Known for pushing boundaries, Southside Chempro now turns over $10 million annually, with Smart Health for Pharmacies helping to enable its growth and reach into rural communities.
Under Kyle Wood’s leadership, the Lismore-based pharmacy has expanded far beyond its original footprint. Today, it caters to aged care facilities, offers hundreds of hire items for rehabilitation and mobility, and runs food delivery services to remote towns. This commitment to innovation has made Southside Chempro a trusted partner for customers who need more than just prescriptions.
The burden of accepting payment over the phone (MOTO)
Southside Chempro serves communities within a two-hour drive and ships items nationwide. Kyle says it sends up to 100 parcels daily via post and its delivery vans.
Supporting a large widespread rural community and customers across the country meant finding innovative ways to accept payments from remote customers, creating simple and accessible digital solutions for those unable to visit in person. Previously, patients would pay by phone, tying up the chemist’s nine phone lines. “We had a mini call centre with nine staff on phones instead of meeting community needs,” Kyle says. “It meant longer wait times and frustrations. We were desperate to find a more efficient solution.”
Streamlining remote payments
Kyle explored “payment platforms that could reduce phone traffic,” but none had the point-of-sale integration he was looking for Chempro Group suggested that Kyle may want to look into CommBank Smart Health for Pharmacies1, which lets customers pay via a secure SMS link and auto-reconciles as it is integrated with the eligible POS. “The benefits were immediately obvious,” Kyle says.
Now the business sends up to 50 payment links a day using the CommBank Smart Health for Pharmacy solution, with an average sale price of $300. “Some people in remote communities were sceptical to give credit card details over the phone. Sending a secure link and detailed invoice from a reputable place now gives them the confidence to pay,” Kyle says.
Smart Health for Pharmacies saved Lismore Chempro thousands in fees (compared to other options) and freed staff to focus on customers
For Southside Chempro, Smart Health for Pharmacy provides multiple advantages. “We have a significant number of sales, so the small cost savings per transaction add up,” Kyle says. “It has saved the business thousands of dollars per month in fees.”
It has also boosted efficiencies. “Staff are no longer on the phone and are more attentive to customers. That’s reduced wait times and improved customer satisfaction.” Additionally, POS integration has lowered human error, especially important when generating a high volume of invoices.
Equally important, is making it easier for customers to obtain what they need, particularly those who aren’t mobile enough to visit the pharmacy in person. Kyle says, "Smart Health for Pharmacies helps support more people in more locations, including new customers across Australia."
