They pop up everywhere now.
On websites, apps, and even on receipts from fast food restaurants, you will find a request to “give a five-star” rating. Everyone wants to be reviewed and is not ashamed to ask for a good one. But no one ever thinks that their request may be answered with a negative response.
The completely uncontrolled, unregulated request for a review has become the norm. It is considered unethical to ask for a five-star review. And yet, the survey is part of the experience, generic and without personality.
Oh, the Humanity!
What is not considered when asking for a review is the person’s current emotional state. Emotional status is a result of not just one thing, but many things. In all of our humanity, it is usually many small things clustering together and pushing us farther and farther into a spiral of frustration.
That is the state of the union with a human being; one bad thing upon another bad thing, and finally, the straw breaks the camel’s back. Frustration is a catalytic emotion. It can fire us up into an irritable state or shut us down, pulling us into a gloominess that we can’t explain. And when offered an outlet for that frustration, we use it. We are human, and we spend much of our time under a cluster of emotions, either ignoring all stimuli or overreacting to any stimuli.
Damage Control Prior to Damage
While you can’t forbid your patients from going to Google, RealSelf or some other sharing site, you can take one simple step to get in front of it. Other agencies might tell you it is best to just let them monitor sites for you and confront the problem when it appears. But Caledon Virtual has a different approach.
When a patient writes a review that is considered negative, most of those words are based on emotions. Emotions are strong bonds that exist because a relationship is perceived. So, when patients react negatively, they are not striking out to cause physical pain, or even to attack the doctor. They are operating from their brain stem; they are reacting to a perceived wound to a relationship.
Once a patient is released from the care of a doctor, that patient has time to reflect on not only the procedure and the outcome but also to consider the relationship. It is during this time that a perception is formed. And if something negative is lurking in that perception, it will become huge to the patient. That is where Caledon Virtual’s call for review becomes the mediator, the sounding board, and, more than likely, the bandage over the wound.
How Does it Work
It is a simple process. We receive, with your permission and a pre-signed release from your patients, a list of patients that you have seen in the last month, two months, quarterly, or biannually. Caledon Virtual’s outreach strategies team contacts your patients and has a conversation about the service they received, any concerns they might have had, and general questions.
If a patient had a good experience and wishes to provide a statement that can be used in your marketing efforts, we will record that and share it with you. If there is a problem or concern, we will record that as well and consult with you, seeking out your input on resolving the matter.
How Does it Work to Your Benefit?
Digital marketing is one of the most clinical industries outside the actual medical industries. Analytics lead digital marketers to make decisions. This opportunity for one-to-one outreach with your patients is, in this world where we are all broken down into unique visitors without faces, revolutionary.
Perhaps it shouldn’t be. But Caledon Virtual is on a path to change how digital marketing works, to make digital marketing work better. More individualized effort, more involvement with clients, and more communication. Thinking outside of the box is no longer something we do; it is in everything we implement.
If you’d like to learn more about the call for review strategy and how it can work for you, contact Caledon Virtual today and find out how we can put this strategy to work for you and your practice.
