Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Winter 2017 - 56

Presentation Summary

Administrative Staff

Elevating Difficult Situations:
Turning Complaints Into Opportunities
Dr. Morvarid Emamy

Presented by Dr. Tito Norris at the PCSO Annual
Session, Oct. 14, 2017
In his presentation, Dr. Tito Norris provided pearls
on how to deal with complaints in the orthodontic office. He covered the top eight complaints
heard in the orthodontic office as well as five
steps to help resolve those complaints.
Life is not a dress rehearsal. Live life fully.

Dr. Tito Norris
San Antonio, TX

Give your staff ownership in the practice. Provide
monthly bonuses for meeting / exceeding start
goals, quarterly individual performance-based
bonuses, 401(k) investing, profit-sharing, cashbalance profit-sharing, and CE opportunities.
Our pact: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it helpful? If it is
not all three of the above, please do not mention
it. Also, walk and talk: movement dissolves worries
and promotes positivity.
Our office coin: Teammates receive one after 90
days of service, and must carry it at all times. If a
teammate cannot produce the coin when asked,
he/she can cite a specific example of how the
office demonstrates excellence in all it does.
Rewards in our office include lunch, spa visits,
massages, and cash. We also hold team-to-team
socials with referring offices: these are social
events where teams treat each other like family.
You take care of them, and they take care of you.
Whine to Shine: Turning Complaints into
Opportunities
Ninety-six percent of dissatisfied patients will
not verbalize their complaints, but will quietly
endure the dissatisfaction or go to a different
orthodontist. Repeat business is more likely from
complainers than non-complainers, even when
the issue is not completely resolved. When the
problem is resolved, the complainer will come
back to you. Learn to see complaints as opportunities. Increase the number of complainers by
creating a system to flush out non-verbalized

complaints. A systemized method for managing
complaints is a must, as is providing a nonconfrontational way to submit a complaint.
Here are the top eight complaints in the orthodontic office.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Wait time
Limited appointment times
Treatment time
Residual adhesive
Doctor too busy to talk
Too rough
"You look too busy"
Decalcification

Complainer Types
The passive responder: This person is part of the
96% who want to avoid confrontation. He/she
might use sarcasm or provide only hints to show
they are upset. A good response to such a patient
is, "I sense something is bothering you."
The problem solver: This person is easy to
respond to.
The aggressive responder: Complaints that have
festered generate hostility; these people want to
get even. The best way to respond is to show
empathy.
What do all of these individuals want? They want
to be heard and to be treated with respect. They
want the problem to be cleared up and someone
to be advised. Most importantly, they want to
maintain the relationship. Remember, an
unhappy patient will tell 20 people; a happy
patient will tell four people.
We want to keep the patient happy, and maintain
the relationship.
Pitfalls to Avoid





Giving the runaround
Nonverbal behavior
Over-reacting
Throwing a team member under the bus

PCSO Bulletin  Winter 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Winter 2017