This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Embrace the opportunities negative reviews bring
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
by Agustin L. Gonzalez, OD, FAAO, ABCMO
Responding to a negative review with blame-shifting or anger can do far more damage to your office than a single negative review.
There is a right way and a wrong way to manage your responses to online reviews.
Whether the review is the much-sought-after five stars or the day-killing one star, correctly matching your response to consumer sentiment will help review readers better understand the situation and help you in your online reputation management.
It is natural to be nervous when you are confronted with a bad review for all of the world to know you did not perform your best; it is your business reputation. But experts agree that the most powerful thing you can do is control your response, as it is the only thing that can affect the review reader at the time.
Google classifies online reviews into five types that are grouped into somewhat self-explaining categories: the positive, so-so, negative, fake and accusatory.
First, keep in mind that you are a professional, and by your response you are not only representing yourself but your operation. In the response you will display your office’s core values for all potential patients to read.
Second, understand that a negative review is great feedback for your business and gives you the opportunity to gain a new patient or win back an unhappy patient by understanding what went wrong and voicing how you will implement a solution for the future. When clearly stated in your response, you assure new patients reading reviews that this event is unlikely to happen again.
Third, reply intelligently. The best response employs a recognition of the event via empathy, a sincere apology assuming accountability and a forward-looking solution.
Here is an example of a bad review: “Went here 2 weeks ago and the staff was rude and not caring at all. They asked me to call my insurance company to find out my plan and if they cover eye exams and prescriptions. This is their job, not mine. Never, ever coming back.”
Here is an example of a good response: “First, we apologize for the inconvenience this event caused. In this era of privacy concerns, and to best safeguard your benefits, it is important for you to know who your insurance carrier is. Regretfully, we are unable to call and verify your latest insurance plan information without your agreement and guidance. Note that, for your safety, we do require an ID (as per our contracts with insurance companies). These actions deter fraud and protect your benefits. We have noted to better communicate this to our patients. Once again, our apologies.”
Our patients, just like us, are reasonable. We all have good and bad days, and many unreasonable people visit our offices. Actually, numerous studies have verified that the public has more trust in a business with 4.5-star rating than they do in one with a perfect five stars.
So, remember, respond to negative reviews in a manner that casts a positive light on your office. This could have a significantly higher impact on your reputation than a five-star review.
Reference:
PowerReviews Team. How star ratings & review content influence purchase. Posted September 18, 2015. Accessed July 31, 2019.
For more information:
Agustin L. Gonzalez, OD, FAAO, ABCMO , practices at Eye and Vision’s North Texas Center for Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease. He also founded a dry eye clinic in the North Texas area and has a special interest in cornea and external disease. Gonzalez is a member of the Primary Care Optometry News Editorial Board. He can be reached at: gonzalez.agu@gmail.com.
Disclosure: Gonzalez reports no relevant financial disclosures.