Customer Connections at Heart of Rogers Pharmacy Success

by Shannon Bond

Rex Robinson has been in the pharmacy business since 1978. As a child, his father would dress him in a suit and tie and let him tag along on pharmaceutical sales outings. When the counselor came around in high school with the job survey, Rex checked the box next to “pharmacy” and hasn’t regretted it for a single day. It’s his calling, so it is no surprise that he prioritizes personal service and customer well-being.

Sitting at the front desk at Rogers Pharmacy in St. Joseph, Missouri, Robinson explains his customer philosophy. “Sometimes people are hesitant to look over the pharmacy counter and ask something, but at this level, at the front desk, I’m approachable.” Walking into Rogers Pharmacy doesn’t feel like any other pharmacy. You are greeted by someone genuinely interested in your well-being. Usually, Robinson explains, it’s an infinitely qualified pharmacy technician who is an expert on Medicare D. She helps folks find the right medical plan, and she helps people who want to transfer in. “She’s as nice as you could ever imagine,” he says. And that type of care and customer service, he explains, is why Roger’s has seen incredible growth over the years. It’s a far cry from the automated teller machines and point-of-purchase merchandise crammed into every corner, designed to trigger impulse buying, that greets customers at most big chain stores.

Stepping beyond the front desk at Rogers, customers are met by open space and a vast selection of merchandise people need. Pharmacy techs, pharmacists, and clerks stand ready in different areas, offering services such as home health, diabetic shoes, equipment, and prescriptions. They seem happy to speak with customers and, most importantly, decipher any medical paperwork. Medications, insurance, and pricing can be confusing. And it’s rare to find a pharmacy that helps you save money without simply assuming that your co-pay is the best option. Sometimes, Robinson says, there are more affordable options. “Connect with people and don’t talk over people’s heads with drug and insurance information.”

His philosophy of care has grown over the years. After pharmacy school he worked at a hospital for a couple of years, moved on to retail pharmaceutical sales, and then started his own pharmacy. As he tells it, that part of the story has a simple plot. He ran his store, started a family, had kids, reached a burnout phase, and sold in the 1990s when big corporate pharmacies were buying up local operations. And while that sounds like the tale’s end, it was just the beginning of the Rogers expansion story.

After he sold his first pharmacy, he went to work in one of the corporate stores but couldn’t stomach the big corporate culture. He didn’t like how people were treated or the in-house promotion politics. He explains that you won’t find him in a lab coat any time soon. To him, it felt like he was selling ice cream. But the big chain management was obsessed with that clinical perception. He was more focused on the customers. But luckily, as his discontent grew, Mel Rogers came along and offered him a position at Rogers Pharmacy, which had been in business since 1967. At first, he was happy to return to the local pharmacy world, but he quickly realized it wasn’t quite what he wanted either. Then Mel asked him to run the store. He hesitated. Hadn’t he been happy to sell his own pharmacy and move on? But, deep down, he knew the only way he would be happy was to do things his way, a simple sentiment that drives millions of successful business owners across the country.

“This might sound egotistical, but it’s really the only thing I’m good at,” he explains. Robinson is anything but egotistical as he sits at the front desk, looking over the Rogers operation with a twinkle in his eye. He talks about the hard work everyone puts in, how much they care, and how, as a result, they’ve grown from seven to 75 employees. For decades Rogers was nestled in a building on Frederick Ave. Three years ago, their growth was too much for the old building to handle, though, even after they knocked a wall out and spilled into the space next store. Since then, they’ve expanded services, too.

Rogers Pharmacy offers 340 B pricing, which he stresses is a big deal for those who need it. They also offer special packaging for folks who need to organize their meds, med sync, a way for people to automate their monthly pick-up, and a full line of medical equipment through their home health services. “We’ll deliver your lift chair, set it up, and teach you how to use it.” They offer other home health services such as oxygen, beds, wheelchairs, walkers, and bathroom aids. “We’ll install it all.” Additionally, Robinson says, they offer diabetic education, nicotine cessation, and even compounding. “We make medicine from scratch, whether it’s a topical thing or an antibiotic that isn’t available. We do quite a bit of compounding for veterinary and human.” Yes, they even make medicine for their furry, feathery, or four-legged customers. “We can flavor medication, too. If a child doesn’t like the taste, but they like bubble gum or raspberry, we have a formulation where we can add flavor.” The new Rogers store even has a room to produce sterile medication, and they have a division dedicated to providing medication to only nursing homes and groups.

“We also go out and talk to school kids about the pharmacy field. We try to get involved in the community.” Robinson is an advocate for all things local. Rogers even hosts a health fair for the public at the store. They invite about 30 vendors to set up booths. “Customers will get some swag and learn about services other outfits offer in the area. And in October, we have our customer appreciation day, where everybody comes in and gets a goody bag. We put up tents in the parking lot, cook hot dogs, buy sandwich trays, feed everybody, and I basically schmooze all day. It’s the one day I wear a tie. People love it; it’s a big thing.” It’s all part of the focus on local that the big chain stores don’t offer. As a matter of fact, he points out, they are offering more services than just about any other pharmacy.

But running a pharmacy takes a lot of people and never-ending effort. To survive, stores must fill hundreds of thousands of prescriptions yearly and offer services. “Profit from prescriptions is very small; pharmacies only make a few dollars at most,” he explains. It’s a balance between volume and customer service. And to do it well, he believes, the right people must be in the right place, and to find the right people, Rogers has to take care of them. They offer 401k, medical benefits, and help employees with education. And, he stresses, they haven’t dropped their salaries as most pharmacies have in recent years due to more job seekers in the field. “I have eight pharmacists and 22 two techs, and hopefully, we allow them to practice the profession they trained for and love. That’s what I always ask a new hire, ‘Do you like what you do?’ because I don’t want somebody just going through the motions, working for a paycheck.” When somebody shows up for the paycheck, the customer feels it, he says. And that’s not the philosophy that has fueled their growth and, most importantly, helped create so many satisfied customers.