Complaint handling flow

Complaints are stressful for everyone, but they follow a predictable shape. If you work through the five steps below in order, you will almost never get it wrong. The same flow works whether the patient is at the desk, on the phone, or emailing us.

Step 1 — Listen

Let them finish. Don't interrupt. Don't defend. Acknowledge the feeling, not the fact.

"I can hear this is really frustrating, I'm sorry you're feeling that way."

You are not agreeing that we did something wrong — you're agreeing that the experience was bad for them. That distinction matters.

Step 2 — Get the specifics

Once they've vented, gently ask for details. Take notes as you go.

• Date and time of the incident
• Names of any staff mentioned (if offered)
• What happened, in their words
• What outcome they were hoping for

"So I can get this right — can you walk me through what happened?"

Step 3 — What you can offer right now

Apologise for the experience, not the fault. Offer one concrete next step and a realistic ETA.

• Re-book them into the next available slot
• Flag a billing question for manager review
• Arrange a callback from the office manager, same business day
• Send a written acknowledgement of their complaint within 24 hours

Don't improvise. If you're unsure what you can offer, say "let me check and call you back within the hour" — then do.

Step 4 — Escalate

Escalate to the office manager, same business day, if the complaint involves any of:

• A specific staff member by name
• A clinical safety concern
• A refund request
• Legal, media, or AHPRA language
• A repeat complaint from the same patient

Escalation is not failure. It's the right call.

One line to hand it off cleanly:

"I want to make sure this is handled properly. Let me take your details and have our office manager call you back today."

Step 5 — Document

Every complaint — even the ones that felt minor — gets an incident report the same day. Use the form at /forms/incident-report. Record:

• What the patient said
• What you offered
• Outcome and who it was escalated to
• Time and date

What NOT to do

• Don't admit fault on behalf of the practice or a colleague
• Don't promise a refund — only the manager can approve
• Don't speculate on what another staff member said or did
• Don't argue, and don't match their tone if they get loud
• Don't close the file until step 5 is done