What Is a Complaint
A complaint is an expression of annoyance, displeasure, or pain. Responding to a complaint is an opportunity to demonstrate what we can do for our patients. The evaluation of service has an important emotional component: two different patients may rate the same service as excellent or as unacceptable.
Steps for Handling a Complaint at the Dental Clinic
1. Say “thank you”
We should view a complaint as a gift, and the first thing we’ll do is express our gratitude. This is a very positive attitude that will help us resolve the issue. Good eye contact, a nod, and a friendly smile also work well. This lays the foundation for the conversation that follows.
2. Explain that we appreciate the complaint
Understanding the complaint will help us address the problem more effectively: “I’m glad you brought this to our attention.” Keep in mind that many patients don’t complain, but simply leave and never return—and they’ll also speak poorly of our clinic. That’s why we need to value and acknowledge the complaint and resolve it.
3. Apologize for the mistake
We shouldn’t apologize right away, since an apology loses its impact if it’s offered at the beginning of the conversation. At this point, it’s best to use “I” instead of “we.” It comes across as more sincere, because only “I” am aware of the complaint; the others know nothing about it. Apologizing doesn’t mean agreeing with the patient. For example, at a funeral you might say, “I’m sorry.” Does that make you responsible for the death? No, it just means you’re sorry about what happened.
4. Promise to take immediate action
After apologizing, we need to assure the patient that we’ll take action: “We’ll do everything we can to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.” This will put the patient at ease, because they’ll sense that their complaint will lead to a resolution.
5. Ask for the necessary information
Ask only for the details we need to know, so we don’t have to contact the patient again to request more information. It’s a good idea to ask the patient what we can do to satisfy them or explain what we’ll do to address their problem. Often, the patient doesn’t want anything in return—they just want us to know what happened.
6. Correct the error as quickly as possible
The patient appreciates it when the problem is resolved quickly, since prompt responses are taken more seriously.
7. Check whether the patient is satisfied
We should follow up by contacting the patient to find out if they are satisfied, so we can verify that the problem has been resolved.
8. Prevent future mistakes
We’ll inform all clinic staff about the complaint to prevent it from happening again in the future.
