Kevin O'Brien Chang, managing director, explains that Fontana pharmacies are customer centred. - photos by Gladstone Taylor/Photographer
From left: Zadia Forbes, sales and marketing manager, looks on while Nicola Sirgany, consultant, explains that customers have been receptive to the change from Azmart to Fontana Pharmacy Kingston thus far.
Pat Forbes (foreground), the store's manager, and Ruthlyn Sherwood, purchasing manager, are foundation employees of the Fontana chain of pharmacies.
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Sacha Walters-Gregory, Staff ReporterFontana Pharmacy Kingston, formerly Azmart in Barbican, insists that the customer is boss.
"There's only one boss at Fontana and that's the customer. They can fire anybody by taking their business elsewhere," said Managing Director Kevin O'Brien Chang, of the chain of multi-purpose pharmacies which segued into capital city, Kingston by acquiring Azmart in February this year. Chang said this customer-centred focus was instilled by his parents and founders of the company, Bobby and Angela Chang. They have transposed the common elements of the Fontana pharmacies in Manchester, Montego Bay and Savanna-la-Mar.
"They started based on service, respect and family, that's the philosophy," said Chang who emphasised that those tenets have been transposed to their employees and ultimately the culture of the new store. They brought in key employees, who have been with the chain from the onset; Pat Forbes the store's manager and Ruthlyn Sherwood purchasing manager, came in to give the store the Fontana touch. The staff has been rounded off with other old Fontana employees as well as former Azmart employees.
"We're very happy to have been able to take most of the Azmart team and they have really been able to build an amazing foundation as it relates to customer service so we haven't had to come in and uproot much," said sales and marketing manager, Zadia Forbes, who has been with the company for two years.
"We've instituted some of our core Fontana principles like customer-service policies. We really believe that shopping should be easy, convenient and warm and friendly," said Forbes adding, "certain things like our 30-day refund policy that's an important one, makes shoppers shop in confidence. All of these things are important to us because we don't want customers to feel that it is a challenge to shop here."
Wider aisles
Customers will also notice the changes to physical aspects of the store. This includes a change of paint colour to a light green on the exterior of the building. Changes to interior lighting and structure of the aisles have made the space brighter and more spacious.
"It took a little while to streamline the store so once you came upstairs you could look from side and have a visual understanding of everything we have upstairs," said Forbes further explaining that they have expanded the offerings in some sections to include cosmetics, art and crafts, baking accessories, home accessories, and party items.
Free make-over
"We really developed some of the other areas such as personal care/cosmetics, that's really big for us in our other locations. We are currently revamping the entire cosmetics section. We've hired a professional make-up artiste who will do a free make-over; she helps you choose products. We very regularly have make-up artistes coming in, so we continue to do what we did at the other stores," said Forbes.
"Remember we're big on family so our toy/baby section has been expanded. So, we carry a lot of the educational lines like Leap Frog and Lego that are not as easy to find locally; we have a full line,"she said.
But they are a pharmacy first said Chang, and that is key.
"We're a pharmacy first so if you come here you should be able to get whatever drug, once it is in the island."
Store manager Pat Forbes said customers have been very receptive to the changes so far.
"What I've definitely found out is that Kingstonians like to shop especially when we get new things, because every week we have new items. They say, 'I like what I see and the prices are good, they're cheaper'," she said emphasising that Fontana prides itself on its unique purchasing choices.
The store will be hosting a grand opening on June 29 to allow customers to see the changes to the store and of course, shop. "We'll have a number of activities geared towards making the customer feel special on that day. We're very child friendly so you'll have children having their faces painted, balloon artistes and so on," said Forbes.
Chang revealed that Fontana's secret to success is how they treat customers through initiatives like customer rewards card. He promises that they will continue to cater to the customer in all aspects of their business.
"One rule my father always taught me: all customers are to be treated with respect," said Chang.
