How to Respond Positively to Negative Dental Patient Online Reviews

By Betty Hayden
•
15 Aug, 2017
•

You can be sure that many of your patients and potential patients are reading online reviews about your dental practice. In fact, over 85% of patients will look at online reviews before scheduling a doctor’s appointment.

Clearly, positive online reviews are beneficial to your practice growth. Be sure to quickly acknowledge and graciously respond to all positive online reviews about your dental office.

However, despite your best intentions, negative reviews do happen from time to time. How do you respond positively to negative online reviews?

1. Take a breath. Read the review a few times to be sure you understand it correctly.

2. Is there any truth to the negative review? Make any changes necessary to improve. Remember, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” ~ Bill Gates

3. Think before you speak or in this case, before you type out a reply. Don’t get defensive. It’s important to understand this fact, your patients and potential patients will watch to see how you respond to a negative review. Your goal with your online response is to acknowledge the patient’s complaint and to show your willingness to make amends. So you do want to respond fairly quickly.

4. Keep your reply short & simple, without violating HIPPA compliance (ie; avoid any details specific to the patient). An example response, "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience with us. We strive to take great care of our patients. Please call our office so we can address your concerns." Once you’ve replied, take the discussion offline. Do not engage in an online debate.

5. Call the patient. Listen carefully to their concerns and see how this issue may be peacefully resolved. You might be surprised to learn that many patients will remove their negative review once they feel their issues/concerns have been respectfully heard and addressed.

6. If the negative review remains online, BURY IT. Bury it with plenty of positive reviews! Encourage your current patients to leave online reviews about their positive experiences.

Don’t allow a bad review to get you down. Continue to work at building your positive online reputation as the go-to dentist in your community.

If you’re actively seeking powerfully effective solutions to grow your dental practice, you’ve come to the right place. Let Target Dental Marketing Consultants partner with you to create a business-building marketing system that will help you to:

· Define and target your ideal patient!

· Develop dental service packages that increase sales and profitability!

· Create a niche branding strategy which makes you truly unique and memorable!

As a special “Get Acquainted” offer, we’re giving away a free Marketing Health Check, valued at $99. Click here to accept your free dental marketing evaluation.

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Google Local Service Ads are now available for dentists

By Durga • April 11, 2023

Google Local Service Ads (LSAs) are now available for dentists, providing a new way for dental practices to increase visibility and attract new patients. LSAs are a type of ad that appears at the top of Google search results for local services, making it easy for potential customers to find and contact your practice.

With LSAs, dentists can showcase key information about their practice, including their location, hours of operation, and rating. This information is pulled from the business's Google My Business listing, ensuring that it is accurate and up-to-date.

One of the key benefits of LSAs is that they are targeted at people in the dentist's local area, ensuring that only people who are likely to visit the practice are seeing the ad. This helps to increase the chances of the ad being clicked on, and ultimately, can lead to more new patients for the practice.

Another advantage of LSAs is that they are highly customizable. Dentists can choose which services they want to advertise, and can even include special offers or promotions in their ads. This allows practices to stand out from the competition and attract more customers.

To get started with LSAs, dentists will need to create a Local Services account and pass a background check. Once the account is set up, dentists can create their ads and choose the services they want to advertise. From there, it's just a matter of monitoring the ad's performance and making adjustments as needed.

Overall, Google Local Service Ads are an effective way for dentists to increase visibility and attract new patients. With their targeted approach and customizable options, they can help dental practices stand out and grow their customer base.

10 Refreshing April Marketing Ideas for Dental Practices

By Souji • April 11, 2023

Discover innovative and engaging April marketing ideas for your dental practice. Boost patient acquisition and retention with these seasonal promotions and campaigns.

How Video Can Revolutionize Your Dental Implant Marketing

By Emily • February 28, 2023

ental implant marketing can be enhanced with the use of video marketing. Learn how video can help showcase your expertise, educate patients, and establish your brand as a leader in the field.

Dental Tips and Ideas for January

By Betty Hayden • January 20, 2018

Dental Practice Management

Insurance Maximums: Many of your patients dental insurance maximums renew on January 1st . Phone your patients with a friendly reminder of their renewed benefits and make a reservation for them to come in for their hygiene visit or incomplete treatment with the doctor. Include reminders on your social media pages.

Fun at Work Day: Jan. 26th - Have more fun in your office with Team Building Activities and Events!

“People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” ~ Dale Carnegie

In Office Fun: Potluck lunch, Ice Cream Truck, Carry out lunch (team choice), Crafts & Games.

Outside the office Fun: Bowling, Paint a Canvas, Shopping, Dinner, Cooking Class, Spa, Escape Room, Concert, Skating, Pottery Class, Theater, Skiing, Nature hike/walk, Etc.

Social Media: Utilize your social media pages to show your patients and potential patients what a fun office you have.

Marketing Ideas:

January is National Hot Tea Month –

Educational & Service Opportunity:

Drinking teas such as green tea can be very good for one’s dental health.

Does Tooth Sensitivity hold some of your patient’s back from enjoying their favorite hot beverage? Show them how you can help relieve/eliminate tooth sensitivity. This will give a nice boost to your production too!

