Upset Patient

While providing 5 STAR patient care, we can only hope that we don’t come across an upset patient, however, it’s going to happen and we want to prepare you for what to do if it does happen within your practice. You must quickly resolve the situation and actively listen to what it is the patient has to say.

So, first, listen. Let the patient tell their concerns without interruption. Sometimes, even you or I, we just want someone there to listen to what we have to say.

Next, empathize. Convey that you deeply understand how the patient feels. Use a phrase like“I would be frustrated, too” or “I understand.”

Apologize. As long as it’s sincere, you can never apologize enough. Even if you didn’t do whatever made them upset, you can still genuinely apologize for the way your customer feels.

Next, you want to resolve the issue. Resolve the issue quickly, or make sure that your employees are empowered to do so. Don’t be afraid to ask the customer or the patient:“what is it that I can do right or what can I do to make you happy?”

And diagnose. Get to the bottom of why the mistake or concern came up in the first place, without blaming anyone; focus on fixing the process so that it doesn’t happen again within your practice and make the rest of your team aware.