It seems that nearly anything you research online has an endless list of reviews tacked on to it. This transparency is incredible because it allows patients to read first-hand accounts of what they will be spending their money on and decide if it’s worth it. Whether it’s hotel reviews, Airbnb reviews, or your imaging center’s reviews, people are reading it which means you need to monitor it.
While this transparency is amazing for patients, it can sometimes harm your imaging center if you're not managing your online reputation. You certainly can’t avoid the negative reviews trailing your center online because it can drastically affect your incoming business. If your imaging center has received a negative review, don’t stress! There are numerous ways to combat these harsh reviews. Keep in mind that not everyone will give glowing reviews and that’s to be expected. You can’t please everyone, so let’s focus on the positive. Here’s the top 3 ways to handle your latest negative review:
Kill 'Em With Kindness
Now this may seem a little strong, but you know how the saying goes. When someone says something negative, you need to respond to them directly and ensure you’re using a positive, understanding tone. Never use an attitude or say they’re wrong! Be sure that you’re hearing their concerns, offer a solution, and emphasize your imaging center’s value.
The goal is to combat the review with kindness while showing any potential patient scrolling through reviews that they can rest assured your center isn’t some monster. There’s always two sides to every story and it’s important for patients to hear your side. Here’s a quick example of how to go about responding with kindness and empathy that reflects your imaging center is quick to handle any patient’s unhappy experience.
Monitor Your Online Presence
This is key. How are you supposed to respond to negative reviews when you don’t even know they’re floating around on the internet? Make sure you’re checking your Facebook reviews and google reviews consistently in order to promptly respond. Timeliness is crucial when someone has given your center a negative review. The longer you wait to respond, the more potential patients have read that review.
There are a few online monitoring tools that alert you once your center’s name has been mentioned. Social Mention, Reputology, or Review Trackers are all services that browse the web to find your center’s name. In case you’re tight on money, Social Mention is a free program that immediately pops up each link where you’re mentioned. Another free route of action is setting up google alerts for your imaging center’s name. You will receive an email each time you’re mentioned!
Encourage Positive Reviews
Not everyone that has a positive experience at your center will go online and write a positive review. Many times, people don’t bother reviewing at all. It’s usually when someone has something on their mind that they turn to online reviews. So, while you may have one or more negative reviews online, that doesn’t necessarily reflect your overall patient experience. But, you can make it reflect that with one simple request.
Every patient that walks in your front door is a potential positive review. Ask your patients to submit a review of their experience online and you’ll be surprised how many you rack up. Whether you place poster asking for reviews or simply have your receptionist ask them on their way out of the office, make sure you’re asking! Boosting your positive reviews online will drown any negative reviews. After all, it’s expected to get negative reviews every once in a while, but you want to steer clear of only having negative reviews online.