How a Port Harcourt pharmacy cut missed calls by 80% with Maraba

The situation

Northgate Pharmacy in Port Harcourt runs a busy dispensing counter serving a mixed Igbo and English-speaking customer base. The two staff behind the counter were responsible for both serving walk-in customers and answering the phone — simultaneously.

During peak hours (morning rush and the 12–2pm lunch window), calls piled up. Customers would call to ask whether a medication was in stock, confirm pricing, or check opening hours on public holidays. Simple questions — but questions that required a staff member to stop what they were doing, find the phone, and answer.

"At least six out of every ten calls during lunch hour went unanswered," the owner told us. "I know because I could hear the phone ringing and watch my staff not be able to get to it. Those callers were going elsewhere."

The specific problem: language

A secondary challenge was language. The pharmacy's customer base includes a significant proportion of older Igbo-speaking customers who are more comfortable speaking in Igbo than English. Previous attempts to use a basic IVR system had failed because the system only worked in English — and the customers it was intended to serve simply hung up when they couldn't understand the prompts.

Any solution had to handle Igbo. Not just detect it — handle it. Full conversations, in the caller's language.

Setting up Maraba

The pharmacy owner set up Maraba over a single afternoon. The knowledge base covered:

• Stock availability for the 40 most commonly requested medications (updated weekly)
• Pricing ranges and how to confirm exact pricing for specific brands
• Opening hours, including Saturday and public holiday schedules
• The pharmacy's location in detail (which junction, which building — the level of direction Nigerian callers actually need)
• The escalation rule: any caller asking about a prescription that requires a pharmacist's judgement gets transferred to the pharmacist's direct line

Languages enabled: Igbo, English, Yoruba. Maraba detects automatically — no menu, no "press 1 for English".

What changed

Within the first week, the pattern shifted. Repeat enquiry calls — stock checks, opening hours, directions — were handled by Maraba. Staff answered the calls that actually needed them: complex prescription queries, customer complaints, supplier calls.

The WhatsApp summary feature became an unexpected favourite. After every call, the owner receives a brief note: what the caller asked, what Maraba said, whether the call resolved or needs follow-up. "I read them at the end of the day. It's like having a call log that's already been sorted."

After-hours calls — previously lost entirely — are now handled by Maraba and flagged for morning review. Several of these have converted to same-day sales when the pharmacy opens.

The result

Six months in, missed calls during peak hours have dropped from roughly 60% to under 10%. Staff describe the main change as a reduction in context-switching: they're no longer mentally juggling "serve this customer, also answer that phone, also check that stock." The phone is handled. They handle the counter.

The owner's summary: "The thing that surprised me was how natural it sounded in Igbo. My customers don't know they're talking to an AI. They think I hired someone."