When Social Media Hurts

We know that there a lot of choices for aesthetic services in Colorado, so patient satisfaction is of the utmost importance to us. Getting feedback from our patients is a top priority.   Surveys are a key component to knowing how well we achieve our goal of our patients not only being thrilled with their outcomes but being treated well throughout the entire process.   We survey our patients after consultations, surgery, follow-ups and skin care services and pay very close attention to the responses we receive.  Every positive survey is fantastic but it is the surveys that point out some improvements that receive the most attention from our surgeons, providers and staff.   We know we provide a great experience for our patients but we are always looking to improve.

Another very public feedback loop is review sites. Review sites are great because they give potential patients another tool in their arsenal to help choose the best surgeon and/or skin care providers.   Hearing other patients’ experiences is almost as good as getting a referral from a friend because these are third party sites that we as a practice don’t control, so the opinions and reviews aren’t biased.  The vast majority of our reviews are glowing; a testament to the amazing outcomes that our surgeons, Dr. Wolfe, Dr. Vath and Dr. Steinwald achieve and the support staff that works so closely with our patients through their surgical process.   Positive reviews are great for us to see but once again there are times when a patient can turn to social media to give us feedback that we need to listen to.   While getting a negative review hurts, we see it as an opportunity to better our practice and the patient experience.  We respond quickly to any review that is less than favorable and always encourage the reviewer to communicate with us, one on one so we can turn a challenging situation into a positive one.

What is the takeaway for a potential or return patient reading reviews?

• Look at the overall performance of an aesthetic practice when looking at review sites.  A sign of an unbiased review site would be positive reviews and an occasional unfavorable one.
• Reviews should just be a piece of the puzzle in choosing the right surgeon for you.  Check their credentials, before and after photos and meet with a surgeon or aesthetic provider yourself to assess if they are the right “fit” for your needs.   Choosing a surgeon or aesthetic provider is a process and finding the right surgeon is critical to you attaining your outcome while being well taken care of throughout the journey.

Good luck.  If there is anything that we can do to help, please contact us and we would be more than happy to help you begin the process.