A patient is unhappy about how an appointment went. They write through the practice website late one evening, explaining what happened. The message goes to a general inbox that also receives appointment requests and prescription questions. It is read four days later. By then, the patient has posted a review and written to the practice manager directly.
Complaints are rarely the problem. How they are received and routed often is.
Why complaints go wrong
Most complaints start as feedback that nobody acknowledged. The patient writes, hears nothing and assumes they are being ignored. Frustration builds. A complaint that could have been resolved with a prompt, caring reply becomes a formal dispute.
General inboxes are the usual culprit. Complaints sit among routine messages and are handled in order rather than by importance.
A redesigned process
Here is a simple process redesign.
1. Separate the route. Give feedback and complaints their own route on the website, clearly labelled. That keeps them out of the general queue.
2. Acknowledge quickly. Every complaint should receive an acknowledgement promptly, explaining what happens next and when.
3. Route to the right person. Complaints should go straight to the person responsible, such as the practice manager or complaints lead. Referral questions and complaints about referrals are often linked, as covered in referral questions from patients and other professionals.
4. Capture the details once. Name, contact details, date of the issue and what happened. The patient should not have to repeat it.
5. Respond within published timescales. Publish your complaints policy and stick to it.
6. Learn from patterns. Review complaints regularly to spot recurring problems.
Where an assistant helps
SpideyChat for healthcare practices can recognise when a visitor wants to raise a concern, respond with care and create a ticket for the right person with the details attached. It does not investigate, explain clinical decisions or offer outcomes. It makes sure the complaint is received, acknowledged and routed.
Patient: I want to complain about how I was treated at my appointment yesterday. Assistant: I'm sorry to hear that. I'll make sure this reaches the practice manager, who handles concerns. Could you share your name, the best way to contact you and a brief summary of what happened? The complaints page explains what happens next.
Clinical questions within complaints, such as test results, must go to clinicians, as covered in test results and prescription questions that need a person.
Routing lessons from other businesses
Sales teams have long used automatic routing so leads reach the right person, as described in how to route leads to the right salesperson automatically. The same idea works for complaints. Restaurants handle a lighter version of this in handling complaints through your restaurant website.
Positive feedback too
Not all feedback is negative. Compliments deserve routing too, so staff hear them. A thank-you passed on to the team is good for morale and costs nothing.
Setting it up
Train the assistant on your complaints policy page so it describes the process accurately, then install it. The guides to installing the widget and training your bot explain how. Decide who owns complaint tickets and how quickly they will be picked up.
A complaint handled well often leaves a patient more loyal than before. The first step is making sure it reaches the right person.