Quality alone is not enough to be trustworthy

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to argue that quality alone is not enough; pharmacies need to develop a rapport with their customers and convey sincerity. Community (retail) pharmacy is an increasingly competitive industry. Service quality has been considered one of the key factors for pharmacies to differentiate and develop competitive advantage. The customers’ perception of the sincerity of the pharmacies mediates the relationship between quality and trust. Design/methodology/approach – Through consumer intercept, we collected survey data from 150 customers in a western Canadian city who had filled a prescription at the pharmacy in the previous six months. Data were analyzed using structure equation modeling. Findings – Our data revealed that while overall service quality has a positive influence on customer trust, perception of sincerity has a more immediate impact. The relationship between quality and trust was completely mediated through sincerity perception. Originality/value – Service quality has been introduced to pharmacy management and produced many good results. However, the measurement of service quality has historically emphasized on physical evidence. The element of human interaction and subjective affective perceptions has been largely ignored because it is difficult to measure, hence difficult to reward and implement. Our study highlights the importance of personal interactions in the context of pharmacy quality management.