Meagan O’Bryant’s attention to detail and over-the-top commitment to customer service helped her win Best Pharmacy Technician. She’s been with Meijer for 17 years—dedicating herself to the little things, remembering a patient’s name, listening, being patient, and doing everything she can to help no matter what. O’Bryant believes that kindness is contagious: “You have to smile; you’d be surprised, that smile gets you far in life.” She also believes the more she shares with her customers, the more she gets back. At the pharmacy, she tries to make every day the best day for herself and her patients.

What does your typical day look like as a pharmacy tech?

At Meijer, we’re pretty busy. I like to focus on the customer service side of the job. We do a lot of prescription volume there, but I like to focus on interacting with the customers more than doing the typical things like filling their scripts, speaking to their doctor’s offices, and so on.

Your nomination mentioned that you always look happy. How do you maintain that even on busy days?

With a smile. It’s hard to be angry at a smile! You’ve got to realize that if we’re busy, then that means somebody has to wait…and usually when somebody has to wait, they’re not too happy. So a smile goes a long way. I’ve been complimented on my smile and just the fact that I use it, I think. 

I want you to be happy when you leave my counter because that way we all have a good day.

It’s been hard the last year or so with the mask, but the customers still say they see the smile in my eyes. Just today, a man pulled into the pharmacy drive-thru with a big ol’ smile on his face, and I already had my smile on my face. He literally said, “Every time I see you, you make my day.” His face was lit up, and he was smiling ear to ear. I told him that those feelings are mutual. I live for those moments every day. I don’t have a good day if I don’t have one of those moments.

I want you to be happy when you come to my counter and I want you to be happy when you leave my counter because that way we all have a good day. It’s a win-win.

How—and why—do you go above and beyond for your customers?

By doing whatever they need, whether it’s using a coupon, calling the doctor to get them a cheaper medication, smiling at them, remembering their name. There’s a lot of small things. It’s the little things to me that matter.

People aren’t at the pharmacy because it’s the spot to be. Nine times out of 10, they’re there because they need something or something’s going on in their family. The empathy side of it is also important. 

There’s nothing like doing something for somebody else. I already have to be at the pharmacy, so why not have the best and most positive day I possibly can when I’m here? The reactions that I get from my customers, that’s what matters to me the most.

How would you say the COVID-19 pandemic has affected your pharmacy and your job?

I think people aren’t as nice, [but it’s] because of all the stress and the unknown of COVID. Like I said, the mask takes away a lot of the personal part of my job. 

You have to smile; you’d be surprised, that smile gets you far in life.

The no-contact, no handshaking, not even a hug here and there, the glass shield that they put up in between us; the customers feel the heat from that. It’s definitely been a different year for everybody. I boil it down to the unknown, because there’s nothing scarier than the unknown.

How have you and your store adapted during COVID?

We do lots of COVID vaccines and have lots of literature, lots of counseling. Meijer alone has done quite a bit: We’ve had clinics, where we’ve given thousands of shots. I’ve traveled to other Meijer stores and been out to different parts of Michigan to help with clinics. 

What makes you great at your job?

You have to be kind, empathetic, and knowledgeable. You have to smile; you’d be surprised, that smile gets you far in life. You have to be able to listen and be patient. 

I enjoy my job. I like my customers. There’s been hard times at my job, obviously, but the one thing that has kept me employed are my customers. On the hard days when you think you can’t do it anymore, I realize there’s no way I could leave my customers.