“I received another negative review today. The pattern is usually a patient who wants a one-off visit. They don’t get relief in one visit and then complain online. Or they don’t like the open plan clinic and fail to notify us they wish to be seen privately. There must be a strategy of communication to effectively deal with this but I’ve failed so far to come up with one. Would you be able to suggest anything?"




Seems this is largely about preemptive communications and expectation management. A lot of which could be done on your website. Speaking of which, promoting your free spinal check may be inviting those who may not prepared to invest in their health. Just saying.

I also noticed on your website you frequently use various forms of “treat” and “treatment.” Treating is a medical term suggesting an intervention designed to reduce symptoms. I’m not seeing any evidence that chiropractic care is “…a series of spinal adjustments designed reduce nervous system interference.” By ignoring this time piece, you may be inadvertently implying that they may only need a visit or two.

Your website seems focused on pain relief rather than health care. Granted, most patients begin chiropractic care because they have an ache or pain, but I’m not seeing any evidence that you see regularly see patients for maintenance, prevention, or wellness.

Further, you website doesn’t mention your open adjusting area. Seems like on your “First Visit” page you could add a paragraph to explain. Perhaps something like this:

Patient Community

Our patients enjoy our open office adjusting space. It creates an inviting, efficient, and community-centered experience. This allows for a smooth flow of care while fostering a comfortable and welcoming environment. However, some of patients prefer a more private setting. If you’d like greater privacy during your visit, simply let us know. We’ll happily see you in our private adjusting area—because your comfort and confidence are what matters most.

Finally, during your consultation—even before you accept them as a patient and introduce the examination phase of their visit, you might casually ask how long they think it might take to resolve their presenting complaint. If they reveal inappropriate expectations, you could attempt to reset their expectations based on similar cases you’ve seen. Adding, “But I’ll have a better idea after complete work-up and take some pictures of your spine.” Explain your fees for the exam and proceed as indicated.

The key is to not let these recent negative reviews make you overly defensive and start second-guessing yourself. Simply avoid making assumptions. Over communicate. Set appropriate expectations.

Hope that helps. Thanks for the question.

Ask Bill your question.

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