What If My Imaging Center Gets a Bad Review Online?

It’s a healthcare practice’s nightmare; to learn that a disgruntled or disappointed patient has left a bad review online.  As an imaging center, you attempt to provide top notch patient care to everyone that comes through your door, but no matter what, you might still meet a patient who is just hard to please.

Regardless of how well your staff treats your patients, they can develop a negative opinion of your imaging center. They can become disgruntled for a number of reasons that you can manage, but there are some ways patients can become frustrated that are out of your control.

Patient Experiences You Can Control

Feeling Welcomed – With a Smile

Clean, Comfortable Waiting Area

Easily Accessible Contact Information

Convenient Access to Patient Records

Patient Experiences You Can’t Control

Longer Wait Times – Due to External Delays

Frustration/Pain Based on Patient Ailment

Patients with Bad Attitudes

High Care/Procedure Costs

Read More: Why Your Healthcare Practice Needs Social Media

So, what do you do if a patient leaves a negative review of your imaging center on Facebook or Yelp? Or, what if a patient tweets something negative to you? How do you handle it?

How To Handle Bad Reviews on Social Media:

Step 1: Don’t delay. Be sure to respond quickly to reviews so you can take control of the situation before it has the chance to snowball into a bigger issue. Even if the bad review is in fact warranted, you can still salvage the situation with an appropriate response.

Step 2: Determine if the complaint is based on something you could control making it warranted, or if the complaint is something that doesn’t have to do with the quality of your service. Ex: “The front desk girl was very rude and was playing on her cell phone while I waited at the desk.” This is something you can fix as opposed to a review that reads, “I’ve been in pain for months so I tried to schedule an MRI at this imaging center but they wouldn’t give me an appointment unless I was referred by a doctor.”  We know that in radiology, diagnostic testing requires a script, but some patients may not know that. So, while you can’t change this fact, you can do a better job of explaining this to patients and giving them advice on what to do next.

Step 3: Always be sympathetic, no matter what. An apology isn’t always warranted if the patient’s negative review is unwarranted. Sometimes people just complain to complain but even if they are wrong, you need to show empathy in your response.

Step 4: Offer some kind of solution or compromise. You can’t erase the past and you can’t refund patients for their care, but that doesn’t mean you can’t offer some kind of solution. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is provide the patient with the contact information of your marketing representative or office manager so they can speak directly with a person who might be able to help them. This is also an opportunity to do some further investigating to see if this can be a learning opportunity for your practice.   

Some things to remember with regards to online patient reviews:

1.     Just because you don’t think you have a Facebook page for your practice, doesn’t mean there isn’t a location listing on Facebook where patients can check in and write reviews. You must take ownership of your business’ page and merge the listing page to control it. You can’t control a Facebook listing but you can control a business page!

2.     People are most likely to leave a review of their healthcare providers when they either have an extraordinarily positive or extraordinarily negative experience. You won’t often get people who say that their experience was just okay. Focus on branding your patient experience so it is something worth talking about in a positive light.

3.     Sometimes a negative review with a strong, helpful response from the practice is more influential than a positive review. As a patient, seeing that someone from a practice would go out of their way to make amends for a negative experience shows that they are willing to go above and beyond for their patients.

Read More: Why You Need to Brand Your Practice’s Patient Experience

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Why Your Radiology Practice Needs a Social Media Strategy

Many radiology groups think social media in the medical field is a waste of time, but we're here to tell you why that just isn't the case. Your practice needs a social media strategy for a number of reasons, but to excel in radiology marketing you don't even have to do much. Healthcare providers are accepting that health care social media is a necessity, but your competition may not yet be on board. 

Let's look at some reasons why your practice needs a social media strategy:

1.     Because it's the best way to reach consumer-driven patients…

Your mother might say, “if Johnny and everyone else was jumping off a bridge, would you do it too?” In this case, your answer should be a resounding, “YES MOM, I’M JUMPING AND I LEFT MY PARACHUTE AT HOME.” Doctors, hospitals and specialists all over the country are using their Facebook business pages to reach patients, so radiology practices must get on board. Patients are turning to Twitter as well, thanks to the Health Care Hashtag project brought to you by Symplur, making weekly tweet chats and hashtags trend within the industry.

