If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a glowing review must have “1,300-page-long-Russian-novel” status in convincing potential patients to choose your practice. Would you believe that 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation? Of course you believe it! When was the last time you made a serious purchase without checking the number of stars any given refrigerator or hotel got? And am I the only one who gets a little irritated by people who leave poor reviews about a product when they’re really just unhappy with the shipping? No…? Just me?
These days, you have to have an online reputation. It makes sense; choosing an orthodontist is a big deal! Not only are potential patients investing thousands with you, they’re often entrusting you with their most precious assets: their kids. Naturally, they want to make sure that you treat patients right, offer quality treatment, and do business well. In my mind, the importance of a solid base of positive online reviews cannot be overstated. The only trouble is…how do you get them?
There are serious reviewers out there–even a name for major Yelp reviewers, or “Yelpers”–but most people forget about reviewing once the moment passes. We’ve all been there, right? You have incredible service at a restaurant and want to review the place right then and there to make sure management knows that Lisa is the best waitress *ever* and the ramen was out of this world. But then you drive away, albeit with the best of intentions, and the thought never crosses your mind again. So the question here is, how do we prompt patients to review in a way that’s neither pushy nor passive? Well, we’ve got an idea we’d like to try with you!
This month, we put together review cards to encourage your patients to write up their experience at your practice. They’re small, bright, and straightforward, allowing patients to write their names on the front once they’ve reviewed you. The cards are then handed off to the front-office, placed in a fishbowl or the like, and one is drawn on a regular basis for some sort of prize. The details of implementation are up to you and what will work for your practice! What we’ve done has made it easy to:
a) incentivize patients to review you,
b) know how to do so, and
c) ask for a review without being pushy.
Who should ask for the review? Pick the person or people who has the best relationship with patients and ask them to own this task personally. You know who that person is; use their strengths here to help grow your office. You might even implement an incentive within the office to encourage maintenance of the review program.
A great time to hand out the cards is on the day braces go on or come off, or when a patient is feeling excited and happy with your office. We’ve also included detailed guides for your patients. Try keeping these around the clinic and front desk in case a patient needs more information on each step of leaving a Google review for your office.
Provide stellar service, do good work, and watch the reviews roll in! Some ideas for giveaways might be tickets to a sporting event, a gift card to a favorite local restaurant, or even a discount on treatment. Five stars for that! Have any questions about the best way to get or ask for reviews? As always, let me know! Email me at [email protected] or text/call me at 901-207-0604. We’re here to support your practice.