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One of the most commonly requested items when we speak with the public is that of a refund to services. In today’s article, we examine if a refund is the best outcome when considering a complaint against an eye care specialist.
On occasions, despite the best interests of the professional, things may not go to plan. Whether this is incorrectly fitted spectacles or, in far rarer and more extreme cases, a misdiagnosis. Whatever the outcome, when our expectations are not met it can be both frustrating and often disappointing.
When these issues do occur, however, it is common to feel such frustration and wish for resolution against whatever the trigger or issue may be. Often, us consumers can be very quick to look for a refund without considering the other options that may exist that they may not be aware of.
Indeed, some may even question if they wish to stay under the care of their existing provider. Naturally, by seeking an outcome that matches expectations and keeping or renewing their faith in their provider they can reduce the hassle and inconvenience of starting again with another optician, for example. A refund, in essence, is the reimbursement of a financial transaction. It doesn’t address or resolve the issue itself and that’s why at the OCCS, we specialise in providing impartial mediation services that help both the practice and client to get to the heart of a matter through a mutually beneficial outcome.
Mediation is often a solution or alternative form of dealing with an issue when a complaint arises. Naturally, when things do not go as planned many people, perhaps understandably, can quickly jump into asking for a refund. However, the benefit of looking at mediation when considering the options in front of you is that it can also give the practitioner the opportunity to resolve an issue.
This can be of great benefit to consumers as in most circumstances it may be better to stay with your optician given they have your patient history. What’s more, the opportunity to fix or resolve the issue can also result in the expectation of the patient being met i.e correctly fitting spectacles.
Finally, through engagement and resolving the issue the chance to learn can not only benefit the patient in question but those going forward as new ways of doing things and new proceeds can be established to avoid a recurrence.
The OCCS have, for over four years, assisted many patients across the UK with our mediation services. For more information and to speak to an experienced member of our team, contact the OCCS on 0344 800 5071 or via enquiries@opticalcomplaints.co.uk
