Resource Center

Improving Patient Satisfaction: Handling Complaints

by Sheryl J. Bronkesh, MBA

No matter how well organized a practice, how understanding and caring the staff, or how quality oriented the attitude, mistakes will happen. Make no mistake about it.

The error is not necessarily in the mistake but in not acknowledging it, making amends, and trying to prevent future mistakes. Most people are forgiving if they get a personal apology. It doesn't have to be an acceptance of guilt, just an "I'm sorry this happened."

This process of acknowledging and correcting errors is called service recovery. There are three basic components: 1) Acknowledge, 2) Apologize, and 3) Amend.

Recovery is a vital part of customer service because things will go wrong sometimes. Misplacing a chart, recording an appointment at the wrong time, late delivery of a hearing device, failure to return a call when promised, are incidents which occasionally occur even in the best audiology practices.

When a mistake occurs, it's important not to criticize the error or chastise the person who made it. Instead, critique the process that caused the problem, and institute a process for recovery and prevention. Service recovery doesn't deny the error, but it allows the practice to learn from it while reinstating patient satisfaction. Recovery is a way of saying to your patients, "We value you as a member of our practice." If a mistake is made and you admit it, your patients will become more loyal.

Why complaints occur
Often, a patient complaint will be unfounded or a result of a misunderstanding about billing, Medicare, or reimbursement restriction. Sometimes the complaint is due to miscommunication or lack of clarification. A complaint may be directed at you or a staff audiologist, even though the problem lies with clinical issues that are beyond anyone's control.

No matter why the complaint occurs, who is at fault, or how minor the problem, it needs attention. Quickly, efficiently, and personally. Complaints can disrupt practice productivity by demanding unreasonable attention from staff, and they can result in patients and potential referrals trickling away because of the perception that the practice doesn't care.

Three-step action plan
Step 1: Acknowledge
When a mistake or misunderstanding occurs, no matter who is at fault, the first step is to acknowledge the error. For example: "Mrs. Dearing, I understand that you were upset when I did not call you back as promptly as I promised." Acknowledging the problem (without necessarily accepting blame unless you are clearly at fault) defuses the situation. Thank the patient for bringing the situation to your attention. Let patients know you want to hear their complaints. Tell them verbally, encourage others in the practice to elicit details when patients seem unhappy, and provide a suggestion box. A complaining customer whose problem is acknowledged and tended to can become an even more loyal patient.

Step 2: Apologize
Saying "I'm sorry" is a critical step. As in acknowledgment, apologizing does not require that you accept blame. Even if the patient was at fault, you can say: "I'm sorry that the battery was faulty" or "I am very sorry I did not call you back as promptly as I promised; I apologize for the inconvenience." An apology should convey concern, one of the key characteristics patients seek from physicians and their staff members. If there's even the slightest question as to whether something went wrong, apologize anyway. You can't go wrong, and your patient will be impressed.

Step 3: Amend
Employees should convey sincere concern and interest upon learning of errors, and they must be empowered to solve problems and make amends. No matter how seemingly minor the error may be, a demonstration of contrition shows grace and sincerity. Making amends can be a simple but heartfelt act, such as hand writing a note of apology. If the error is more serious, making amends may require working the patient into the schedule, discounting the bill, sending a green plant to his home or office, or a similar display of apology. Making amends should offer the offended party options, because people like being given choices, and it gives them a feeling of control.

Striving for service excellence requires an excellent service recovery process. Let's face it: even at 99% perfection, there's a 1% chance someone will blow it occasionally. A service recovery strategy accepts imperfection but says, "We'll fix it and keep striving." More to the point, it says, "We care about what our customers think. We aren't perfect, but we'll work continually and consistently to get there."

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