Customer service?

Today I had a brief talk with my preceptor and it really made me wonder whether I am in the correct job. I understand that I cannot run away from customer service but in my most honest opinion, as a pharmacist (to-be), my role as a healthcare professional (and yeah, that's a PROFESSIONAL in CAPS!) should come first. I have seen how other healthcare professionals (i.e doctors and nurses) do their jobs and I have to admit that they admire them. I believe they are also expected to put up a good customer service but they do not neglect their main responsibilities. I guess that's why people respect them as professionals.. Unlike how they regard us just like some customer service officers, which is dumb to me!

I worked as an usher before and I would regard that as the lowest kind of customer service work. However, I feel that the ushers had more dignity with regards to our responsibility. Just like in pharmacy, we have our own rules and regulations to adhere too. Just like how we cannot dispense medicines without prescription, we also cannot let people enter the halls without tickets. We have to look out for forbidden items just like how we have to look out for drug-related-problems. But as an usher, I feel more dignified. The superiors empower us to do necessary things to do what I am supposed to do. Worrying about getting complaints from nasty customer comes last. The most important things are to do the things right, the event runs smoothly, and safety is ensured. Unfortunately, I do not have such "priviledges" as a pharmacist. It seems that even the people "up there" in the organisation believe that patients come first bullshit kind of mentality.

There are some things I do not agree. For example, I do not see the necessity of "help" people request for medicines to the doctors to be included in the prescription. I mean they just saw the doctors a few minutes ago so they should remember about asking! For those who requested but the doctors forgot to include, I will be more than happy to help them. But for those who "conveniently forget", why should I help? But that's my ego. Based on the professional judgement, I do not understand why I am expected to be so anal when it comes to my own P-medicines but then when people request for these same medicines through prescription I am expected to open the floodgates and just "give them away" through the doctors? This is absurd!! And lastly it is from the public point of view. What will they regard us as? I don't think they regard us as part of healthcare team in the first place! With these "helpful" things we do, they just regard us as no more than customer service people. And the great reward is when they come to buy P-medicines, they will scold us for being naggy "Why is it so difficult to buy from you! I might as well ask YOU to call the doctor for me to prescribe and that is so much simpler and cheaper to get medicine. Bonus no need to hear your nags and questions too".

At the present state of things, I do not believe this profession will move forward. I believe that "being proud"  alone, as what some people believe, will not help to make people appreciate our role. That's why all the professional image a.k.a tie+lab coats are extremely bullshit. Those things don't make us regarded as professionals. Doctors don't wear such things and people still respect them! Nurses where uniform and people respect them! But well, things won't change when even people in profession do not believe that in the first place we need to do our job in a DIGNIFIED way. If we do not even respect ourselves and expect us just to be customer service, then don't complain when people treat us just like some shopkeepers or telcos worker.

For me personally, I will stick to my own ideals. If you are nice to me, I will flash you with my killer smile and my best customer service. But if you give me shit, I will throw it back at you and I will also add in my shit to you :D Oh and when you speak to me in mandarin, that straight away puts you in the "give me shit" category