The reputation of a dental practice is essential for dental practices. As a dentist, you strive to deliver a quality service that warrants positive feedback from patients. The feedback is then viewed through an online review available for the internet world to see. However, now and then, there may be a negative review. Of course, it isn’t great to experience any negative feedback. Furthermore, it is easy to neglect a single negative review clouded in a string of positive ones.
No matter whether you receive single or multiple negative reviews, they all need to be addressed. Adverse ratings can have an impact on potential patients. Therefore, managing your reputation to keep your practice in the best light needs an efficient strategy to respond to a negative review.
Below is a simple guide to help you respond efficiently to negative reviews and keep them on your side.
Understand The Feedback
It can be easy to become frustrated by a negative review. If you do feel like that, do not respond to the feedback straight away. First, understand what the feedback illustrates and avoid feeling defensive. Read it more than once and read it with a cool head! Seek an understanding of why the patient left a negative review before taking any action.
Identify and Improve
It is easy to jump on patients and defend the service you and your practice provides. However, this is a bad first step. Be impartial and investigate why the patient left the negative review. There is definitely something within the service they experienced they weren’t happy with. The response you provide should not be to defend your services. You should evaluate if there is anything you could have done differently once you’ve identified the area service they didn’t like. Adapting to patient needs is essential to success.
Contact Them Personally
If the patient sees that you care about the review they’ve given; this is a great first step to transform their thoughts of your practice. Call them directly to listen to their concerns and to seek a resolution that will suit them.
Listen To Their Concern
As we’ve mentioned above, listening to the patient is essential. It also demonstrates your thoughtfulness on the matter. It can be difficult to speak to a patient that showed displeasure of your services. However, your attitude towards them will determine whether the patient seeks to use your services again. Apologise to them for the service they’ve received and be clear that the service will be different for the next time.
Offer To Put It Right
As a dentist, if you demonstrate that you’re keen to transform the service you give them, the patient may give you a chance. Extend an invite for them to return to the office so they can see a different side to your service. If they do not reconsider, then consider offering a refund for the service they’ve received. Ultimately, you have two goals here; the first is to change your patient’s perception of your practice and the second is to transform your review. You must ensure that you do not push the customer into returning though. If they do not oblige, then oblige with what the patient asks, whether it’s a refund, or not to be bothered again.
Summary
It is highly probable that your practice will have one negative review here and there. That is ok! No practice is perfect! When it does happen, ensure you’re proactive in adjusting your services to make sure the problem a patient has found does not occur again. Also, you want to ensure you have a plan to regenerate positive reviews across multiple platforms to compensate for the single bad review.
Positive feedback is a sure sign that your practice is performing well and that your services and website are both delivering on patient needs. Don’t forget to keep your content evolving and fresh, this includes blogs to drive patient numbers through the roof. A dental marketing assistant would be valuable in making this happen.
If you need support with transforming your reviews or are simply seeking to deliver a patient review service for your practice, contact us at Smile and Grow and we’re happy to help.
