Social media. It’s all around us.
For many, their Facebook news feed is the first thing they check when they wake up and the last thing they look at before going to bed. It is where they turn for input before making a decision or purchase — from vacations to restaurants to yes, even physicians.
One post from a super satisfied patient about your practice can spread like wildfire, sparking interest, building awareness, and generating new patient referrals.
Unfortunately a negative post can also ignite, fanning the flame of negativity as others comment and share, and burning down your reputation.
No one is perfect. Bad days happen. You are running late. Your billing staff makes a mistake. Your office makes a scheduling error.
It is how you handle those bad days that determines what your patients will post about you. Two ways you can boost the chance it won’t be a negative one:
1. Make sure those bad days are the exception not the norm.
2. When those bad days happen, promptly acknowledge, personally apologize and creatively make amends.
Don’t underestimate the power of a post.