What Pharmacists Can Learn From Disney’s Customer Service | AAP 2025
At AAP 2025, Mark Garofoli, PharmD, MBA, BCGP, CPE, CTTS, discussed how Disney’s approach to customer service can be applied in a community pharmacy setting.
When it comes to customer service, few organizations rival Disney. They have mastered the art of charging more without losing that special something which leaves guests wanting to return. While that level of satisfaction can be hard to attain in the pharmacy setting, there’s a lot pharmacists can learn from Disney, said Mark Garofoli, PharmD, MBA, BCGP, CPE, CTTS, clinical assistant professor and director of experiential learning at West Virginia University School of Pharmacy.
Pharmacy is a service profession at its core. However, unlike Mickey Mouse, pharmacists juggle controlled substances, low reimbursement, and insurance hurdles. Garofoli believes there’s value in exploring how industries like Disney manage consistent, positive customer experiences. He emphasized the importance of taking time for personalized check-ins with patients instead of just handing out satisfaction surveys, which don’t leave much room for actionable feedback.
READ MORE: Q&A: Balancing Patient Care, Compliance Amid Controlled Substance Challenges | AAP 2025
At the American Associated Pharmacies (AAP) Annual Conference, held April 10 to 12 in Austin, Texas, Drug Topics® sat down with Garofoli to discuss how Disney’s approach to customer service can be applied in a community pharmacy setting and what metrics or feedback methods can best evaluate the effectiveness of customer service initiatives.
“Disney has pretty much mastered customer service,” Garofoli said. “There's very few entities on this planet that, present self-included, can charge more for something and people will … pay it and then ask, ‘Can I do that again?’ That's not something we experience in pharmacy often, if ever. … [With] pharmacy being in service—obviously patient care is service—there's opportunities along the way. Is everything going to seamlessly fit right in? Mickey Mouse is not dealing with controlled substances either, but it certainly is different. I think that has to be appreciated right out of the gate … But there's opportunities.”
Be sure to keep up with all of our coverage from AAP 2025 here.
