Most people go online to search for services before buying them, including healthcare. In fact, according to a recent survey, According to the National Institutes of Health, 59% of Americans believe that online patient reviews are important when it comes to choosing a physician. This makes customer reviews almost as important as other factors, such as word of mouth from close friends and family. Particularly for healthcare, patient reviews play a huge role when finding and selecting a practitioner. Reading reviews of patients about doctor to patient communication and bedside manner, is extremely important in the decision-making process. On top of that, it can also help your business in several other ways.
Improve business services
A report under the AHRQ.gov’s section on improving patient care states that patient experience has a direct correlation to improved health outcomes. As care providers, it’s of top priority to deliver quality care each time, which then manifests into a positive patient experience. While you may be running a successful business, there will always be room for improvement. Make sure to offer patient satisfaction surveys covering the entire patient experience — from appointment scheduling, staff professionalism, wait time, and even communication channels. This gives you a broader and more comprehensive picture of what the patient experience truly is, allowing you to remediate and adjust services where needed.
Encourage interaction with customers
You can have the most stellar services and provide the best patient experience, but no one will know unless there are written accounts of it. This is why it’s important to encourage clients to create reviews. For instance, Inphonite’s Art of Chat offers conversational surveys for your clients, which are readily accessible through mobile devices. Whether they’re on the train or just at home, giving them the rein on when they want to spark these interactions definitely works to your advantage. Not only does this convey consideration for your clients’ convenience, but also prompts them to write about more positive experiences.
Create customer loyalty
Being able to post reviews means that your clients now have a voice and are real stakeholders for your business — this makes them feel valued. This is a great way to build customer loyalty and a community around your brand. This lets clients know that their feedback is important. Plus, it’s basically free marketing, with quality service as your only investment. 55% of consumers trust user-generated content over any other type of marketing. To maximize this, you can craft questions that will result in clients writing more fact-oriented and detailed reviews on the services they’ve received. It’s crucial that clients acknowledge a great experience and openly share that.
Customer reviews should not be an afterthought; instead, they should be part of your standard business procedure.
Article written by Romy Jacobs
Exclusively for inphonite.com
