Every complaint is a gift

I often see patients who were unhappy with the medical care they received from their earlier doctor. They are quite voluble in their complaints, and I give them a patient hearing. When I ask them, "Did you tell your doctor that you were unhappy with him - and the reason for your unhappiness ?", they look surprised, as if this were a completely alien concept.
I encourage patients to give their doctors feedback - after all, if you don't tell us what you like about us, and what you dislike, how will we ever improve ?
Is the doctor likely to get upset if you complain ? This depends. Bad doctors may get defensive and try to brush you off. If this happens, this is a sign your doctor is not a good doctor, and you should be happy to leave him. A good doctor understands that a complaint is a gift, and will do his best to resolve it. After all, every problem he solves helps him to improve the quality of the service he provides !