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How to Ask A Patient for A Review: 7 Effective Ways
These days, online patient reviews are kind of like word-of-mouth—but on steroids. And for dental practices, they’re not just helpful—they’re a game-changer. Think about it: when someone’s looking for a new dentist, what’s the first thing they do? Yep, they check reviews.
So, your online reputation? It’s not just a nice-to-have—it’s a big part of what brings new patients through your door. Those star ratings and comments from happy patients can be the reason someone books an appointment—or keeps scrolling.
But here’s the thing: how do you actually get those reviews without making it awkward or pushy? How do you encourage your patients to share their experiences in a way that feels natural?
We’ll get into all of that in just a bit. First, let’s talk about why these reviews are such a big deal in the first place.
How do Patient Reviews Impact Dental Practices?
Patient reviews and customer reviews can directly impact the success of your dental practice. From enhancing visibility in search engine rankings to instilling trust in prospective patients, reviews act as an essential cog in the patient acquisition wheel. They effectively transform satisfied patients into believable advocates for your practice, helping you stand out from your competitors.
1. Enhancing Practice Visibility
Positive online reviews help elevate your practice’s visibility. How so?
Major search engines, like Google, prioritize businesses based on their reviews. A wealth of positive testimonials boosts your chances of making the cut for Google Local Service ads, giving your practice a better chance of being featured. These listings highlight your average review rating, helping people pick your practice over others in your area.
In simple terms, yesterday’s word-of-mouth has become today’s review on Google or Yelp. Therefore, it’s safe to say that good reviews are a must to attract new patients.
2. Establishing Trust and Credibility
Getting more visibility is great—but there’s more to patient reviews than just being seen. They help build trust.
Choosing a healthcare provider isn’t something people take lightly. They want to feel confident that they’re in good hands—and honest reviews make a big difference. Every positive comment about your care, your team, or even your friendly office vibe helps reassure potential patients that they’re making the right choice.
It’s like each review is a little vote of confidence that says, “Hey, you can trust this dentist.” And the more of those you have, the stronger that trust becomes.
How to Ask A Patient For A Review: Expert Strategies
Once you see just how valuable patient reviews can be, the next step is figuring out how to actually get them. The key? Keep it genuine.
You’re not trying to rack up five stars just for the sake of it—you want honest feedback that reflects real patient experiences. In the next few sections, we’ll walk through simple, effective ways to ask for reviews that feel natural, not pushy.
1. Direct Asking During or After Appointment
One of the most straightforward methods to encourage review writing is by directly asking your patients – either during their appointment or afterward.
Timing is crucial in this approach. Do not ask in the middle of a treatment or cleaning.
Instead, consider doing so once the procedure is complete when the patient is most satisfied with your service. You or a team member can politely ask for a review, explaining how valuable patient feedback is for your practice. If comfortable, you could even hand them a business card with links to your review sites.
2. Sending Personalized Emails
Email is a great, low-pressure way to ask for reviews—especially when it’s done with a personal touch. When a new patient comes in, make sure to collect their email during check-in. Then, a few days after their visit, send a friendly follow-up email thanking them for coming in and inviting them to share their experience.
The key here is to make it easy. Include direct links to your Google or Yelp page so they can leave a review with just one click. A simple, thoughtful message can go a long way in getting genuine feedback.
3. Utilizing SMS and Social Media Platforms
The prominence of smartphones and the consciousness of social media platforms make them perfect for asking patients for reviews. A simple and comprehensive text message, or even a QR code in a social media post, reminding patients to leave a review can work wonders.
On Facebook, you can list more than one URL – like for your practice’s website, Google, and Yelp profiles. For noteworthy impact, you could even guide them with a step-by-step method to navigate to the “Submit a Review” section for your practice name on each platform.
4. Boost Your Presence on Review Sites
If you want to attract new patients, you’ve got to show up where they’re already looking—review sites. Make sure your profiles on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Healthgrades are complete and up-to-date. That means having the right contact info, clear photos, and a friendly, professional “About Us” section that gives people a feel for your practice.
