Reputation Management
A few negative reviews, scattered across multiple platforms, can quickly tarnish a cosmetic surgeon’s credibility, ultimately costing tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue. A doctor’s online reputation is often the first thing potential patients see. Unfortunately, it takes very little negative feedback to bring down a physician's reputation for years to come.
There is little to no way a doctor can counteract this information, once it is online, even when the negative review is unfounded. This is where MD Internet Marketing can help. We have successfully removed more than 100 reviews from Google, My Business, Yelp, Facebook, and RealSelf, dramatically cleaning up each cosmetic surgeon’s online reputation and restoring a positive online presence.
Understanding the Origin of Negative Reviews
Inevitably, bad reviews are going to happen to the best of doctors. No matter how friendly the bedside manner, or the customer-centric attitude of the staff, sooner or later, a disgruntled patient will come along. Some patients are argumentative and combative, while others may be upset over things out of your practice’s control, such as their insurance company's refusal for reimbursements, while others are simply having a bad day. It is not just fickle patients that are leaving sour reviews; unhappy ex-employees, former colleagues, and even competitors will use anonymous online testimonials as a way to get back at your practice. MD Internet Marketing has seen it all. MD Internet Marketing’s President Logan Pence was recently published in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Read the article here.
Cosmetic surgeons are dedicated to providing exemplary medical care and now must also provide excellent customer service. Yet with no accountability for unfounded negative testimonials, most anyone has the power to say whatever they want online. These reviews will last forever, while the only person feeling any repercussions is the doctor.
Offsetting a Bad Review
Online reviews can have a significant impact on a medical practice's reputation, which is why it's essential to have a proactive strategy in place to manage them. The first step is to encourage happy patients to leave reviews and testimonials. There are several effective methods to achieve this, such as sending follow-up emails after appointments or actual asking them for leaving reviews.
However, even with a proactive strategy, negative reviews can still arise. In such cases, it's crucial to have a specific tested process in place to address them. Ignoring negative reviews is not an option since they can have a significant impact on a practice's reputation and deter potential patients from seven contacting your practice. Instead, a proactive approach is necessary to mitigate the damage caused by negative feedback.
One effective way to address negative reviews is to respond promptly and professionally. Acknowledge the reviewer's concerns and offer a sincere apology if necessary, in a HIPPA compliant format. Provide a brief explanation of what steps the practice is taking to address the issue and invite the reviewer to discuss the matter further offline. It's essential to maintain a calm and professional tone throughout the response and avoid becoming defensive or confrontational.
Another effective strategy is to address negative reviews is to provide an amazing patient experience. By optimizing the patient experience and acquiring more positive reviews, it's possible to push negative reviews further down in search results, making them less visible to potential patients.
At MD Internet Marketing, we specialize in helping medical practices manage their online reputation. Our team of experts can provide customized solutions to help you build a safety net of positive reviews and address any negative feedback that may arise. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help your practice thrive online.
Suppressing a Bad Review
Once a negative review has been written online, it can be very difficult to remove. While it can be done, removing reviews from Google My Business, Yelp, Facebook, and RealSelf is an art. This is a meticulous process that takes both skill and a comprehensive understanding of the individual platform, knowing exactly how the specific review system works.
Keep in mind, because of HIPPA regulations, surgeons do not have the ability to publicly defend themselves. Unlike other businesses that receive online reviews, doctors are strictly prohibited from sharing any facts or even confirming the review is from a patient. This makes it impossible to refute an unfair or unjust testimonial without breaking medical privacy laws. Without the power to share their side of the story, just a few bad reviews can prove detrimental to a doctor’s practice.
MD Internet Marketing Removes Bad Reviews
At MD Internet Marketing, our professionals have a deep understanding of patient review platforms, offering the most effective and successful chance for removing a negative testimonial. Working together to isolate the lowest reviews, there is a reasonable chance negative testimonials can be removed. MD Internet Marketing will analyze your online reviews for FREE, locating the problematic reviews that are tarnishing your reputation as a cosmetic surgeon. Once a negative transcript has been isolated, MD Internet Marketing will delve into the review and the platform, determining the potential to have it removed. This location service is complimentary for cosmetic surgeons.
However, once the negative review has been removed and is no longer online, a fee of $750.00 will be due.
MD Internet Marketing Monitors Your Online Reputation
Constantly monitoring online reviews should be an integral part of every plastic surgery practice’s growth strategy. MD Internet Marketing takes the difficulties out of tediously searching the various online review sites. We are your biggest ally, constantly watching more than 70 online profiles.
We highly recommend working proactively to get positive reviews before you ever receive a negative testimonial. If your reputation has already been damaged by a negative review, contact MD Internet Marketing to enact a reputation restoration plan. Call our office at (954) 993-5154, or fill out our online Contact Us form, to get more details on our system to eliminate harmful and unjust, negative reviews.