Soliciting Urgent Care Reviews – Best Practices

Why are Reviews so Important?

Online reviews are crucial for urgent care clinics for many reasons. First, they foster trust and credibility among potential patients who seek immediate medical attention. With numerous urgent care centers available in any given area, reviews serve as an important factor for influencing a patient’s decision. Reviews reflect the quality of care, customer service, and overall patient experience, extending beyond the mere medical treatment. Moreover, these reviews allow clinics to identify areas of improvement and cater to their patients’ needs effectively. Thus, positive online reviews not only improve the clinic’s reputation but also contribute to its long-term success by attracting more patients. Online reviews are often the first place potential clients look when deciding whether to book an appointment.

Because of all of these factors, it is important for businesses to do whatever they can to encourage patients to leave positive reviews of your clinic. Below, you will find best practices for increasing the number of (positive) reviews you receive.

Please note that this article does not constitute legal advice regarding HIPAA; we are not attorneys and encourage you to consult with one if you have any questions or concerns about HIPAA compliance.

Use a Script at Their First Visit

Help your front office team set a goal for how many patients to request reviews from: for example, ask at least two patients per day (or some other reasonable target based on average patient volume). Once they get the hang of it, it will become routine. Here’s how it should go:

Once the initial appointment is over and the patient is checking out, the front desk person should ask the patient how the visit went. If it went poorly or if the patient seems neutral about it, don’t ask for a review. But if the patient tells you they had a positive experience, use the script below to ask for a review.

The key is to ask them to leave a review for the clinician with whom they had an appointment, not for the clinic itself. Don’t just say, “Could you please post a review of our clinic on Google?” Instead, use a script something like this:

“Hi, how was your visit today with Dr. Smith?”

(wait for reply – if experience was positive then keep going)

That’s great to hear! We love Dr. Smith. She is passionate about what she does and is always trying to find more ways to serve the people of [name of city]. She would be thrilled if you left him a Google review about your experience at [clinic name]. Would you be willing to leave her a quick review? It only takes a minute and it would help us help more people.”

(wait for the yes – if you get one then keep going)

“Thank you! I can send you a link you can use to write the review. And don’t hesitate to mention Dr. Smith by name in your review.”

Don’t forget to send the link as promised, unless the person specifically mentions they can follow up via Google directly. You can also post a sign at your front desk with a QR code that patients can scan that takes them directly to your Google business profile – this may encourage patients to write the review immediately rather than waiting until they get home (where they might forget).

Ask for Reviews on Your Website

Put a clear and prominent call to action on your homepage that specifically asks for Google reviews and provides a link to your Google profile. This also doubles as a sales tool, because new patients coming to your site can click to read all your reviews.

Reach Out Via Email (or Text)

Sending timely email campaigns to your patient lists is another great way to generate reviews. Below are recommendations for separate email campaigns.

• All patients. You don’t want to do this too often, but a monthly email campaign to your entire list can help generate reviews. Again, you just have to ask, and it also helps if you can provide a link to the review site. If you already have an established email campaign (say, a health newsletter or something similar), consider adding a module to it that asks for reviews.
• New patients. A patient’s first visit is usually the most important one for the clinic. A positive experience ensures that the patient will come back next time they need care. One great option for keeping new patients engaged is to send a welcome email drip campaign – a series of 2-3 emails over the course of a couple of weeks with general information on the clinic, resources and health info, etc. You can include a request for a review in any/all of these.
• Custom emails. For patients who had an outstanding/uniquely positive experience, follow up with a personalized email asking for a review. This is hands-down the best practice using email to generate reviews as it’s the most personal. But it is also time-consuming, so it’s best to save this method for patients whom you know had an outstanding experience (and therefore whose review will have the greatest impact).
• Use surveys. Send out a survey to a list of patients and make sure you have an open-ended field asking about their experience. Then, follow up with anyone who provided positive feedback with a personal email asking for a review on Google. This takes a little more work, but it’s typically very effective.

Respond to All Reviews

This is not just a rule for those who left a negative review. It’s almost as important to respond to a positive review. Why? Because anyone researching your clinic online will most definitely browse through your reviews, and seeing that a clinic replies to everyone conveys that they care about all patients.

Keep in mind that getting positive reviews online can take time, as only a small percentage of people will actually follow through with a review. But if you implement systems to ask for reviews, you will slowly but surely build your reputation.

One of the tricky parts about replying to urgent care reviews is maintaining HIPAA compliance. For more information on replying to reviews with HIPAA compliance in mind, check out this blog post: HIPAA Considerations for Medical Practice Review Responses

Additional Suggestions

Hand Out Cards or Brochures

You can also give out cards or other printed material that asks for Google reviews and explains exactly how to leave one (using a QR code is a great way to get people to the correct page quickly). And again – you can put a version of the script on the printed material. You can suggest that they leave a review for the person and to describe how the clinician helped them.

Send a Postcard or Thank You Card

A printed note has even more power than an email. People appreciate thoughtful, personal gestures like this. And by combining the thank you card with the review request, you will break through their resistance.

Make it Personal

Part of providing a top-tier patient experience that will drive retention and satisfaction is personalizing your services. Add a personal touch to your request for an online review by addressing the patient by name and congratulating them on the progress they’ve made in their physical therapy sessions. Reiterate that you value their feedback and that you want to use it to help provide better services and help prospective patients. Don’t forget to reply to your patient’s reviews and thank them for sharing their experience.

Make is Easy

Remove any barriers your patients might have to overcome before they leave you a review. Some patients might not have an account with Yelp, but they have an account with Google or vice versa. If your patient has to sign up for a new account just to leave your practice a review, there’s a good chance they won’t end up leaving one. Give your patients the option to leave a review on their preferred platform, so you don’t miss out on a positive review!

Conclusion

By implementing the above strategies and systems to ask for positive reviews, you will gradually build your online reputation. Much of this work is up-front, meaning that once this system is in place, it will take minimal time and effort to maintain it. While it may seem like a daunting process, the outcome is worth the effort.

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