And don’t just set it and forget it. Replying to patient reviews—both positive and negative—shows that you’re listening and that you care. Once your profiles are polished, grab those links and put them to work. Share them on social media, drop them into your review request emails, or even add them to brochures or appointment cards. The easier you make it for patients to find and leave reviews, the better.
5. Encourage Reviews with a Little Incentive
Everyone loves a good deal, so why not offer a small incentive, like a 5 or 10 percent discount, to patients who leave a review?
It’s a great way to get more reviews quickly while rewarding your loyal patients. Just be sure to frame the offer in a way that emphasizes the value of honest feedback. Highlight the reasons why your dental practice stands out and how their review can help others make an informed choice. Keep it positive and make sure it feels like a reward for sharing their thoughts, not a bribe!
6. Follow-up with the Patients
If a patient didn’t leave a review after your first request, don’t worry—it doesn’t mean they won’t ever write one. Maybe you reached out at an inconvenient time, or they simply forgot. A gentle reminder can do the trick! We suggest creating follow-up email templates to send about 1-2 weeks after your initial request.
These friendly reminders help keep your practice top of mind and serve as a subtle nudge for patients to share their feedback, showing them that you genuinely care about their experience. Persistence can go a long way in building trust and getting those reviews!
7. Offering Simple Instructions on Platforms
While it’s critical to provide various platforms for patients to leave reviews, it’s equally essential to ensure the reviewing process is user-friendly. Clear and simple instructions contribute toward making the review-writing process an effortless task for your patients. In fact, many patients may have never written an online review before or might be unfamiliar with the navigation-related nuances of review sites. In such cases, consider providing a brochure with step-by-step instructions:
| Step number | Procedure |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Choose the platform where you wish to write the review. |
| Step 2 | Click on “Leave a Review” or a similar option immediately noticeable on the page. |
| Step 3 | Rate our service (recommended rating of 4 or 5 stars for satisfaction). |
| Step 4 | Write a few sentences about your experience with us. |
| Step 5 | Click on “Submit”. |
How to Streamline the Review Process for Ease?
To encourage more positive patient testimonials, you must focus on streamlining the review process. The following are effective ways to simplify review writing – claiming and updating listings on review sites, providing written instructions on how to review, or harnessing software for review collection.
Claiming and Updating Listings on Review Sites
Claiming your business on online review sites is the first step before you start inviting people to write reviews. Some largely visited platforms include Yelp, Google Business Profile, and Bing which make it easy for businesses to claim their listings where they can verify and update information about their enterprise – such as address, website URL, phone number, business hours, and more.
A quick overview of the process:
- “Holistic Insight Into Practice Performance and Doctors Personal Goals”
What do you like best about Practice by Numbers?
As a CPA and practice consultant, the integration of production data and cost data allows me to measure how the practices meet my Doctor’s desired personal efforts and lifestyle goals with their necessary financial rewards. Among the metrics I use to measure this is practice earnings per doctor hour. Once goals are established, necessary deficiencies and strengths can easily be identified with available metrics to ensure that these goals are met.
The automated weekly updates keep me informed of how each practice is performing. These reports are then shared with each doctor to keep them up to date.
These steps ensure your listings throughout the virtual space are accurate, complete, and ready to accept reviews.
Providing Clear, Written Instructions on How to Review
As mentioned before, clear instructions dramatically ease the review-writing process for your patients. Printable instructions or templates work great to guide patients. For example:
“I visited Dr. [Name] for [treatment]. Upon arrival, I was greeted by [describe experience]. My treatment was [describe process] and I found Dr.[Name] to be [describe experience].”
Such templates can guide your patients without influencing their opinions. Providing instructions for each review platform that consider the uniqueness of each site’s layout and requirements will encourage more of your patients to share their experiences.