Be Kind to Food Servers Month -

Get out in the community and visit local restaurants to engage with them by presenting dental gifts of appreciation to the food servers. For example, give out imprinted lip balm, care to share cards, or imprinted pens wrapped in a bow.

January 29th – National Puzzle Day – You can purchase puzzles at your local dollar store and give away to your patients as unexpected gifts. Tie a ribbon around the boxes and attach your business card or office information to it. Even if your patient doesn’t want the puzzle, they can give it away as a gift on your behalf to their friend, family member, co-worker or neighbor.

Wondering what to post on your social media pages? Here are some post ideas:

Drinking Straw Day: Jan.3rd

National Milk Day: Jan.11th

Organize Your Home Day: Jan.14th

Get to Know Your Customers Day: Jan.18th

Dental Drill Appreciation Day: Jan.26th

I hope you enjoy these dental marketing and practice management ideas.

Make 2018 your best year yet!

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Halloween Candy Buy Back Event Ideas

By Betty Hayden • September 18, 2017

Hosting a Halloween Candy Buy Back Event in your dental practice is a great way to not only reach out to potential new patients in your community but to exceed your current patients’ expectations. A Halloween Candy Buy Back allows for children to donate their excess Halloween candy in exchange for cash or prizes. It’s a fun, practical, and fairly simple event to host.

Here are a few ideas to help get you started:

Decide which organization you will be donating the candy to. Many offices choose Operation Gratitude.

Event Options:

In-Office – Host a weeklong event where children can drop off candy during office hours or select one day/evening after Halloween to host a fun candy buy back event.

Or you can do this:

Team up with a local school(s) and set up collection bins in each classroom where the kids can bring in their candy and the classroom with the most candy wins a gift card or get a local pizzeria to donate pizza for a classroom pizza party for the winning classroom.

Advertising your Candy Buy Back -

· Facebook Event

· Facebook Live Video

· Social Media Platform Posts

· Website

· Flyers

· Press Releases

· Emails/Texts

· Encourage your employees to share event information with their friends and family.

· Visit local businesses with event flyers

Strategic Business Alliance Opportunity –

Contact local businesses for donations of gift cards, prizes, and/or cash that can be given out in exchange for candy. In return, you will promote their business on your event advertising materials and social media posts.

Supplies –

· Scale

· Containers/Boxes

· Flyers

· Prizes/Cash

· Imprinted Toothbrushes

· Camera/Video Camera

Fall Dental Office Practice Management and Marketing Ideas

By Betty Hayden • September 18, 2017

October is the start of your fourth and final quarter of the year. We’re sharing some Practice Management & Marketing Tips and Ideas to help you make this your best quarter yet. Ideas that when implemented can help to increase production, boost team morale, exceed your current patients’ expectations, and bring in new patients.

Here are some tips and ideas for the month of October:

End of Year Dental Maximum Renewal Reminders - Get your letters (& phone calls) out to your patients reminding them to use any insurance benefits they have remaining for 2017 to complete any needed treatment or for their continuing care hygiene appointment before their maximums expire at the end of the year.

Customer Service Week – October 2nd -6th – “Customer Service” that is your theme for your next team meeting. Discuss with your team ways that you can continue to exceed your patients’ expectations by delivering excellent customer service.

National Face Your Fears Day: October 11th - Opportunity to share on your social media pages what you do in your practice to help make dental visits more comfortable for the fearful patient.

October 16th is Boss’s Day – Plan now to make this day special for your boss(es).

National Dental Hygiene Month - This is a great reason to promote sales of electric toothbrushes, home-care tools, adult fluoride and even sealants.

National Orthodontic Health Month - Use this as an opportunity to promote Braces/Invisalign. This time of year people are thinking about gift ideas and want to get their smile camera-ready for the holiday parties they’ll be attending.

National Book Month - Host a book drive for new and gently used books that will be donated to the local library, schools, or families in need.

Tips on How to Successfully Answer the Dental Office Telephone

By Betty Hayden • August 19, 2017

What happens when a potential new patient calls your dental practice? Do your team members consistently give them a great experience?

Knowing how to successfully answer the dental office telephone must be given top priority. Why is this so important? Simply put, you never get a second chance to make a great first impression. All of your marketing and advertising leads people to the phone first. You’ve invested time and money to get the telephone to ring. Don’t miss out on the privilege of giving your callers a great first impression.

Here are 10 tips and ideas to help you give your callers a great experience…

· Training – Entire team should role-play effective telephone etiquette and scripting.

· Answer the phone during times when potential patients are most likely to call. This includes during lunch hours and “after office hours”.

· Pick up the phone within the first couple of rings.

· Smile before you pick up the phone

· Answer the phone with a thank you for calling, identify the office and give your name.

· Do NOT let the caller go to voice mail (or a busy signal!) during business hours (including lunch hours). People hate leaving messages. Oftentimes, they’ll hang up and call the next office on their list.

· Never answer the phone with “hold please”. Take a quick second; find out who they are and how you can help them.

