VMX 2020—3 tips for responding to a bad review

Has your veterinary practice received a bad review or two? Warranted or not, bad reviews can make you feel like you’re not good enough, and they can be painful to address. But don't ignore them. Instead, Robert Sanchez, CEO of Digital Empathy, says you should respond.

“You don’t want a bad review to fester without a response. Bad reviews get a lot more eyes to them than good reviews," Sanchez told dvm360 at this year’s Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX), held this week in Orlando, Fla.

So, how do you respond to these upsetting messages? Sanchez suggests the following:

First empathize with your client. Say something to the effect of "Mrs. Smith, I’m so sorry about what you are going through here. I want to tell you how important it is to us that we make it right."

State your values. For example, let them know that your practice’s mission is to provide the best quality of care to all patients.

Take the conversation offline. Provide the client with a telephone number to reach your practice manager.

Learn more about Sanchez’s best approach to responding to the worst of reviews in the video below.