The way you say it

Think about the language you are using when dealing with a complaint and avoid some of the following phrases as they can antagonise a customer who is particularly angry.

"I'll try" or "hopefully" - a customer will want to be clear on what exactly will happen and when. These phrases won't instil confidence in the customer that specific actions will be taken.

"Bear with us" - this phrase can come across as an order to a customer and implies that the issue is something the customer must tolerate. It is better to express your appreciation instead and say something like "We appreciate your patience".

"It is company policy" - although an action may have been taken because it is the pharmacy's policy saying this can make the customer even more frustrated. It doesn't give them any clearer reason as to why something has happened, and they will still feel that the pharmacy has done them wrong.

"Calm down or please calm done" -

How many times in a discussion when emotions run high, we often find ourselves at a loss for words. We want to help, but what do we say? "Calm down" seems like a natural choice, but as it turns out, it's not as helpful as we might think.

Telling someone to "calm down" is often ineffective, as it can make them feel dismissed or bossed around. They might then respond with an angry "Don't tell me to calm down" or similar words. A better approach is to validate their feelings by acknowledging and accepting their emotions, even if you may not agree with them or fully understand them. This approach can help them regulate their emotions on their own, which is an important step in managing strong emotions. Words like “Seems like you need to talk. I’m all ears.” are generally far more effective.

Other helpful strategies include active listening, acknowledging their experience, encouraging them to take a break, teaching them deep breathing exercises, suggesting mindfulness or meditation, helping them focus on the present moment, and providing practical support.

Some complaints that a pharmacy receives may relate to an aspect of legislative procedures which have to be followed. For example, take the situation where the pharmacist has been delayed from reaching the pharmacy and hence no medicines are permitted to be sold or dispensed. A customer may complain especially if they see other members of the team within the pharmacy. Although it can be frustrating when a customer complains about a situation which is out of your control, it is important to remember that customers may not understand why the pharmacy is not permitted to open in this instance. Deal with the complaint in exactly the same way as other complaints, showing that you understand the customer's frustrations, providing them with a clear 'reason why' to aid their understanding, and then looking for any solutions to resolve their complaints, such as offering to deliver medication later that day if the pharmacy offers this service.

There will be occasions where you are unable to resolve the complaint yourself and hence may need to pass to another member of the team or the pharmacist. Ensure you advise the customer who will be dealing with their complaint and what will happen next, ensuring this is relayed back to the staff member whom the complaint is passed to.

It is good customer service to show your appreciation to a customer who raises a complaint - "thank you for being so honest" or "thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback".

All complaints are a learning opportunity, so ensure that the complaints themselves and the outcomes are shared with the rest of the pharmacy team and recorded appropriately with procedures changed to avoid repetition. This provides the pharmacy with the opportunity to learn from customer feedback, to potentially do things differently and as part of an inspection can be used to demonstrate that complaints are being actively managed.