Negative Review Examples For Doctors With A Response Template

Nowadays, your online reputation is your second clinic. Whether you’re a general physician, dentist, dermatologist, or specialist, your patients are Googling you. 

In fact, 72% of respondents stated that they search for a minimum rating of four or five stars before selecting a doctor or facility. They’re checking your reviews on Google, Practo, JustDial, and even Facebook before booking an appointment.

While positive reviews can attract new patients, a single negative review is often enough to turn them away. This is the reality of today, no matter how experienced or kind-hearted a doctor you are, negative reviews can damage your image. 

However, the reason for that one bad feedback can be anything from the patient having a bad day, the extra waiting time, or a communication gap. Whatever the situation you are facing, what matters most is how you respond to it.

In this blog, you will learn how you can handle these negative reviews like a pro that are damaging your online image. Let’s go over some realistic examples of negative reviews for doctors along with professional, empathetic response templates that will help rebuild trust and protect your reputation.

Before jumping to the templates of negative review responses, let's explore some facts that show how much your medical practice can be hampered when you ignore negative feedback on your review platform.

The Importance Of Responding To Negative Reviews

Data says 75% of respondents said they look at online reviews and ratings before selecting a doctor or healthcare provider, which means they can all see your unattended negative reviews. When you do not respond to patient criticism, it shows you do not care about them. 

In short, when you can resolve patience concerns with a professional response, why leave them unattended to risk your reputation for decades? Yes! Your online reviews are not going to vanish from review platforms. So it's better to nip it in the bud and answer your patient with full compassion and politeness to build a long-term bond with them.

Furthermore, Google also notices your online reputation when you regularly respond to your reviews. It shows that your medical facility is working and cares about its patients' concerns, which makes you a credible doctor. This will improve your SEO ranking and recommendation, so when your prospective patient or their guardian looks for a doctor, your medical facility appears at the top of search results.

Possible Reasons For Negative Physician Reviews

Here are some of the reasons that can frustrate patients to leave negative reviews for the doctor:

Long Wait Time

Nobody likes to wait, especially when they are ill or weak. Sometimes it irritates patients, and they leave bad reviews.

Here is the example:

⭐ 1 star

“I had to wait over an hour to meet the doctor despite booking an appointment in advance. Very disappointing experience.”

Response Template

Hi Sarah,

Thank you for your feedback. We truly appreciate your valuable time, and really sorry for the delay you experienced during your visit. Sometimes, medical emergencies or unavoidable delays can affect our schedule, and we are really working hard to minimise such wait times. 

We appreciate your patience, and in the future, we hope to provide a smoother experience. Please feel free to reach out to us for any other issue [clinic contact/email] — we’d be happy to assist personally.

Rude Staff Behaviour

When hospital or clinic staff misbehave with patients, it causes a bad impression of you. Make sure you train your staff well; there are several kinds of people who visit a medical facility. 

They can't all be experts to know their way around your premises. Instruct your staff to guide them with patience.

One example of such a situation is:

⭐ 1 star

“The receptionist was extremely rude and arrogant. Not expected from a professional clinic.”

Response Template

Hi Nola,

We really appreciate your review. We seriously feel sorry for the behavior you experienced from us.  This is not the way we work or behave. We are taking this matter very seriously and will ensure the proper training of our staff to prevent such incidents from happening again. 

Your feedback will help us to improve. Please do give us another chance to make things right — we value your trust.

Felt Rushed During Appointment

Make sure to give proper time to each of your patients. People appreciate it when you listen to them carefully, especially if they are suffering from a disease. 

They come and wait in the hospital to see the doctor to explain their problem to get proper treatment. Rushing them out can annoy them and give them a reason to have unfavourable reviews.

⭐ ⭐ 2 stars

“The doctor barely spent five minutes with me. I felt rushed, and my concerns weren’t properly addressed.”

Response Template

Dear Vivenna,

Thank you for your Review. We are truly sorry to hear about the problem you faced during your consultation. Every patient deserves full attention, and we never want anybody to be unheard. 

We are checking this seriously internally and will improve our consultation experience. We hope you’ll allow us another opportunity to serve you better — your health and satisfaction mean a lot to us.

Misdiagnosis Or Ineffective Treatment

The patient came to the doctor only for proper treatment. If they can't identify their disease or misdiagnose it is a really severe matter. 

However, patients can also give such a review if your treatment is ineffective for them. So make sure to monitor these kinds of reviews to respond timely to repair your image.

Here is the example:

⭐ 1 star

“I visited for my persistent cough, and the prescribed medicines didn’t work. Went to another doctor later and got a completely different diagnosis.”

Response Template

Hi Peter,

We are really sorry to hear that you did not get the relief with our treatment. Every patient responds differently to the medication. Sometimes patients have symptoms from the medication. 

We would appreciate it if you could reach out to us directly so we can understand the issue in your case and help accordingly in any way. We take such concerns seriously and aim to provide safe and effective care always.

Overcharged Or High Consultation Fees

These kinds of reviews basically come when your hospital facilities and services are not aligning with your consultation and other charges. 

When you are a costly medical facility, make sure to offer excellent services such as well-trained and polite staff, amenities, and less wait times, hygiene, and an experienced doctor. Otherwise, people often leave negative reviews about it.

