• Try to remain calm, even if the customer becomes irate or confrontational. Your aim is to turn their negative experience into a positive one; arguing back will only make the situation worse.
• Try to resolve the complaint as quickly as possible. The aim is to make the customer feel as though their problem is being treated as a priority, without being rushed. Ask whether your customer agrees with the proposed course of action.
• Keep comprehensive records of all complaints, from the problem to the solution. Assessing these records periodically will help you identify common problems and improve processes as a result. They will also help you follow up on actions you commit to.
• Train all customer-facing members of staff to deal with complaints. Forcing a customer to wait for a pharmacist or the manager can make a bad situation worse. If possible, give employees the authority to issue refunds or other conciliatory gestures.
• Be realistic when considering how to resolve the complaint. For example, don’t offer to have something delivered by 9.30am the next day if there is a risk your delivery may be late.

While it is important to aim to resolve complaints as soon as they are raised, some will need referral. Make sure the team know who to escalate complaints to if they are not sure they can deal with them properly. If a complaint is referred, it should be passed on with relevant information, so the customer or patient doesn’t have to keep repeating themselves. Follow up later to check it has been resolved.