· Get the caller’s name and use it often.

· Ask how they heard about your office and be sure to document the referral source.

· Offer an appointment. Most callers are just an invitation away from scheduling an appointment. Always offer an appointment before ending the call.

Your goal is to not only schedule an appointment, but to build a relationship with the caller, to get to know them and their expectations.

Don’t miss out on any opportunities to set your dental office apart from the others by always exceeding the caller’s expectations.

Start the School Year with a Healthy Smile!

By John Adams • August 15, 2017

Back to School Dental Check-ups!

Though it is still summer, it’s time to beat the back-to-school rush and schedule your child’s Dental check-up.

Over 51 million #school hours are lost per year because of # dental related # illness . Make this school year the best yet and give your child a healthy, confident #smile. Beat the Back-to-School rush and schedule today at …

BACK-TO- SCHOOL CHECKLIST

√ Backpack

√ New Shoes

√ Haircut

Dental Check-up

Dental Marketing Ideas for the Back-To-School Season

By Betty Hayden • August 15, 2017

It’s no secret that most students, and even some parents and teachers, are not looking forward to the upcoming back-to-school season. What if your dental practice made the back-to-school transition fun for your community and profitable for you? Sound good? The month of August affords you the opportunities to do just that.

Starting now, build relationships with school staff & the families that attend these schools in your community. As well as exceed the expectations of your current school-aged patients and their families. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Use your dental office as a community donation drop off site for school supplies or new & gently used books to be donated to local children and/or any schools in need. Advertise in office; on your social media sites; to local businesses, and the local news media via press releases that your office is collecting donations for school supplies or books.

Share school-related dental health tips & ideas on your office Social Media pages. Content ideas such as:

Back-to- School Tips
Healthy Lunch/Snack ideas
What to do in a Dental Emergency?
Ortho care while at school
Dental Health (importance of, regular check-ups, sealants, mouthguards, fluoride & braces)

Back-To-School Special Offers and Promotions. During the month of August offer special pricing on preventive dental services and/or incentives for scheduling preventive back-to-school check-ups. Put together a fun school-themed gift basket that all patients with an appointment in August can enter a raffle to win. Consider teaming up with local businesses to receive donations for gift basket items.

These simple yet effective dental marketing ideas, when implemented, can help you reach your goal of growing your dental practice. Here at Target Dental Marketing we’ve studied and tested our dentistry marketing methods and know that they will increase your inflow of new patients and stabilize your business over time.

As a special “Get Acquainted” offer, we’re giving away a free Marketing Health Check, valued at $99! This uniquely customized professional marketing evaluation will help you to assess the effectiveness of your current marketing, as well as identifying areas for improvement. We welcome you to get to know us and the value we deliver. Simply follow this link: Free Marketing Health Check

Target Your Success!

How to Ask for Positive Online Reviews for Your Dental Practice

By Betty Hayden • August 15, 2017

Potential patients often rely on online reviews to help them choose a dentist. Positive online reviews are valuable to your practice growth. This means that it is a good idea to ask every happy patient to write an online review. But how do you do this without bugging your patients or sounding desperate for compliments?

The good news is it’s much easier than you may think. In fact, most happy patients are more than willing to write a positive review about their experience with your office. Some will take the initiative to write an online review, others need to be asked.

Here are 10 Simple Ways to Get More Positive Online Reviews:

1. Role play – Practice, practice, practice! Together as a team, practice asking for reviews until your request feels comfortable and sounds natural. Take time during your morning huddles, or weekly team meetings to role play.

2. Be alert to opportunities to ask for reviews – For example, make the most of compliments. When a patient compliments the practice, a team member, the dentist, or is thrilled about the dental treatment/procedure they received, after graciously thanking them, ask for a review. Something simple like: “Your feedback is very important to us. Would you be willing to share your experience with us by writing a short review that we might use to encourage others to…”

3. Or create the opportunity to request a review by asking: "Do you read online reviews? We do too! Would you be willing to share your experience with us by writing a short review that we might use to encourage others to…”

4. Signs posted in office – In your office, post nicely framed signs that let patients know that you appreciate them sharing their positive experiences by writing online reviews. Include icons for review sites. Consider using QR codes that will link patients to these platforms.

5. Instruction - Make an easy to follow instruction sheet that walks them through the steps of making a review.

6. Video - Share a video on Facebook and YouTube that demonstrate how simple it is to write a review(s).

7. Text/Email - Send your patients personalized texts and emails asking them to kindly write a review. For example, Dear Patient's name , we enjoyed seeing you today! Online reviews are a great way to help people, like you, find a dentist. If you’d like to share your experience by writing a review, here’s where you can do that:

8. Website – Include links on your website that patients can click on to write a review.

9. Gratitude - Regularly express sincere gratitude on your social media pages, website, newsletters, etc. for the reviews that you have received. This will inform your patients that you appreciate reviews and encourage anyone who hasn’t yet written a review to do so.

10.Acknowledge - Once your patients have taken time out of their day to write a positive online review, it is important to always reply to the review. This sends a message that you care about and listen to your patients.