| Abstract: | This study investigates the factors affect customers' selection of community pharmacies in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, aiming to provide insights that can enhance service delivery and customer
satisfaction. The research focuses on key determinants such as convenience, sales promotions,
Staff’s Professionalism, customer service, and recommendations from family and friends. The
methodology includes the use of a structured questionnaire to collect quantitative data from a
sample of 206 respondents. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation
analysis, and multiple regression analysis to understand the relationships between the
independent variables (convenience, sales promotions, Staff’s Professionalism, customer service,
and recommendations) and the dependent variable (customers' selection of community
pharmacies). The findings reveal that convenience, customer service, and recommendations from
family and friends significantly influence customer choices. Convenience, including factors such
as proximity to residential areas and flexible operating hours, emerged as a crucial determinant.
High-quality customer service, characterized by staff courtesy, responsiveness, and empathy,
also plays a significant role in customer selection. Recommendations from family and friends
highlight the substantial impact of word-of-mouth in shaping customer preferences and
decisions. While sales promotions and the qualifications of pharmacists show positive
relationships with customer choices, their impacts are less pronounced. The study concludes that
community pharmacies better prioritize enhancing convenience, improving customer service,
and leveraging positive word-of-mouth recommendations to attract and retain customers. These
strategies are essential for building a competitive edge in the market. The insights from this
study are valuable for pharmacy owners, and healthcare practitioners aiming to improve service
delivery and customer satisfaction in community pharmacies. Additionally, the study suggests
that future research could explore the impact of digital and online pharmacy services, the role of
demographic factors such as age and income, and the influence of healthcare policy changes on
customer preferences. |
