Email Surveys
Your practice should be emailing surveys out to every patient who walks through your doors, whether for a consult or procedure. By doing this every day, you will develop a better understanding of their experience at your office. The results you receive should be delivered to your entire staff.
It’s best not to hide this information; transparency will allow everyone to be on the same page regarding consumers’ experiences. These surveys alone will help mold the behaviors you need to be successful and make sure everything is being done appropriately.
Lastly, if you do receive a negative response, it’s best to respond immediately and by phone. Nobody’s perfect, and people understand that, but the worst thing you can do is not respond at all.
Online Reputation
As far as protecting your online reputation, your surveys are your first line of defense. Since you can contact an unhappy consumer through an online survey before they decide to post on a reputation website, you can potentially deflect negative reviews from getting out there on the Internet.
You should utilize some type of software that notifies you when you receive a new review, and aggregates your reviews from different sources (Google, Yelp, etc.) into one platform. There are many companies or online tools that allow you to do this.
That way, if you weren’t able to diffuse a negative comment through your surveys and it gets out there online, you will know right away and can respond immediately. Same concept as your surveys, when you receive a negative review, you should share it with your staff, so everyone is on the same page and you can make changes as needed.
Reward Positive Reviews
When you receive a positive review, which you should be getting on a consistent basis, reward those individuals by reaching out to them with a phone call as well. Thank them and show your appreciation – it will go a long way.
If you utilize automation to effectively manage your online reputation, and keep up with it consistently, you will not only improve your business, you will create stronger referral sources and increased, long-lasting customer loyalty.
