Today we’d like to introduce you to Randy Shipp.
Randy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My wife Katy and I started Red Door Pharmacy and Gifts almost three years ago. We felt that pharmacies had turned into assembly lines with little to no customer service. We decided that we wanted to do it our own way and turn back the hands of time to when people knew the customer by name and great service was the norm. By providing outstanding service we have been able to grow the business and take care of our customers in a way that the big chains cannot.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a struggle to get here for sure! Pharmacy is full of multi-billion dollar companies competing against you and trying to put you out of business every day. It is also very difficult because some of the large pharmacy chains own insurance companies and force some people to use mail order (that they own) and try to deceive others into believing that they can only use the pharmacy that is printed on the card. Insurance is well on its way of becoming a monopoly in my mind and if one company in particular is allowed to keep on purchasing insurance companies it is going to be very bad for US consumers in the future.
Our biggest challenge has been to get people to understand that their copay is almost always the exact same with us as the big chain stores. As soon as they give us a try they are blown away and never change back.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Red Door Pharmacy and Gifts – what should we know?
We are probably most known for “Guns and Drugs”. I knew that pharmacies are typically shopped by women and to get the most out of the business you need to try and have a balance of men and women customers. By selling firearms and other sporting goods it brings a lot of people in my store who most likely would not have stopped in otherwise. While they are in the store it gives us an opportunity to talk to them about all of the services we offer and potentially get a new customer.
I am most proud of the fact that we have been able to do this as a family. I work pretty much every hour we are open and you will see Katy and our two boys here almost every afternoon. Our technicians are like family to us as well and we have virtually no turnover in staff. We just keep adding people as the business grows. It feels good to know that you created something that is helping put food on the tables of other families!
We definitely set ourselves apart from other pharmacies with our level of service. For instance, with our drive-thru window, I did not want people waiting in line. I added a camera on the outside of the building and a tv screen in the pharmacy so we can see when there is a second car in line. We then go out the side door and take care of that customer so they do not have to wait. It is the little things like that which you just don’t see anymore from most businesses.
We often get asked why we decided to name the store “Red Door” Pharmacy and Gifts.
To many, a red door is just simply a color. To us, it has much more meaning than that.
– First of all, it is a sign of Welcome in the south. This comes from early American tradition where a red door symbolized to tired horse and buggy travelers that a home was a safe place to stop and rest.
– Protection – In the Old Testament, Exodus 12, God commanded the Israelites to cover their doors in the blood of the lamb. This blood would act as a symbol of their obedience to God. Some churches still paint their doors red to symbolize Jesus’ shed blood and that the area beyond the doors is sacred and holy.
– Refuge – During the civil war, “safe homes” that were part of the Underground Railroad supposedly painted their doors red to guide escaped slaves to places of refuge and safety.
– Good Luck – Chinese consider red to be a lucky color and therefore many Chinese put a fresh coat of red paint on their front doors as part of their New Year celebration.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The biggest thing that drives me is a fear of failure. My kids watched as we started this business from scratch and I work hard so that they can see the American dream is still possible. I am truly working harder so that my kids don’t see me fail (and lose the American dream) than I am to be a success to myself! Anytime you open a business you are taking a huge risk and success in the profession that I am in is definitely not guaranteed.
Fear of failure keeps me up at night and wakes me early in the morning. I work harder than pretty much anyone I know and it because at the end of the day I want to know that I truly gave it everything I had. This driving force is what makes me think outside of the box and come up with promotional ideas, unlike anything I have ever seen another pharmacy do. I study other professions and look for things that I think could work well in a pharmacy that is not currently being used.
Another huge factor in being successful is having a spouse that supports you! Katy has always been supportive of my ideas…even the crazy ones!
Contact Info:
- Address: 2488 Avondale Haslet Rd Ste 168
Haslet, TX 76052 - Website: www.reddoorrx.com
- Phone: 817-259-2636
- Email: info@reddoorrx.com
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