Negative online reviews can damage public confidence in a care home and make it difficult to boost occupancy rates.
Jay Purcell, customer success manager at online feedback experts Reputation, says providers should take action. They can improve how they are viewed on social media.
This includes repairing the damaging impact that some often unfair online reviews can have on a care business.
In our latest special Bitesize podcast ‘How to boost your care home’s online reputation’ Purcell provides some top tips.
“Care businesses must work harder to instil trust and confidence in families,” he said. “From a purely business perspective, empty beds mean lost or missed revenue.”
He added that care homes can learn from the online feedback they receive. They should use technology to analyse and act on the insight that can be generated.
This means engaging with feedback gathered via search engines such as Google and asking the right questions in online surveys. This will ensure the correct changes are made to the business.
Power of Google
“Google is ultimately a trust engine and it can see if you are regularly reacting to online feedback,” said Purcell. “This includes thanking customers for positive reviews and showing that you are addressing negative reviews. All interaction you have must be positive. Do not get involved in an argument online.”
In addition, his advice also includes asking existing residents and their families to get involved in a community created around the care home on social media.
“Feedback can drive real change at a regional and local level by revealing problems in a particular area. This is about raising the bar at specific care homes, which in turn will drive more enquiries.”
Tune in here.
Podcast hosted by Steve Hemsley. Hear all our award-nominated podcasts here.
Leave a Reply