How To Ask Your Dental Patients For Reviews

IN YOUR OFFICE: One of the most effective ways to impress on your patients that their reviews are important is to let them know at the time of their appointment. By creating a script or a few simple prompts for your staff to use when completing patient check-out, you can increase the capture rate for those willing to leave reviews. Asking how their experience was while they are in your office opens the door to asking for reviews, especially when the patient is giving praise.

A GENTLE NUDGE: Everyone’s busy, so even the most well-intentioned patient may forget to go online and submit a review after they leave your office and continue on about their day. Print a reminder on your Appointment Cards – chances are, these will be looked at multiple times by your patients. If you send postcards, thank you or holiday cards, or other mailed correspondence, include the web address to your review sites.

ONLINE: Speaking of, make it easy to leave a review on your website and social media platforms by placing a call-to-action on the most frequently visited portions of your sites. A button on your homepage or targeted ads on social media make it easy for patients to navigate to your reviews. Similarly, maintain a presence on third-party review sites by claiming your profile and adding an “About Us” section so that respondents know they’re submitting reviews to a legit outlet.

TAKE IT TO TEXT: You should be using follow-up texts or emails after each patient visit, or to remind them of upcoming appointments, so why not ask for a review at this time? Add a clickable link that will take them directly to the review platforms on your website, Facebook, or Google.

PROMO ITEMS: Stay on the mind of your patients between appointments with branded promo items, such as toothbrushes, lip balm, floss, or pens and pencils. While maybe not resulting in a direct review, seeing these items regularly, your patients will be more likely to bring up your name when recommending services to friends and family.