Your Patients and the Review Economy
Looking for a new restaurant, a new car, a pediatrician, a pair of shoes from Zappos, or an internet router from Amazon? What do you do?
You and everyone else do the same thing. You check the reviews!
We relied on reviews before the Internet existed. We asked our friends which doctors or plumbers they’d recommend and how they liked their new car. Today, thanks to the web, it’s that much easier to evaluate someone’s reputation.
Instead of talking to just a few people, you can scan dozens of opinions online before making your selection. Sure, there is still a healthy skepticism about the veracity of the reviews we read online, but the fact is most people read them and rely on them when they make a purchasing decision.
For anyone in business, online reviews are the currency in today’s review economy. The same is true for medical practitioners, whether you’re an audiologist, a speech pathologist, or an orthopedic surgeon.
The more positive online patient reviews you have, the more new patients you’ll attract, and the more your practice will grow. Too few reviews or too many negative reviews can sink your online reputation and your practice.
How to check your review bank account
- How many patient reviews does your practice have?
If you’ve been open for a year or more, people expect that you’ve seen hundreds of patients, and they expect to see at least 20 reviews. More is better.
- How many fresh reviews are you collecting each month?
If all your reviews are from over a year ago, it’s cause for concern. Patients wonder what happened, and the search engines do, too.
- Are your reviews at least 10 to 1 positive to negative?
It’s not possible to satisfy everyone. Eventually, you’re going to get a negative review from a patient. As long as the positive ones far outweigh the negative ones, it shouldn’t impact your practice.
What can you do to fill your review bank account?
The obvious answer is to ask for reviews. But here is what gets in the way.
You’ve just wrapped up an appointment with a patient, listening empathetically to them to understand their needs, and establish a positive relationship. You’ve given them a professional diagnosis and treatment plan. Now you’re supposed to switch hats and become the savvy marketer asking for a review.
Nineteen out of twenty practitioners find this a challenge and for good reason. It doesn’t come naturally, and it feels awkward to ask patients for reviews after a medical consultation and conversation. Furthermore, even if you do ask, patients rarely remember to log onto the various social media sites hours or days later to provide a glowing review.
The solution is simpler than you may think. Automate the asking process and the review collection process. Make it easy for patients to act on the polite reminder you provide and to use your automated system, and they will leave their heartfelt comments about your practice online.
What’s the best automated review software to use?
