I know...most of you would rather NOT hear complaints from your patients. However, my marketing experiences says: Complaints? Bring Them On...here's why:
Many dissatisfied patients (customers) do not complain directly to the practice—to avoid a confrontation, or because they perceive no convenient way to complain, or do not believe complaining will do much good. Customers' reluctance to complain, over poor or slow and even when they are faced with serious problems due to a treatment issue, has been well documented in a number of surveys.
Urgent Care and medical centers can overcome some of this reluctance and improve the recovery from poor service to the patient in three ways:
1. Actually, encourage patients to complain and make it easy for them to do so. Practice managers who wish to improve service (and generate more patient count) must overcome the common customer perception that businesses don't really care when things go wrong. Many practices rely exclusively on reactive strategies in which the patient must initiate contact. Comment cards that are available in the practice lobby and toll-free telephone numbers are examples of reactive systems. These approaches are useful but they preclude a patient that is unwilling to take the first step. Thus, proactive strategies, in which you make the first contact, should be considered. Customers checking out may be approached by a member of your team who asks: "How can we do better?" This proactive feedback method gives management the opportunity to recover with an unhappy patient and provides ideas for service improvement.
2. Respond quickly and personally. Physicians often take too long to respond to unhappy customers, and then respond impersonally. By responding quickly, and in person, you convey a sense of urgency. Quick response demonstrates that the customer's concern is the practice or owner’s concern. By responding personally, with a telephone call, the practice creates an opportunity for dialogue—an opportunity to listen, ask questions, explain, apologize, and provide an appropriate remedy. Consider establishing a "sundown rule"— establish contact with an unhappy customer before sunset on the day the complaint is received.
3. Develop a problem resolution system. Employees need specific training on how to deal with angry patients and how to help solve problems. In some cases, they need access to information systems that will tell them more about the patient (without violating privacy rules), the situation causing the problem, and possible solutions. Just think about your American Express or other credit card account. When American Express card holders telephone the company's toll-free number listed on their monthly statement, they speak to a highly trained customer service representative with the authority to solve eighty-five percent of the problems on the spot. What would happen if you made the same thing happen at your practice?
The lesson of recovering from a patient complaint is taking the long view of restoring the customer's confidence in the practice. How a practice handles the recovery from poor service or a complaint speaks volumes to the patient and employees alike about the practice’s true values.