We all know the importance of having good reviews online and we’ve even discussed some ways to handle what you should do when you get a negative review. Recently we had a real live example of one of our plastic surgery clients handle a negative review flawlessly and we had to share. Note: the names, review text, and a few details have been changed to protect the actual reviewer and medical practice.
The Initial Review
Here’s the review that tipped us off to the problem.
“Super disappointed. I was jazzed to try this office because I heard so many good things. Just wanted Juvederm. I sat in the waiting room for over 30 minutes…no explanation of what was going on and no one was even at the front desk! Won’t go there again.”
Our review monitoring process identified this review almost immediately, allowing us to follow up with our client less than 30 minutes after this review was posted. We suggested that they reach out and attempt to find resolution directly with this reviewer. As we’ve mentioned before, it’s always good to try to resolve issues directly with a customer first.
Our Client’s Response
- Within minutes they identified the reviewer and reached out to her with an apology.
- They offered to resolve the reviewer’s concerns and schedule her the next day for a treatment.
- They handled that appointment with professionalism and ensured the reviewer was completely satisfied.
- Before she left, they asked the reviewer if she was satisfied enough to update the initial review she gave.
The Result
The reviewer was indeed impressed enough with the level of response and the quality of treatment she received. Her updated review:
“Acme Plastic Surgery really earned an updated review here. They are customer oriented and really went above and beyond to make my previous experience right. The office manager called me, apologized, and rescheduled me for today. Top notch treatment and a really pleasant experience this time.”
Talk about a turnaround! Not only did our client reach out within minutes of finding out about this review, but they went the extra mile to ensure a flawless experience the second time around. This is a model example of how this needs to happen. Nice work!
An Alternate Scenario
So what if it didn’t go this well? What if the reviewer isn’t willing to let you help them or after trying to help them, won’t change their review? If you have already tried to reach out privately to the customer and you are not having any luck, then respond publicly.
Go to the review site where this negative review exists and respond as the business. State how regretful you are for the way they felt they are treated and publicly state you tried to reach out privately to address their concerns. Show the public that you wanted to address the reviewer’s concerns. In almost every case, it is smart to avoid disputing anything the reviewer says. That makes you look defensive and makes it appear that you are trying to minimize their complaints. “Own” the review, explain that you tried to make things right, and perhaps even express your own disappointment that the reviewer had a bad experience with your business.
If you do manage to make things right with the reviewer, but they either choose not to update their review or just plain forget, it’s worth a slightly different response. If after a reasonable amount of time the review is not updated, you can post your own response outlining the steps you took to help the reviewer. This of course needs to be within the bounds of HIPAA (or any other privacy guidelines your business must follow). Keep it simple and stick with the facts. Saying something like this is OK: “We wanted to do right by this reviewer. We contacted them right away and they came back in and received a service from us the next day.” Be careful not to suggest how the reviewer now feels about your business – don’t say “and now they love us” or “they couldn’t be more satisfied.” Just let the public know what you did in general terms to make up for the bad experience.
We hope everyone reading this has many positive reviews coming their way in the future, but when a bad review is posted, we also hope that you’ll remember this excellent case study and spring into action to protect the reputation you have worked so hard to create.