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4. Handle it offline This is the first recommended action for managing any disgruntled patient review. There are times when email conversation can make a bad situation worse. Email has a dehumanising effect, and, because of this, it’s easier to be irate in email dialogue. By picking up the phone and making the effort to speak to the customer, and with the effort of simply listening to them, many frustrations and miscommunications can easily blow away. 5. Take time to listen As we all know, in any complaints process, having someone listen to us and empathise is the first step to resolving any dispute. In your online comments show that you are really listening and empathising with the patient who has taken the time to provide feedback, before inviting the person to contact you directly. 6. Don’t ‘fob them off’ Referring the user to information on your website or brochure page is a good idea only if the specific issue is clearly and succinctly dealt with in your website or brochure. But, let’s face it, very few websites are as well laid out as they should be, and it may be harder than you’d imagine to find the one little nugget of information that is relevant or important. Making the user feel as though it’s their fault that they haven’t been able to find the relevant information might only fuel their irritation. 7. Don’t be surprised if… People publicly post your private responses to them. That’s okay – they have the right to broadcast your responses. Unfortunately, you don’t have the same privilege. Don’t be surprised if irate customers say things that aren’t true, frame responses negatively, or are downright offensive. Also, don’t be surprised if someone who is very angry doesn’t bother responding to your carefully crafted comments, or polite invitations to discuss the issue. In these cases, let your last words be the ones to remember. Remain calm, be pleasant, utterly professional and always well-mannered. This is what will last in the mind of the reader – no matter what the initial complaint.
Dealing with malicious reviews and trolling Negative comments and complaints are one thing, but there’s a fine line that can be crossed. Have you heard of internet trolls? This is the term I would use for a person who starts online arguments or upsets people by posting inflammatory or off-topic messages in an online community, in order to provoke an emotional reaction from fellow contributors and readers. The very best advice is: do not feed the trolls. Some people are so provocative, and so clearly driven by malice, that their own comments are enough to ensure that no-one takes them seriously. By engaging in an online back-and-forth you are simply playing into their hands, and potentially causing more trouble than it’s worth. It’s also incredibly difficult to engage with people who are purely out to stir and cause argument without losing your cool, which sends out the wrong message on a public space, and can damage your brand. Check to see if their content warrants a complaint to the host of the review site (if their comments are clearly untrue, for example) and in the meantime, leave well alone. Most review sites provide you with means to flag malicious content, such as the report button on Facebook,6 and many companies will have their own guidelines that must be adhered to. WhatClinic.com is based in Ireland where defamation law is extremely stringent,
Aesthetics
as outlined in the Defamation Act 2009 (which came into effect in 2010).7 No matter where the location of the clinic that is being reviewed is, as the publisher, WhatClinic.com must adhere to Irish law. This means all of these reviews are verified, both by phone and by email, to confirm they come from real patients. Then, a moderator actually reads the review to ensure that it’s not offensive, malicious or defamatory. It means a considerable number of reviews don’t make the grade and cannot be published, but we work hard to engage with patients to help them get their point across in a frank and honest manner, which meets our review guidelines.
Negative reviews only have power if they stand alone When you think about it, one or two poor reviews beside a hundred great ones are actually not that bad. In fact, they can be quite reassuring to the consumer, because it shows that these are indeed genuine reviews from real patients. Realistically, if no one provided any constructive criticism, would you really trust the forum? Many would argue not. How you handle a bad review is often of more interest to other readers than the actual complaint. Every poor review is an opportunity for you to show off your customer care, your patience and your empathy, and you shouldn’t lose sight of that. On our site, we have found that clinic listings with lots of reviews are more popular than those without. There are lots of ways you can encourage patients to leave reviews: 1. Put a link to a review site in the bottom of your emails or on your website 2. Email customers and ask them politely if they would like to review your clinic 3. Add suggestions to receipts and in promotional material that you welcome patient reviews It’s also a great idea to maximise the value of online reviews and market them to your benefit. Why not share your favourite reviews on your social media platforms, or to add them to your website, brochures and point of sale? As a means to really get to understand your patients as consumers, reviews can give you a window into how real patients view your business. That information can often be worth its weight in gold. Whilst online reviews have led to an increased power of C2C marketing,8 remember that it’s a conversation that you too can very easily, and effectively, engage in. Emily Ross is the marketing and communications director of WhatClinic.com – a search engine that lists more than 100,000 private clinics worldwide. She is a regular speaker and lecturer on social media and digital marketing. REFERENCES 1. Get Reviews on Google (US: Google, 2015) <https://support.google.com/business/ answer/3474122?hl=en-GB> 2. About (Ireland: WhatClinic.com, 2015) <http://about.whatclinic.com> 3. Josha Sophy, Facebook enables starred reviews for some businesses (US: Small Business Trends, 2013) <http://smallbiztrends.com/2013/11/facebook-starred-reviews.html> 4. Anthony Ha, Facebook Says There Are Now 40m Active Small Business Page (US: Tech Crunch, 2015) <http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/29/facebook-40-million/#.eqpw5y:74fl> 5. What Happens After You Click “Report” (US: Facebook, 2015) <www.facebook.com/notes/ facebook-safety/what-happens-after-you-click-report/432670926753695> 6. Defamation Act 2009 (Ireland: Houses of Oireachtas, 2009) <www.irishstatutebook.ie/pdf/2009/ en.act.2009.0031.pdf> 7. Myles Anderson, Local Consumer Survey 2014 (US: BrightLocal, 2014) <www.brightlocal. com/2014/07/01/local-consumer-review-survey-2014/>
Reproduced from Aesthetics | Volume 2/Issue 8 - July 2015