2.     Because Search Engine Optimization is your key to success…

SEO practices help your website rank higher for patients searching certain keywords. Want to be the first website to show up when they search for “best doctor in Tampa?” Well, you’ll have to work for it.  New SEO practices have shown that more weight is being put on your social sites.  This means, if you have patients providing reviews and sharing your posts with their friends, you will be in a better position for patients looking online for practices like yours.

3.     Because older people are really into “The Facebook”…

My most active Facebook friend is 100% my Grandma. She “Likes” and shares every post I make, no matter what it is about. She “Likes” every local business she is a patron for, including her doctors.  Specialists like radiologists have a largely elderly patient population, but they assume they aren’t reliable for social engagement. That just couldn’t be further from the truth, especially when it comes to “The Facebook,” as my grandma calls it.

4.     Because you can use Twitter to reach the unreachable…

PR pros don’t tell you this secret openly, but Twitter is the most affordable and easiest way to reach your local media.  Industry leaders, community influencers and news reporters are all over Twitter. You can open lines of communication with them and then when they have the chance to highlight you or use you as a resource, you’ll be ready.

5. Because people like to complain…

People are much more inclined to share negative experiences than positive ones. Let’s face it, by nature, we like to whine and complain. Often, your disgruntled patients will turn to social sites like Facebook, Google Places or Yelp to air your dirty laundry.  If you don’t manage your pages, you can’t defend your practice, correct the situation and improve the patient’s impression of you. Care doesn’t end when your patients walk out the door; you need to be accessible to them.

Read More: What If My Practice Gets a Bad Review on Facebook

Santa's Reindeer as Healthcare Marketing Techniques

At Atlantic Health Solutions we offer a variety of healthcare marketing services. These services are designed to go above and beyond, combining traditional and online marketing to give your company a consumer boost. After reading about how Santa’s reindeer relate to the eight marketing services we offer, click on the link below to be directed to our services.

Dasher: Search engine optimization. Dasher is the leader of the sleigh and just like search engine optimization he gets the sleigh where it needs to be… the top of search engine results.

Dancer: Engaging website. Right up front just like Dasher, Dancer is the engaging website. These two are a perfect pair because once your website is optimized you want the consumers to be directed to a website that is easy to navigate and makes them want to stay. An engaging website is a successful website.

Prancer: Advertising and Public Relations. Prancer is a very important part of Santa’s crew, just like advertising and public relations is a very important part of successful marketing. It is his job to develop strong relationships with industry leaders and the media, as well as brand development. Without Prancer, Santa would be wearing a green suit instead of red.

Vixen: Social Media. Vixen is good partner for Prancer. He controls what content is published on social media accounts and makes sure that all content is in line with the company’s brand. Vixen also makes sure that only Santa’s good side shows up in his Facebook profile picture.

Comet: Traditional Marketing. Comet has always been the one to stick to what works. Traditional marketing encompasses so much of what we, as consumers, see every day. Traditional marketing is anything under the categories: print, broadcast, direct mail, and telephone. They’re older marketing tactics, but they’re tried and true.

Cupid: Online Marketing. Because Comet has so much on his plate its good to have a guy like Cupid on his side. Cupid takes care of the online marketing. This new age type of marketing that uses the Internet, as its medium is a fast growing source of marketing among companies. With how much time Santa and his elves spend on their smart phones, it is no surprise the online marketing industry is taking off.

Donner: Reputation Management. Donner is one of the closest reindeer to good ole Santa. He is in charge of reputation management and keeps a close eye on Santa’s behavior. Reputation management is so important because as a business it is important to stay consistent. Consistency is reliability.

Blitzen: Marketing Materials. The fattest of all eight reindeer, Blitzen makes up the meat of the marketing services. Marketing materials are what define the company image and are the tools a business uses to reach out to new consumers and keep the ones they already have.

