As a veterinary business owner, you can’t please everyone all the time. We can hope that most clients will leave positive reviews, but there will always be unhappy clients—especially in the emotionally charged environment of an animal hospital. Although negative reviews are inevitable, your response determines its impact on your operations and the team’s well-being.
If your practice isn’t feeling the love from your clients or community, it’s time to take action. Here are five things Rumpus Writing and Editing recommends doing when you receive a negative review on social media, a harsh email, or a bad comment on Yelp or Google.
1. Act professionally
Negative feedback or a low star rating is difficult to accept, especially when it seems unfair or exaggerated. However you feel about the issue, you must respond professionally to avoid escalating the situation. Responding defensively or aggressively online will make your business look bad to others. Take time to digest and understand the complaint, then assume good intent from the writer when formulating your response. Use neutral language, and remember, feedback is not a criticism, but an opportunity to improve.
2. Acknowledge the concern
Be thoughtful and deliberate with your response, but don’t wait too long—a quick reply shows the complainant and potential clients that you take client feedback and concerns seriously. When you respond, focus on setting a positive tone. Here’s an example statement that validates the veterinary practice client’s issue but avoids engaging in an unwinnable online argument:
Dear Sam, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience visiting our hospital. We’re sorry to hear that we didn’t meet your expectations and we appreciate you bringing your concerns to our attention. Feedback is important to us, and we want to make it right.
Include details like the client’s and pet’s names if you know them. Avoid using cookie-cutter responses, which can feel generic and impersonal to the complainant and other readers. Strive to make it clear that you’ve hand-crafted each reply.
3. Offer a solution
Veterinary clinic clients who leave negative feedback may be angry or grieving and typically want more than an empty apology. Offering a resolution or showing how you’ve taken steps to prevent the problem from happening again demonstrates your commitment to outstanding customer service. If the complaint stems from a misunderstanding, take the time to clarify. Here’s an example statement to address cost concerns mentioned in a negative online review that shifts the focus from client frustration to progress:
Dear Amy, We understand your concerns, and we’re sorry that Fluffy’s visit resulted in surprise charges. We aim to provide cost transparency and work together with pet owners so you can make the best decisions for your family. To prevent future confusion, we’ve reviewed our communication protocols and provided our team with additional training.
4. Take the conversation offline
Public responses to reviews or social media messages are critical for maintaining your online reputation, but the details of most complaints are often best addressed privately. Taking the conversation offline allows you to provide a more personalized response, especially if the review or comment was left anonymously. Invite the commentator to contact you directly so you can investigate what happened and attempt relationship damage control. Here’s an example statement to invite offline discussions:
We’re sorry to hear that your experience didn’t meet expectations. To help us understand what happened and make things right, please contact our practice manager, Jessica, at [phone number] or [email address]. We’d love to learn where we went wrong, address your concerns, and improve our business to serve you and the community better.
5. Learn from your mistakes
Negative feedback is a chance to understand how others perceive your business and what they experience. Sure, some complaints are off the wall, but they often contain a kernel of truth. Look for patterns in your practice’s feedback and follow up on recurring issues and one-off events that cause a significant problem. Over time, addressing the root cause of negative comments helps you turn them into positive reviews.
Do reviews frequently mention long wait times, miscommunication, or poor bedside manner? Even if you feel these issues are outside of your control, you can change how your team talks about them. Share feedback during team meetings, encourage open discussions about client perception, and strategize ways to improve client and patient care. Share these changes with your clients and explain how they’ll improve their next visit.
When complaints become bullying
Rarely, an isolated negative experience can turn into something bigger. Several high-profile cases of veterinary hospital bullying have occurred, so it’s something for teams to be aware of—but not actively fear. Ensure all team members understand your hospital’s rules regarding social media posting and permissions, and don’t engage if you feel you’ve been bullied and are in over your head.
The AVMA offers resources for routine reputation management and more serious cases of bullying where crisis management might be required. You can also consider hiring an outside company experienced with veterinary businesses to manage social media accounts, respond to online feedback, and relay issues to the team to work on hospital improvements.
Every client interaction—positive or negative—is a chance to improve patient care and the client experience. Responding to feedback gracefully and professionally can resolve individual concerns, repair client relationships, and help your team build a practice reputation that reflects integrity and empathy.
Publishing positive content proactively can help you set client expectations, educate pet owners, and boost your overall reputation. Contact the Rumpus Writing and Editing team for help with blog posts, social media calendars, web pages, client handouts, and other online or offline content needs.
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