Getting the response right
Getting the response right
Handling complaints well is an opportunity to turn a poor customer experience into a good one, and potentially maintain loyalty. But before coming to the practicalities, there are some professional requirements that come with the territory.
Every pharmacy should have a standard operating procedure (SOP) for dealing with complaints. Complaints about dispensing errors should be recorded appropriately; professional guidance and NHS complaints procedures should be followed, as appropriate.
Following GPhC or PSNI principles should help to keep patient complaints to a minimum.
When responding to a complaint, think about the situation from the patient’s point of view. They will be looking to be heard, to receive a sincere apology and to have some reassurance that it won’t happen again.
Step by step
- Take a step back when you first get a complaint. It can be difficult to keep things in check when you’re being criticised, but an emotional response can irritate the customer further
- Give the customer your full attention. Maintain eye contact and keep your body language open as they talk. Listen to the whole story before responding. Take notes to make sure you have captured everything
- Don’t rush in. Even if you’ve handled a similar situation before, for the customer their complaint is unique to them, so allow them to describe the situation in full and thank them for raising their concerns
- Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and try not to be defensive, even if you don’t believe you are at fault
- If a particular member of staff is the subject of the complaint, remove the customer from their presence. This can defuse tension and help the customer to re-evaluate their anger. It might be appropriate to discuss the issue in the privacy of the consultation room
- Passing the customer from person to person so they have to keep repeating information is not recommended. Ideally, the complaint should be handled by one member of staff with the authority to deal with the situation
- If a patient wants to speak to the pharmacist or a manager who is unavailable, let them know why they are waiting and ask if they can be given any assistance while they are waiting.
- Once the customer has aired their grievance, immediately offer a sincere apology. You might not be at fault and any number of factors may have contributed to the issue, but you should take responsibility for the problem. You are representing the pharmacy, so don’t take it personally. Sometimes, an apology is all it takes to placate an angry customer
- While customers do not want to hear excuses, you can briefly explain why they did not receive the standard of service they expected. This should take place after you have heard their account and made an apology. Phrases such as “I can understand why you are upset” and “I’m sorry that you have had to come back to resolve this issue” may be useful
- Customers often haven’t planned beyond making the initial complaint, so ask them for their desired outcome
- You may have a contingency plan in place for customer complaints (a money-off voucher or a free product, for instance), which you can quickly offer as a conciliatory gesture
- When apologising, take care not to admit liability. It may be better to say, for example: “I am sorry that cream wasn’t suitable” rather than “I am sorry that cream has made your rash worse”.
- 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, including the problems and the solutions. Assessing these records periodically will help you to identify common problems and improve processes as a result
- 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.