the analysis of study results. A specially designed cross-sectional questionnaire was applied in the central region of Russia (2019). A representative sample of drug consumers involved in this study included 508 individuals (95% confidence level and ± 5% margin of error). Satisfaction indicators are presented as coordinates on the three following scales: functional scale (-1.32 to 2.86), dysfunctional scale (-1.42 to 3.51), and importance scale (1.61 to 5.67). Information that is relevant to customers (received more than 50% positive feedback) was classified into four Kano categories. The Performance category included the most needed and relevant information items such as characteristics of a pharmaceutical product under request and the possibility of purchasing an alternative to it. These two information items were linked to a high level of customer satisfaction (2.50 and 2.81, respectively). The Attractive information item that was deemed contributive to customer satisfaction was about the within-the-same-price-range alternative medicines. Kano matrix of customer satisfaction with counseling information was built and a set of parameters needed to ensure an effective pharmacy technician-customer conversation was identified.