Complaint First-Response Template

Used by reception or by the on-call manager in the first 60 minutes after a complaint reaches the studio. The structure is four parts: acknowledge, next step, owner, time. Short. Calm. Specific. Never apologise for a clinical decision before review; never blame.

English template

Dear [Name], Thank you for telling us. I have read what you wrote, and I want to make sure we look at it properly. The next step is [concrete action]. [Owner name] is taking this on, and we will be back to you with the outcome by [time / date]. In the meantime, if anything new comes up, please write directly here. Warmly, [Sender] ACE DNTL

Spanish template

Estimado/a [Nombre], Gracias por escribirnos. He leído atentamente lo que nos cuenta y quiero asegurarme de que lo revisamos como corresponde. El siguiente paso es [acción concreta]. [Nombre del responsable] se encargará personalmente y le contactaremos con la conclusión antes de [hora / fecha]. Mientras tanto, si surge algo, por favor escríbanos directamente por aquí. Un saludo, [Remitente] ACE DNTL

What never to write in the first response

• —An apology for a clinical decision before the case has been reviewed.
• —A statement that blames the lab, a colleague, or any third party.
• —A commitment to a refund, remake, or remediation before the case-review meeting.
• —Anything that ends without a specific next step and a specific time.
• —Anything you would not be comfortable with the patient screenshotting and forwarding.