Tuesday Tech Tip: Negative Social Media Comments Can Still be Good for Business!

Tuesday Tech Tip: Negative Social Media Comments Can Still be Good for Business!

We often hear the same objection when we discuss social media with our clients: “What if someone says something negative about our office?” And, while we can understand your fears, we do not necessarily agree with them. The fact is, patients who feel that they did not have a great experience at your office are going to find ways to share their frustration whether or not you have a social media page. But if you do have a social media page on which they can vent their frustrations, you actually have an opportunity to address these issues that you would not have otherwise had.

There are four simple tips that can be effectively used to help turn a negative comment into a positive. However, you must be committed to following through on each one!

1. DO NOT DELETE OR IGNORE THE COMMENT. On platforms like Facebook, you could actually go through and delete negative comments that are posted there. However, this could actually do more harm than good. Those patients who happen to see the comment before you had a chance to delete it will probably notice when it’s gone from your wall. Think about how guilty you would look if you were going through and deleting this feedback. They’d probably automatically assume the disgruntled patient had a legitimate complaint. That’s bad news for you! So resist the urge to delete it, and instead do the following…
2. OWN UP TO IT. Okay, this might be hard to do because it involves admitting that the patient may have a legitimate complaint. And while you know and we know that your office is awesome, this patient doesn’t seem to think so for whatever reason. Instead of getting defensive, acknowledge the issue. Say: “Mr. Jones, we are so sorry that this was your experience at our office. Our goal with each of our patients is to give them the most individualized care possible and we never want one of our customers to feel that their business is not appreciated…”
3. FIX THE ISSUE. After acknowledging the patients complaint, find a way to make the situation better. Say: “I have spoken with Susanne, our office manager, and she will be calling you today to discuss your complaint and to work with you towards a solution. If she should miss you today, please feel free to call her here at the office at (555) 555-5555.”
4. FOLLOW THROUGH. It’s not enough to say you’re going to fix the issue. You have to actually do it. If you say you’re going to do something, make sure it gets done or you run the risk of the disgruntled patient posting more negatives on your Facebook wall. And it would really look bad to have a trail of broken promises all over your social media page.

By addressing each negative comment with this strategy, you’re ensuring that patients concerns are being addressed quickly. And by doing so, you’re showing potential patients that you value them and their opinions about your office. Most people tend to respect companies that acknowledge when they’ve made a mistake and find a way to fix it.