Eyeworld

100 | EYEWORLD | MARCH 2020 I NSIDE THE PRACTICE Contact Kugler: lkugler@kuglervision.com Richards: marketing@tannerclinic.com Weiner: jweiner@solutionreach.com Dr. Richards said he created business cards that have URLs for online review websites. He hands them to patients at the end of each visit and asks if they might review their experience, explaining why such reviews are important to him and the practice. "Our clinic also uses a texting platform to reach out to patients after their appointments to request feedback via Google or Facebook review," he said. Mr. Weiner said to avoid "gating"—or pur- posely only sending invitations to patients likely to give high marks—and incentives. "These tactics are now frowned on by many sites and can result in reviews being removed or given a lower status," he explained. How do you think patient satisfaction relates to leaving a review? The best online reviews happen organically, Dr. Kugler said, as a result of an amazing customer experience. "The reality is that there are no shortcuts to authentic patient reviews. Effort should be focused on creating an incredible experience and outcome for patients, and the reviews will follow," Dr. Kugler said. There is an assumption that people only leave bad reviews, Mr. Weiner said. The data, however, suggests that only a small portion of people leave bad reviews. "Just because someone has a bad experi- ence, that doesn't mean they will leave you a bad review," he said. "The majority of happy patients say they would gladly leave a review if they were asked." Dr. Richards said you can't take negative reviews personally and you also can't fear them. "Always watch for them and respond to them in a timely fashion. The way you respond will tell patients a lot about you and your prac- tice. Taking the initiative to load your page with positive reviews will also help offset any nega- tive reviews that come your way," he said. when it is a provider asking," he said, adding that sending a follow-up text from someone in the office is the next best thing. "The sooner you can send it, the better, ideally before the patient even leaves the office. You want to get them while the visit is fresh in their mind, and having it come from someone they just interact- ed with is best." There are apps that allow the provider or staff person to simply click a button to send texts like this, making it easy, Mr. Weiner said. You can even automate sending out a text to every patient after their visit. He also suggest- ed focusing on areas where people are already sharing reviews, like Facebook and Google. Eliminating friction and effort is key for gaining reviews, Dr. Kugler said. "Often simply making them aware of the platform on which to write a review and provid- ing them with a link is enough for them to take 5 minutes of their time to share their experi- ence," Dr. Kugler said. Relevant disclosures Kugler: None Richards: None Weiner: None continued from page 98 Do's and Don'ts for online reviews •Do ask patients personally for reviews. •Don't only ask patients who you think will review you favorably. •Do send text messages or emails with links that make leaving a review easier. •Don't incentivize leaving reviews, as it could make them seem less trustworthy. •Don't be afraid of negative reviews. •Do address negative reviews quickly, showing that you are in tune with what people are saying and open to improvement.

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