What is a complaint?
Expression of dissatisfaction either written or spoken w/ particular aspect of dental practice
10 stages to complaints handling
- Training
- Identifying
- Accepting
- Obtaining Views of all parties
- Investigating fully
- Resolving dissatisfaction
- Responding sympathetically
- Following-up
- Learning
- Communicating
How to identify complaints?
Be proactive
- comment cards
- surveys
- identify body language
- encourage pt to tell you before telling someone else
Discuss acceptance of complaints
Handler must coordinate acceptance, investigation and response
Must acknowledge quickly, inform pt when might expect formal response
- avoid over promising + under delivering
More likely to respond favourably if know complaint accepted + being dealt w/
Discuss obtaining views of all parties and investigating complaint
Step 4: obtaining views
- handler must identify all parties involved to avoid confusion
- avoid generating instant response on behalf of someone else
Step 5: investigating
- don’t provide detailed response before investigating + gathering facts
- any response could be read at hearing
- response post-investigation more thorough, accurate, fairer to all
Discuss resolving and how to respond to a complaint
Step 6: resolving dissatisfaction - approach depends on desired outcome — do you want to retain pt? — agree to differ? — resolve dissatisfaction?
Step 7: responding sympathetically - minor complaints may be handled 1:1 — after send short letter expressing happiness complaint resolved — sympathetic contact can inc. loyalty - written response more appropriate majority of cases — explanation — reassurance — apology — compromise OR — a way forward
Discuss following up after complaint
Hardest part: risking contact to ensure complaint is being resolved satisfactorily
May not always be appropriate
Can be extremely helpful when want to retain pt confidence
Demonstrates care + consideration
Discuss learning from complaints
All complaints teach something Risk management for future complaints - how complaint arose - what steps could have prevented complaint in 1st place - was complaint handled effectively - practice/pt achieve desired outcome
