1. Expect them
Don’t commence practice and think that if you always do your best, everyone will recognise you for this and be content.
Complaints will arise. Whether they are about you, your GP colleagues, staff or your premises, they will happen.
So, try not to become too emotional about them. Analyse them dispassionately and act accordingly. Some will be frivolous, some trivial and some downright vexatious. But some will be legitimate and offer a golden opportunity for reflection.
2. Welcome them
No feedback is more honest than negative feedback, and complaints should be viewed in this light. Honest feedback offers a chance to reflect, revise and improve.
It’s worth remembering that for every complaint you receive, research indicates that nine other customers/patients/clients also want to complain but haven’t worked up the motivation to do so. This is why you don’t want to ignore legitimate ones, as addressing the issue could make a lot of people happier.
It’s worth remembering that successful companies have one thing in common: how they successfully deal with complaints.
3. Acknowledge them
In this digital age, a complaint delivered directly to a business is, in some ways, a backhanded compliment.
See it as direct communication and a chance to remedy dissatisfaction before the grievance gets into the public domain. And in these days of social media, it’s incredibly easy for that to happen. So take the time to acknowledge complaints personally and promptly.
Written follow-ups indicating the results of your investigation goes a long way to defusing ongoing acrimony. You can often mollify an unhappy customer by simply apologising and acknowledging their feedback.
Just remember that your acknowledgement should include a thank you for bringing the matter to your attention.
4. Assess them
As mentioned previously, complaints will vary in their seriousness and legitimacy.
But don’t dismiss them out of hand. Decide on their level of importance but treat each with respect and follow a rigorous procedure every time.
It’s best to be safe than sorry, as a Medical Practice’s reputation is very important.
5. Systematise them
Or more specifically, systematise your response to them.
Make sure your staff know:
- how to respond to complaints
- ask for them to be put in writing, and
- know how to relay the contents of the complaint to the person it’s directed at.
Just don’t rush to judgement.
Instead, keep a written record of the complaint, your investigation and your response to it. If the person continues to use your service, follow up with them after a period of time to check on their subsequent experience.
No need to be concerned!
Don’t be afraid of complaints, or worse, take refuge in denial.
Think of patient complaints as a chance to gain valuable insight into how your service is perceived and to re-assess your offering.
How Partnered Health helps you manage complaints
We at Partnered Health Medical Centres seek to partner with and support our community of Doctors to serve Australian patients well.
We understand that complaints will happen from time to time, which is why you can always be assured that the Partnered Health Medical Centres team is right behind you.
Our experienced professionals are here to offer guidance and training to ensure that complaints are managed effectively and ensure they improve our practices while keeping disruption to a minimum.
How do we help you with complaints?
A corporate medical centre network like Partnered Health Medical Centres can help GPs manage feedback and complaints from patients.
In addition to our team of State Managers, Practice Staff and Corporate Management, Partnered Health also employs software, such as Riskman (also known as RLDatix).
Riskman is an automated complaints log system that records all incidents and adverse outcomes. This allows staff and Doctors to track any concerns, follow them up and address them promptly.
That way, if a complaint occurs, the Partnered Health Medical Centres team are right behind you to ensure that the process is streamlined and stress-free.
