Repeat with me: There’s no way to make every single patient happy.
This reality means you should learn how to properly handle the negative reviews your practice will eventually receive. It’s unfortunate that someone is upset enough to give you a poor review, but it doesn’t mean the end of your practice.
In fact, negative reviews can help make you a better physician and strengthen your practice (even if the reviewer didn’t intend to do so).
Here are 3 tips for handling negative reviews:
1. Pay attention.
Routinely check your social media accounts for negative reviews. Pay attention to what’s being said and actively work toward making changes to solve any issues. Turn on notifications so that you’re alerted when you receive a comment or review on a social media site.
2. Be truthful.
For starters, avoid posting fake (filler) positive reviews. This will just cheapen your image if it’s discovered that you’ve manufactured feedback.
Also, don’t delete negative reviews. This will hurt you more when the reviewer notices the post is gone and calls you out. Rather than deleting, address any concerns calmly and helpfully if possible.
3. Respond to every patient.
Yes, this takes time. However, reaching out to each patient will show that you care. For negative reviews, extend an apology and either try to smooth over the issue or welcome the patient to contact you directly so the issue can be resolved.