Leveraging Software for Review Collection
There are tons of software tools out there that can make collecting reviews way easier. These platforms automate the whole process—so instead of your team manually following up, the system sends out personalized review requests for you. It saves time, keeps things consistent, and makes sure no patient slips through the cracks. Plus, a little automation goes a long way in keeping things smooth and stress-free for everyone.
Platforms like Practice by Numbers are useful in letting you customize text or email templates for review requests. They even automate the dispatch process based on preferences and integrate with your existing practice management software.
Leveraging suitable software can boost not just the quantity of your patient reviews but also influence the traffic on your practice’s online listings.
How to Manage Negative Feedback?
While everyone loves positive reviews, negative feedback happens to the best. Instead of seeing negative reviews as a bane, view them as opportunities to grow and transform your services. The upcoming sections will elaborate on the art of handling adverse comments and harnessing feedback for service improvement.
Handling Negative Reviews Like a Pro
Nobody loves getting a bad review—but how you respond can actually boost your reputation. Instead of getting defensive, use it as a chance to show your professionalism and commitment to patient care.
Start by taking a breath. Don’t respond right away—read the review carefully and try to understand their concern.
Then, reply with a genuine apology and address their issue directly. Keep it kind and respectful.
Finally, invite them to continue the conversation offline. Even if the review stings, a calm and thoughtful response shows others that you care and are always willing to improve.
Improvement Actions from Negative Feedback
Negative feedback isn’t just about damage control—it’s a chance to grow. Beyond showing you care about your patients, these reviews can highlight real issues that need attention.
Take note of any patterns—maybe patients mention long wait times, confusing billing, or a less-than-welcoming front desk. Whatever the concern, use that insight to make meaningful changes.
When you actively fix what’s not working, patients notice. Not only does it improve their overall experience, but it also helps cut down on repeat complaints in the future. It’s a win-win.
Ready to Ace the Review Game with Practice by Numbers?
A stellar online reputation isn’t just something that happens on its own—it’s something you actively manage through effective review management. Platforms like Practice by Numbers make it easy to handle your reputation, automating review collection, real-time monitoring, and integration with Google, Yelp, and Facebook, all while you stay focused on what you do best: providing excellent dental care.
Build a 5-Star Reputation with Practice by Numbers
Your practice’s reputation is essential for attracting and retaining patients. With Practice by Numbers, you can automate review requests, track patient feedback in real-time, and ensure smooth integration with major platforms, helping your practice stand out. A solid online reputation means more trust, more bookings, and sustainable growth.
Stop stressing over reviews. Let Practice by Numbers handle the heavy lifting with automated invites, real-time alerts, and valuable insights, so you can concentrate on giving your patients the best care possible. Ready to take your practice to the next level?
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I ask patients for reviews without seeming pushy?
Being direct, polite, and showing appreciation for their time makes your request for a review seem less pressing. You can also send them soft reminders via email or text with easy-to-follow instructions, making the process hassle-free for them.
How often should I update my review strategies?
As perceptions and customer behavior can change over time, regularly reviewing and updating your review strategies is beneficial. Assess what’s working for you and what’s not, tweak your request templates and platforms, or experiment with incentives within ethical guidelines to stimulate more reviews.
Can incentives be offered for reviews without violating ethical guidelines?
While offering incentives for reviews can boost their volume, it’s crucial to consider local laws and ethics. Ensure that your patients provide reviews willingly and feel like they are earning a reward instead of being bribed. Reviews, at the end of the day, must be authentic expressions.
What should I do if I receive a negative review?
Negative reviews present an opportunity for improvement. Respond to such reviews professionally and promptly, addressing the stated concern and encouraging the patient to discuss it offline. Simultaneously, identify the recurring issues from reviews and make systematic efforts to rectify them.
Why are patient reviews crucial for dental practices?
Patient reviews serve as personal recommendations that future patients rely on while choosing a healthcare provider. Good reviews not only enhance your dental practice’s visibility in search results but also foster trust and credibility amongst potential patients in finding a great dentist.
