Factors affecti̇ng customer loyalty i̇n pharmaci̇es: Sample of Gazi̇antep

Customer satisfaction and loyalty are the leading strategies of the enterprises, the main actors of huge economic activities of today, which are developed in order to protect and expand their market shares under intensive competition pressure. Performance assessment criteria of commercial enterprises are also shaped based on customer satisfaction and loyalty. It is understood from today's real economic approaches that these concepts will maintain their positions and importance in the future and they will shape the product and service policies of the companies. In this study; first of all, literature review was made and concepts were analyzed in detail, studies regarding customers or patients in health sector and articles which may be sources about the issue were brought together. Concepts about the occupation of pharmacy were outlined; the concepts of service and service quality were touched upon because of the fact that there is a service presentation in the pharmacies as well as concrete products. These issues were taken into consideration in the analyses. This study is composed of three chapters. In the first chapter, descriptions of the concepts regarding customer satisfaction were mentioned in accordance with the literature. In the second chapter, descriptions of service, service quality, health service and pharmacy were briefed and in the last chapter, a case study was provided regarding the customer loyalty process in pharmacies. In this study; customer expectations from pharmacies, a typical example of small scaled enterprises, were analyzed in addition to trust and service quality within the scope of factors affecting customer satisfaction during customer loyalty process. In this framework; perceptions and attitudes, satisfaction levels and finally customer satisfaction of the customers towards pharmacies were tried to be determined; concrete proposals were tried to be reached from the study data in accordance with the literature. Keywords: Customer loyalty in pharmacies, customer satisfaction, patient loyalty