How do you deal with negative Google reviews of your clinic?

Respond to a negative Google review calmly, briefly and without details. Thank the writer, acknowledge that the experience was unpleasant and invite them to discuss it outside Google. Never confirm that someone is or was a patient: for healthcare providers that falls under professional confidentiality. Reporting a review to Google only makes sense if it breaks Google's policy, and the best long-term answer is more genuine reviews from all your clients.

Breathe first, then respond

A negative review of your clinic feels personal, which is exactly why replying straight away goes wrong. Read the review, discuss it internally and find out what happened. Have one fixed person write the reply, such as the owner or practice manager, and ask a colleague to read it before you post.

Do not wait too long either. In the clinics we review, the critical reviews are often the ones left unanswered, while new clients read them first. A calm reply shows the next reader how you handle criticism. That reader is your real audience.

Bear in mind that Google notifies the writer when you reply, and the writer can still edit the review afterwards. Google also checks your reply before it appears; according to Google this usually takes about ten minutes but can take up to thirty days. You can edit or delete your reply later.

Confidentiality applies online too

For doctors and other healthcare providers this is the key point. According to the KNMG, the Royal Dutch Medical Association, medical confidentiality covers all information a doctor holds about a patient. Its guidance 'Artsen en social media' says you should not publish anything that can be traced back to a patient. It mentions a nurse who received a warning for a Facebook post showing that a patient had been treated at his hospital.

For a Google reply that means: even if the writer has made everything public, you do not confirm that this person is a patient. Phrases like 'during your treatment' or 'as we discussed at your consultation' already do that. ZorgkaartNederland states that the KNMG advises responding to a review in general terms.

If you are a beautician offering no medical treatments, medical confidentiality may not formally apply. The same restraint is still sensible. If you are unsure what you can say, check with your professional association or a lawyer before replying.

What to include in your reply

• A short thank you for the feedback.
• Acknowledgement that the experience was unpleasant, without admitting fault or confirming facts.
• A note that you do not discuss individual situations here.
• An invitation to get in touch, with a person's name and a phone number or email address.
• A calm, professional tone that matches your website.

An example: 'Thank you for sharing your experience. We are sorry to read that it felt this way. For privacy reasons we do not discuss individual situations here, including whether someone is known to us. We would like to talk with you. Could you contact Anna, our practice manager, at [phone] or [email]?'

A reply like this also works if the review describes a made-up situation, or if you do not recognise the writer.

What to leave out

• Details of a treatment, record or appointment, even to set something straight.
• The name of the practitioner involved.
• Accusations, or suggesting the writer is lying.
• An offer of a discount or free treatment in exchange for editing or removing the review.
• Legal threats in a public reply.
• A standard text pasted under every review.

If you manage to resolve things outside Google, the writer may decide to update the review. Do not make that a condition.

When can you report a review to Google?

Google is clear on this: you can flag any review, but only reviews that violate Google's policy are eligible for removal. Flagging a review because you disagree or find it unfair will not help, and Google does not mediate disputes between businesses and customers. Google's Maps user contributed content policy covers, among other things:

• Fake engagement and manipulation, such as a competitor posting to damage your reputation.
• Conflict of interest, for example a review by a current or former employee.
• Off-topic content, such as general political or personal commentary.
• Harassment, hate speech and offensive or obscene content.
• Personal information, such as a staff member's details that should not be public.
• Impersonation and repetitive content.

You report from your Business Profile: open the reviews, click the flag next to the review and choose a reason. Businesses in the EEA can also use Google's review management tool, where you can follow the status of your report. According to Google, reports are usually assessed within a few days. If the review stays up, you can appeal once.

Reply to a review you have reported as well. You do not know whether it will be removed, and in the meantime others are reading.

More genuine reviews, within the rules

One negative review carries less weight among many recent, genuine experiences. What we often see in our analyses: there are plenty of happy clients, but nobody asks them for a review consistently. Google's policy does not allow rewards for reviews, selectively asking for positive reviews or discouraging negative ones.

A survey that only sends happy clients on to Google does not fit those rules. Ask everyone at a fixed moment, most easily with an automatic request from your booking system after every treatment. Then show the reviews on your own website, rather than sending visitors to an external review site where they tend to get stuck.

Learn from the criticism

Discuss negative reviews with your team once a month. If several are about the same thing, such as waiting times, unclear prices or being hard to reach, you have an improvement that goes beyond one client.

Your next step

Check today which negative reviews still have no reply and answer them using the structure above. Then switch on an automatic review request for all your clients. Want help? Book the free Clinic Scan. Thomas calls you briefly first, we carry out an analysis across nine areas and in a 30-minute call you get a tailored proposal. You are free to carry out the plan yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a negative Google review removed?

Only if it violates Google's policy, for example fake reviews, conflicts of interest, harassment or off-topic content. A review you find unfair but that follows the rules stays up.

Can I say in my reply that someone was never a client?

As a healthcare provider, be careful. Confirming or denying that someone is a patient already says something about that person. Reply in general terms and invite the writer to get in touch.

Can I ask only happy clients for a review?

No. Google's policy prohibits selectively asking for positive reviews. Ask all your clients at a fixed moment, without a reward.