Pharmacist Ashleigh Muffet attributes Direct Chemist Outlet (DCO) Kingston’s recent Best in Business 2021 award to the staff’s approachable nature, the business’s customer focus and the support of the community.
The Kingston Village Ocean Grove store was presented with the award at a recent DCO conference for its outstanding work through the pandemic-affected year.
Mr Muffet, DCO Kingston partner and pharmacist in charge, said he and all his staff put the community first and their customers had responded.
“During the pandemic many people began shopping in the suburbs rather than in the city, and at the same time we put a lot of focus on customer service,” he said.
“So I think the pandemic drove people here initially but the level of retail service we provide kept them coming back.”
Mr Muffet said the tight-knit nature of his staff was a major factor in the quality of service the store offers.
“Through the pandemic we didn’t cut any staff, we kept everyone on the same roster and we kept our doors open for the same hours,” he said.
“We go out for dinners together and all treat each other as regular folk, it works really well. Richard Branson says keep your staff happy and the customers will be happy, and I think we’re doing that here.”
The Kingston store also features a modern layout, with wider aisles and lower shelf heights, which allows staff to assist customers more easily.
“The layout was a real positive through the pandemic too, with wider aisles people could feel a bit more secure with keeping distance, that they weren’t going to pick up an infection,” he said.
Mr Muffet thanked the Ocean Grove community for their support through the pandemic.
“We appreciate their custom and we do our best to help them out, so thanks very much.”
