Online reputation management for doctors has been a point where there has been a lot of activity in the last couple of years. Doctors are noticing the number of reviews customers can write online and that they should do something about it.
Online reviews affecting consumer behavior
When you read reviews on a company or a product, it clearly influences your buying behavior. When there are many reviews on a product, such as over ten and all five stars, customers will think they are fake reviews and not genuine on the real experience. Everyone is different, and therefore their definition of a great service or product they consume is different. Some people are easier pleased than others. People generally trust companies or do business with people with a generally accepted level of good reviews with the bad. No one is perfect, and people do make mistakes. It is how they bounce back from them and show the public how they would deal with certain situations that draw people in.
How doctors are affected by online reviews
Regarding doctors and the reviews found online, it greatly depends on the type of doctor they are and the area they live in. In some cases, doctors have a terrible rating of one star but still get a full patient list every day. This is due to the doctor shortage in some parts of the world and whether the clinic or hospital they work at is publicly funded. The best course of action to take is to always perform searches for your branded terms. This way, you can always be on top of what is being said about you. And the sooner you notice a negative review, the better it is since customers expect an answer to what they had just posted.
Whether you are a doctor working in a public or private clinic, it is always best to keep your reputation clean since your livelihood is your name people are reviewing your services. The best way to respond is to be as transparent as possible. If you made a mistake, admit it and reassure the customer that proper measures are being taken to ensure it will never happen again.
