Have You Been Yelped?

You know the saying that everyone’s a critic? It’s true. More than you may want to believe.

A recent article in Fast Company magazine told a story of a business owner who actually ended up being arrested for battery by responding to a complaint her business had received on the amateur critic site Yelp.

I’ve used the site many times to read reviews about restaurants, find gas stations, coffee shops, and other businesses. And believe it or not, the reviews have an impact on my perception of that business and whether or not I want to give my money to them. Is it right? Maybe. Maybe not. The point is that using this type of media can be a boon to your success or it can cost you dearly.

I recently did a search for Chiropractors in Atlanta to see what customers were saying.

Nothing.

Not one single review about a Chiropractor. And it’s not like the Atlanta metro area has a small population of DC’s. They’re everywhere, but still no reviews. There are four reviews about Life University.

What do you think your patients would say about you? Take a step back and think about the service you are providing your customers. How many stars would you get on Yelp? Would you be willing to encourage your patients, both active and inactive, to give your practice a review? It’s definitely throwing yourself out there, and you may not like what you read, but it does give you an incredible opportunity to improve.

Are you confident that the reviews would ALL be good, or can you make some changes to enhance the customer experience? Trust me, everyone has an opinion, and it’s up to you to create a great experience for your patients so that when they wish to express that opinion, it’s in your favor.

Take the risk. Get Yelped. If anything, it will force you to make changes to your service delivery that can only make your business better. And that’s always good.