Mar 05 2019 14 mins
Have you ever been tempted to respond to patients who had a negative experience and have taken to the internet to tarnish your business reputation? Did you give in to the temptation? What is the best approach in these type of situations? On this episode, you’ll hear about how to respond to negative feedback online, when to use patient consent forms for pictures, how to best serve patients with disabilities, and much more. If you have struggled with how to respond to less than positive feedback online, you don’t want to miss this episode!
Don’t let yourself get dragged into an online argument.
If you spend very much time on the internet, you are likely familiar with review sites like Yelp. These type of sites can be helpful but often play to our worst instincts to blast others and complain without fear of facing the consequences. What should you do when you see negative public reviews or comments about your business? Should you engage and counter their argument or just let it roll off of your back?
Unfortunately, many of you won’t like my answer. While you can engage, I strongly caution against getting dragged into an argument!
The best course of action when dealing with negative feedback that attacks your business reputation is to acknowledge the response and thank the patient for providing valuable feedback. It is best to keep your response brief, professional, and positive or at least neutral. Remember, people on these sites are watching how you respond and they are judging your business accordingly.
Are patient consent forms for photo use really necessary?
I’ll admit it, I’ve had to stop following many of my clients online because I cringe when I see them post pictures for promotional use that show their patient’s information or image. In this day and age, you’ve got to be extra careful about displaying the image of your patient for marketing or any other outside use. If you are going to post a picture to social media or in some other promotional use featuring a patient, it’s best to make sure you have a patient consent form filled out. You don’t have to make this step difficult, there are a ton of resources out there with generic forms you can use to make sure you and your business reputation are covered. For more information on this vital topic, make sure to catch this episode!
Serving patients with disabilities.
Is your office prepared to serve your patients who have a disability? While most offices are prepared for those who have limited mobility or those who are blind, you might not be as prepared for other individuals with disabilities as you might think.
I recently received a call from a dentist who is trying to figure out how to best serve his patient who is deaf. The patient usually has their spouse accompany them to appointments to serve as their interpreter but they were unable to attend this upcoming appointment. In that situation, would you know what to do? Does your office have a plan in place?
While most offices won’t face this scenario, it is wise to have a plan written out and ready should the occasion arise. You need to know that you are required to accommodate all disabled patients and in this situation, that would mean that you have to provide an interpreter and you can not pass that cost on your patient.
To hear more about serving patients with disabilities while maintaining a positive business reputation, listen to this episode of Talking With The Tooth Cop!
Outline of This Episode
- [0:20] Are you paying attention to your business reputation?
- [3:45] How you should respond to patient reviews online.
- [5:10] Why you need consent forms when using pictures of patients for outside purposes.
- [7:10] Do you need to provide an interpreter for deaf patients?
- [12:40] Remember, there are riches in niches!
Resources & People Mentioned
Connect With Duane
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