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How to Get More Online Dental Reviews With InstaReview™

by | Apr 28, 2016 | Product Updates

Why is it so hard to get online reviews for your practice? Your patients always seem happy and you are confident in your services. So, why don’t you have tons of five-star reviews on online review sites such as Yelp, Google and Facebook?

When patients leave your office, the last thing on their mind is to write a review. Even if they are satisfied with their visit, there is little motivation for them to post a review. Yet, it’s the patients who believe they had an awful experience who are compelled to talk about it! Those patients are often looking to vent and leave a negative review the second they get home.

The main reasons that prevent patients from leaving a review are:

  • They never thought to do so
  • They forget
  • It’s just too difficult!

In today’s “Age of the Customer,” customers expect consistent, high-quality service. Unless your office goes above and beyond, you are likely just meeting their expectations. It may not even cross their mind to write a review about a regular dental visit. That is, unless, you ask them to!

Related: The 5 Things to do Today to Wow Your Patients

So how do you get a lot of great reviews? Ask your patients to review and make it incredibly easy for them to do so! YAPI’s new InstaReview™ feature allows you to do just that. InstaReview™ helps overcome barriers to getting reviews directly on sites like Google and Yelp.

 

How does InstaReview work?

With InstaReview™, your patients get an automated or on-demand review request via SMS. It includes a link that allows them to post a review easily.

InstaReview YAPI

 

Ask your patients for reviews!

Now that you know how easy it is for your patients to leave a review, the next step is to ask them for a review. Many doctors and teams hesitate to ask for reviews because they don’t know how or don’t feel comfortable. They might feel as though they are bothering patients by asking. In reality, most patients are happy to leave a review when you ask them. If you ask in a polite way, they won’t be turned off even if they don’t want to review your practice.

Whenever a patient praises your office, take this as an opportunity to ask for a review. Don’t just ask patients who openly express enthusiasm for your practice. Ask everyone!

Here is a sample dialogue you may use:

Doctor: I’d like to ask you a favor. Would you mind taking a few minutes to write a review for us? Your comments will help other people who are looking for a great dentist to learn more about our practice. May I send you a link to where you can review us?

Cindy: Sure! I’d be happy to write a review. I always recommend you guys to everyone!

Doctor: Thank you so much! I’ll send you a text with a review link right now. Your loyalty is truly appreciated. I am really looking forward to reading your comments and sharing them with my team.

In this situation, the dentist is choosing to send an on-demand request while the patient is still in the office.

Keep in mind, a patient is more likely to review when they are personally asked by the dentist or hygienist. They feel more of an obligation to the person who actually performed work on their teeth. If the dentist asks them for a review and sends a link right away, they feel committed to write a review because they know you know they received the link. Regardless, it’s better for anyone to ask than no one at all! If the dentist is busy, have a designated person at checkout ask patients to leave a review.

InstaReview’s other option is to send an automated SMS request. This is a great general system to have in place if you don’t get the opportunity to talk with a patient in person.

 

Don’t forget to say thank you!

When patients take the time to leave a positive review for your practice, let them know you appreciate their time and feedback. You can send a simple email or better yet, a handwritten card. They are sure to appreciate this gesture. It is a way to further build relationships with your patients and keep them coming back. Their review made your office feel special, so it’s nice to make them feel special as well.

 

How do I get InstaReview for my office?

If you already have YAPI, that’s great! You can get started with InstaReview™ right away. Make sure to claim your practice’s profile on Yelp, Google and Facebook. We also recommend creating a profile on Healthgrades if you don’t already have one. You must claim your profile on these sites if you want your patients to be able to review your practice on each of these sites.