Regardless of what kind of business you run, it should really go without saying how important reviews are to your online reputation. Online reviews are even more important for a medical practice. The hardest part about reviews is actually finding ways to get your patients to leave reviews for you without making an aggressive ask.
Here are two tips to help convince your patients to leave a review for you.
First, make it personal
Adding a personal touch to your request can help move the process along a bit. Rather than just casually putting a request on their discharge paperwork, have your receptionist suggest to your patients that they leave you a review as they leave the office. This is especially successful for patients that are seen on a regular basis or those that have a particularly good experience (for example, the parent of a scared child whose fears are quelled by a doctor or nurse).
Second, competition and team building
None of the doctors, nurses, or receptionists in your office are going to want to push for reviews from your patients if it’s a chore. Try to make the process a game. You can offer a small prize for the person, department, or specialty that gets the most patients to leave a review.
Regardless of the system you choose, you’re likely to get more positive reviews if there’s some measure of fun in the process, and more reviews mean more patients in your practice.
A Final Hint
If you stick to the tried and true email or text system, make sure you keep your messages succinct and timely.
- Keep your message short and sweet. Don’t bog it down with a ton of text.
- Include a request for a rating of their experience
- Redirect them to whichever source you’ve chosen for your reviews
- Remember to follow up with a quick email thanking them for their review
- Make sure any email you send out hits your patient’s inbox/phone within a few hours of leaving the office. This will help to jog their memory about your review suggestion.
- If you wait longer than a few hours, ensure the request is done no longer than 48 hours after they’ve left
- Messages sent between 8AM and 12PM have the best results
For more, read our 3 email marketing tips to help grow your medical practice.