Rudolph: Inbound Marketing. Last but certainly not least we have Rudolph. Rudolph’s nose attracts people to him, just like inbound marketing brings patients to healthcare companies. With Rudolph’s nose so bright Santa doesn’t have to work as hard. Lead nurturing and inbound marketing brings people to you, without having to go out and find them.

Find out how these services can work for you.

Understanding Viral Content Marketing

Sometimes it's impossible to tell which of your marketing efforts have the potential of going viral; it can be even harder to understand why. So how can healthcare marketing professionals work to create content that has the potential of attracting widespread attention?

The Basics of Viral Content Marketing:

• Understanding Metcalf's Law and the network effect which can help you calcuate the value of your target market or their "network"
• Know that not all content has the potential of going viral, but in order to have the potential it should beneficial to those sharing it in either message or entertainment. 
• Be familiar with the various kinds of content that can go viral; most commonly these are videos or articles but infographics and image content such as popular memes or GIFs can all grow to be wildly popular.
• Utilize the right design combination of functionality, meningfulness, integrity, appearance and form. 
• Be in the minds of your audience to understand why they share certain things.
• Make it easy to share and encourage your audience to help expand your campaign.

(Read More: 6 Lessons Beyonce Can Teach Healthcare Marketers)

Why we share content:

1. It makes us laugh
2. It makes us cry
3. It makes our jaws drop
4. It makes us ponder
5. It makes us feel connected to others
6. It makes us gasp
7. It makes us shake our heads
8. It makes us question why it's not common knowldege

Infographic Designed by: Voltier Digital and guest posted on ProBlogger

6 Lessons Beyoncé Can Teach Health Care Marketers

When Beyoncé unveiled her fifth solo album in the dark of night on December 16th in 2013, she took her fans bt storm.  The next morning, frenzy ensued, leaving her fans in a state of delirium, her competition stunned and the media scrambling to keep up.  Her influence was heard ‘round the world, despite her decision to forego the madness of traditional marketing. This stroke of genius left us wondering how we could apply some Beyoncé wisdom to health care marketing.

 1.    Be Irreplaceable

In her song Irreplaceable, Beyoncé says not to think you can’t be replaced, which rings true in health care. By providing your patients with the highest quality care, you can become irreplaceable to them though. This means taking extra steps to make them feel valued. This could mean simply listening to patient concerns, staying open later to get more appointments scheduled or cutting wait times.

2.    Have a partner that’s Crazy In Love with you

Despite the turbulent waters of celebrity, Beyoncé has achieved greatness on her own accord. However, her relationship with media mogul Jay-Z, hasn’t hurt her stardom. The health care industry can be equally as chaotic. By partnering with other providers in your community, you can reach more patients and form relationships with referring offices through networking.

3.    It’s all about the Video Phone

Her new album catapulted through the charts, making it #1 on iTunes. What makes this album different is that she released not only 14 new songs, but also 16 full-length videos calling it a “visual album.” Video content is the best way to reach fans and even patients.  Care providers can use simple virtual tours, testimonials and how-to videos to capture new patient leads online.

Read More: Understanding Viral Content Marketing

4.    What Runs the World? Social media

Before lunchtime, the news of Beyoncé’s gift had gone viral, as her fans and took to social media to show their appreciation.  Using social media can also amplify your reach to patients and those in your community. When patients are happy with your service, you can encourage them to share their experiences on social media or review sites.  This is especially valuable in light of the SEO changes Google has made to the weight of social reviews.

5.    Me, Myself & I: Sometimes independence is best

People might have thought she was crazy to leave Destiny’s Child, but Beyoncé needed freedom and independence. With a rise in hospital acquisition and consolidation, practices can lose a lot of their flexibility and components of care. Don’t be afraid to stand alone as an independent practice and preserve what is important to patients.

6.    You are… Sasha Fierce, don’t be afraid to show it

Don’t just rely on traditional marketing to attract new patients. Learn a lesson from Queen B and take a unique approach; your high quality care will market itself. So, instead of paying for a billboard, think about planning a campaign that encourages referring office staff to interact with your brand. 

* This post was also shared via Ragan’s Health Care Communication News.