How to Manage Customer Complaints Part 1
Complaints are an opportunity to improve services and relationships between patients and their care
Are all your staff aware of the policies and guidelines in place within their environment, to manage and deal with complaints?
What is a complaint?
By definition: A statement that something is unsatisfactory or unacceptable.
Complaints are an opportunity to improve services and relationships between patients and their care team providers.
Complaints originate from several sources including:
- Verbal – patients communicating to staff (receptionist, nurses, doctors, etc.),
- Calls – phone calls from patients and/or the patients’ family,
- Emails – electronic mail to a generic email address for the practice,
- Post – written or typed letters to Management outlining concerns.
Are all your staff aware of the policies and guidelines in place within their environment, to manage and deal with complaints?
How do you audit compliance?
It is not only receptionists who will field questions from patients and their families regarding their concerns or enquiring how to make an official complaint. All medical staff need to have the knowledge to advise patients and their families of the process of making a complaint.
The Health and Disability Commissioner’s (HDC) Code of Rights pamphlets need to be available and displayed in a common area for patients to access. It is suggested these be available in other languages, depending on your specific community needs. Accreditation (Cornerstone and Urgent Care) require these to be displayed for patients to easily access.
The Code of Rights – Right 10: The right to complain.
The provider is obliged to acknowledge complaints in writing within five working days of receipt of receiving the complaint and provide a response within ten working days of the complaint being received. The HDC offers advocacy services for patients needing assistance in making a complaint and are available to attend meetings between the complainant and the facility, offering support and assistance in a resolution.
If you need someone to streamline your processes and help your medical centre, get in touch with our Vertical Specialist, Debbie Cripps.
Link to Part 2 of the Customer Complaints blog.
Debbie Cripps
