Numark has launched a mystery shopping service which will use real patients and form the next level of the group’s training programme for counter staff.The quarterly mystery shops, called Counter Excellence in Practice, are available for £150 per year and will give members scores based on their customer service.The programme is designed to ensure member pharmacies are delivering excellence and in retail and customer service and can identify any learning requirements around advice.The reports will also assess how likely the shoppers would be to return to the pharmacy and provide suggestions on how their experience could be improved.Certificates and incentives will be offered for staff achieving high scores.Mimi Lau, director of professional and training services at Numark, said it was “more important than ever” for independent pharmacies to focus on the quality of advice given as this could differentiate them from other outlets.“The mystery shopping exercise enables our members to view their service as customers see it and identify any areas where they can provide further staff training,” she added.For more information Numark members should contact Rachel Masters on 01827 841265