Booking new appointments is important, but keeping loyal customers can make a huge difference in profitability. According to Forbes, “The chance of converting an existing customer is 60%-70% as opposed to the 5%-20% chance with new customers.”
Collecting reviews for your Google Business Profile is particularly helpful if ownership has changed. For example, if the owner is selling their dental office and equipment to an associate dentist, it’s important to collect reviews for the associate dentist to add credibility.
Appointment cards
Good for: Health and wellness practices (e.g. doctor, dentist, endodontist, hair stylists, spa employees, etc.)
When scheduling patients at the front desk for their next appointment, use the opportunity to encourage reviews. Provide the office manager with two sets of appointment cards: one for not-so-happy customers, and one for customers leaving with a smile.
Have your standard appointment reminder on the front of the card. On the back of the “happy customer” card, have a call-to-action to rate your business on your Google Business Profile. Generating a QR code for the customer to scan streamlines the process. This is something a freelancer can design quickly, and can easily be printed as a business card from your local print shop.
The key? Whoever is at the front desk should be well-connected to the office, and good at gauging whether the patient received 5-star service.
Anniversary or holiday cards
Good for: Small businesses with customers’ mailing or business addresses
Celebrating the anniversary of your company is a great opportunity to share updates, provide clients with new service opportunities, and ask for reviews; direct mail can be used to do this.
When I worked at Costco Wholesale, the membership team decided to do a direct mail test.
Option A was a card in a standard envelope; on the front was an address printed to look like handwriting, just like a friend or family member had sent it. The inside was also written with the handwriting font.
Option B was a standard direct mail piece – no envelope. Each had a custom tracking code to determine the best performer. Both communicated the same messages, but in different formats.
When they received their results back, the “handwritten” card was a better performer, even for a huge company like Costco.
As a dentist, massage therapist, or hair stylist, you have one-on-one relationships with clients; sending an annual card thanking them for their loyalty can improve repeat visits. How personalized the card gets is up to you and your team.
Reminder: If you are required to be HIPAA-compliant, review the HIPAA Privacy Rule before beginning any marketing project.
Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram Stories
Good for: Any practice or business
You can use temporary content formats to ask for reviews (it can be a little awkward to ask for feedback!).
Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram Stories all disappear; only few people from your audience will see them each time you post. This is a great opportunity to encourage reviews without seeming too pushy. Since none of these formats have permanent comments, it also limits any negative reviews from showing up on your social pages.
Be sure to include a link in the Story so they can easily click out to your Google Business Profile. Monitoring the notes on the Stories for feedback is important to address any customer concerns.
Need help designing or setting up an acquisition and retention strategy? Reach out: lindsey@paperraccoon.com
