Negative online reviews are inevitable at a veterinary practice. Whether you respond and how depends on the circumstances.
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Mention “online reviews” to a veterinary professional and you’ll undoubtedly be greeted with eye rolls and groans, and maybe a few curse words. Managing a hospital’s online reviews and responding to them often produces the same enthusiasm as a pug at a nail trim appointment. Fortunately, most reviews are positive and essential to our businesses. They attract new clients and team members, bolster credibility, improve search engine rankings, and provide valuable client insight, virtual high-fives and thank yous that we can share with our teams.
But then you get occasional bad reviews that cast a shadow on your veterinary practice. You might deserve them because mistakes happen. Those comments are best acknowledged and handled by calling the pet owner before you craft an online response. You also might need to consult with your lawyer.
While bad reviews sting, what’s worse are those you don’t deserve.
For example:
Reviews left by clients you can’t identify.
People who confused your practice with another one.
Random online visitors spewing negativity into the world without fear of repercussion.
Such undeserved posts can damage your practice’s reputation and your team’s mental health.
Your first three options are to:
Do Nothing
Ignoring a review is valid if you immediately identify it as spam or ludicrous. There’s no rule that you must respond. Rather than dignify ridiculous reviews with a reply, you can focus on the constructive feedback in other posts.
This approach works especially well when your practice has a review-response strategy and a foundation of largely positive posts. Carefully monitor mindless reviews to ensure they don’t escalate, threaten harm, or multiply out of control.
Report Them
Flag reviews that violate a review platform’s terms of service. Such violations typically involve profanity, threats of harm, and hate speech. Many business reviews fall into the “he said, she said” category and do not elicit removal. Fortunately, review platforms have become more active in intervening to prevent cyberbullying.
Respond to Them
Answering an undeserved review is akin to foreign-body surgery. It might be a quick in and out, or it might involve, in veterinary terms, a necrotic bowel, a resection anastomosis, and lots of post-op care.
Remember that your response will be visible to the world, including new clients and prospective team members. While the review appears preposterous to you, will everyone else see it the same way? Could there be an ounce of truth in the comments? A response might be warranted if you find it necessary to correct wrong information or defend your veterinary practice.
Before you respond, understand your state’s practice act and regulations. While veterinarians aren’t held to the same privacy rules as our human medicine counterparts, you might be limited in what you can disclose about a client or patient publicly. Some states, notably Texas, waive pet owners’ confidentiality if they post false information in a public forum. The veterinarian can share facts that refute the review but may not reveal other personally identifying information.
If you want to respond, allow a cooling-off period for yourself and the reviewer. In the absence of threats of harm or cyberbullying, wait 24 to 48 hours and then respond during business hours.
Don’t let online haters affect your life outside of work more than they have. A break is good for both parties and helps you respond more effectively.
Going Offline
I’ve seen online reviews deleted or altered in response to a verbal conversation between the two sides. I’ve never seen an online review change because of a practice’s online response. If you can identify the reviewer, calling the person might be worth the effort and discomfort. Be sure to document the call. (Record it if permitted by law.) If nothing else, you can now respond online to the review and demonstrate that you reached out.
Other Tips
Keep the following advice in mind.
Only the practice owner, manager, or seasoned team member with experience handling online reviews should respond to the flagged post. Be sure to notify leadership beforehand.
Identify a point person. If the reviewer responds, calls, or shows up at the practice, the team should know who is in charge of handling the situation.
Suggest the next steps if you want to continue the conversation or resolve the issue. For example, you could post, “If you’d like to continue this conversation, please email our practice manager Jan at ….”.
If the reviewer remains unhappy and you see or desire no path to a resolution, reply that the person can email your office to request that patient records be sent to a veterinarian of their choice. This approach demonstrates to the public that you’re helping the pet continue veterinary care and might satisfy any local requirements for facilitating care.
Know the facts. If you can identify the reviewer, read the medical records, check for signed estimates, and talk with team members who worked with the client.
Ask an objective third party to read your reply before you post it. If the review mentioned a particular team member, that person should not be the responder. An uninvolved team member, family member, or even ChatGPT can provide nonpartisan observations.
If you can identify the reviewer, note it in the record. I’m surprised how many negative reviewers return for further pet care. The notation will inform you and your team how best to deal with the client next time.
Keep your reply short and sweet. A lengthy response can appear defensive and open further debate. Stick to the facts.
Showing compassion for the pet is the right thing to do and demonstrates your true self to the world.
Alert your team if you think a disgruntled client might cause trouble. Have a game plan for what to do if further interaction occurs.
Look at the Bright Side
Above all, don’t let negative reviews get you down. They happen at every clinic and in every industry. Remember that your practice likely has an army of online ambassadors. A few one-star posts won’t harm your overall rating if you have hundreds of good reviews.
Finally, invest time and effort in soliciting online reviews from satisfied clients and make leaving a review easy. Check out my article “Focus on the Positive” at bit.ly/positive-reviews-TVB.
Your practice, team, and mental health should celebrate the wins rather than worry about the trolls.
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