It does not take much insight to know that a dentist getting negative reviews has a considerable disadvantage over a dentist with almost all positive reviews. The reason for someone posting a negative review of a dental practice may not always relate to the dentist’s work. Still, it could relate to other matters, such as long appointment wait times or a lack of attentiveness from the dental receptionist.
Dentists from candlewooddentalcentre.com.au know that their dental practice and its viability greatly depend on their skills and expertise and how these influence a patient’s opinion of them. They also know that most of these opinions tend to appear online on websites such as Google in the form of reviews and testimonials, so ensuring your patients have a positive experience is essential.
This boils down to the fact that a dental practice needs positive reviews, and it is often the case that it will be deserving of them due to the high levels of service given by all who work there. However, suppose that dental practice does nothing to encourage its many satisfied patients to post positive reviews. In that case, they will never be published, which is even more unacceptable than getting negative reviews.
Doubtless, dentists are highly skilled and dedicated to looking after their patients to the highest degree. Similarly, receptionists and other staff, such as dental nurses, may also pride themselves on their professionalism, patient care, and service level. It is passed on to others who hear about it via positive reviews.
So, now we have established that positive reviews are a must, the next step is to set about getting satisfied patients to write and post them online. It sounds easy, but it must be done carefully and correctly, given that no patient must write a review. Further, websites that publish reviews do not take kindly to a business trying to game the system, so no illegitimate tactics should be employed. Instead, follow the legitimate tactics below.
Ask For Reviews
Our telling you to ask for reviews is not a huge revelation, but you would be amazed at how many thousands of businesses, including dental practices, do not ask for them. All it takes is a few words as the patient leaves, such as “Were you happy with the service you received today?”. If they answer, “Yes”, then respond with “We are delighted to hear it. Would you mind posting a review on our website or Google to let others know?”.
It’s not rocket science, but those questions can be the difference between you having a couple of positive reviews and dozens of them. Remember, thoughts are one of the critical parts of the decision-making process, so ensure everyone at your dental practice gets into the habit of asking those questions.
Follow Up With Patients
If asking directly when a patient is there does not sit well with you or your staff, why not follow up with the patient later? An email, a quick telephone call, or a text message asking them if they were happy with their visit to your dental practice is legitimate, and you will even find patients thanking you for taking the time to do so. In emails and texts, you can even post links to review websites or your website to make it easier.
Ask for Opinions On New Treatments And Services
Although paying for reviews should never be done, offering something to patients in return for their honest opinion is a long-established business tactic. The critical word is ‘honest opinion’ as you can never state that this is for positive reviews only, nor should it be called a gift or incentive. However, offering a new dental treatment at a special price, for example, and asking patients to try it and then publishing their opinion in a review is fine.