Here is the example:

⭐ 1 star

“The consultation fee was too high for the time spent. Not worth the money.”

Response Template

Hello Xavier,

We really appreciate your review. We are sorry you felt the consultation fee was high. Our price is based on time, expertise, and the facility provided to our patient. 

We also provide transparency to our patients. We’ll take your feedback into account as we evaluate how to better communicate charges and deliver maximum value. Please reach out if there’s anything we can do to assist you further.

Templates For Responses To Doctor Negative Reviews

1.  Scenario: Extra Waiting Times
 Bad Review Snippet: “I had to wait over 2.5 hours just to meet a doctor!”
 Professional Response: “We sincerely apologize for the extra wait period. Patient care is our top priority, and we are constantly working on improving scheduling to serve you more promptly.”

2. Scenario: No Trained Staff
Bad Review Snippet: “The doctor’s assistant was rude and unprofessional.”
Professional Response: “We’re sorry to learn about your experience. This is not reflective of our standards, and we definitely look into this matter with our desk team immediately.”

3. Scenario: Misdiagnosis Concern
Bad Review Snippet: “They misdiagnosed my illness and I had to visit another hospital.”
Professional Response: “We’re truly sorry to know this. We take such concerns seriously and would like to review your case. Please contact us directly so we can learn more about your case and make it right.”

4. Scenario: Billing Issues
Bad Review Snippet: “I was overcharged and no one explained the fees properly.”
Professional Response: “Thank you for your feedback. We regret the miscommunication regarding billing and are happy to recheck your issue. Please contact our account department for clarification.”

5. Scenario: Cleanliness & Hygiene
Bad Review Snippet: “The restroom and patient rooms were not clean.”
Professional Response: “We apologize for the inconvenience. Cleanliness is important in our facility, and we’ve escalated your concern to our housekeeping team for immediate action.”

6. Scenario: Doctor’s Lack of Focus
Bad Review Snippet: “The doctor seemed rushed and didn’t listen to my health issue properly.”
Professional Response: “We’re sorry to hear this. Our medical staff is trained to provide attentive care, and we’ll use your feedback to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

7. Scenario: Delays in Emergency Room
Bad Review Snippet: “It’s the worst emergency room — I waited 2 hours in pain.”
Professional Response: “We understand how frustrating ER wait times can be. Our classification system prioritizes based on severity, but we’re working to reduce delays and improve comfort.”

8. Scenario: Problems in Insurance Claim
Bad Review Snippet: “My insurance wasn’t accepted and no one informed me before.”
Professional Response: “We’re sorry for the inconvenience. We try to do transparent communication about coverage and will ensure our admission team provides clearer information in the future.

What NOT To Do When Responding to Patients?

While responding to reviews, there are a few things that doctors need to consider to resolve the issue early, instead of stretching it to ruin your medical facility's reputation. Below are the pointers:

• Don’t Get Aggressive

When you respond to patients' reviews, never show any anger or aggression with words. It will upset the other party even more. 

Instead of defending yourself, acknowledge their concern so they can also try to understand your point of view and offer you some time to resolve the concern peacefully.

• Avoid Blaming The Patient

When you blame patients, it message to your current and prospective patients that you do not take responsibility for your actions. 

Also, your behaviour upsets patients, more so, either write or encourage others to leave negative reviews, or never visit your clinic or hospital.

• Don't Disregard It

Silent treatment is not always work in your favor. Your ignorance towards your patients’ reviews can also indicate your guilt or show your uncaring attitude. 

Such unprofessional behaviour in the medical profession always comes back to bite. So always respond to your reviews, especially negative ones.

• Ignore Copy-Paste Robotic Replies

One common mistake that most professionals make is copying and pasting the monotonous reply to each review. 

Do you really think it will calm your unhappy patient, or look good to your prospective patients who look for a doctor online? Use a personal and relevant touch in your review replies so they appear more meaningful.  

Why Do Doctors Need to Respond Professionally?

Whether or not the review is justified, never respond in anger. Don't defend yourself aggressively or get into an argument online. It can backfire. Here’s why a well-crafted response matters:

Builds Trust: Other potential patients reading the review will see that you’re respectful and care about feedback.

Shows Accountability: Patients appreciate when doctors admit to errors or are open to improving.

SEO Value: Google sees active responses as a sign of engagement, which helps your local rankings

How To Turn A Bad Review Into Good PR For Your Hospital?

The key to turning a bad review into good PR is the nicely crafted review response that includes the following pointers to make it more effective and game game-changer for your online reputation:

• Show Empathy

When your response takes the side of the patient and understands their concern. It demonstrates whole review platform visitors and reviewers that you are a responsible doctor who values their patients' opinions. 

When patients see you care, they agree to sort out the matter amicably, which also repairs your ruined image.

• Offer Resolution

Along with acknowledging your mistake, also provide possible solutions that you can fulfil to satisfy the clients. Avoid making promises that are out of your hands.

• Open For Return Visit

Always keep the possibility for patients to come back to your hospital, even after a bad experience. 

When you ask them to return, it shows you are not offended by their feedback and are ready to improve.

• Reply Within 24-48 Hours

One of the great ways for doctors to diffuse their negative reviews and build a strong PR image is by responding within 24 hours. 

When patients get a late reply, they feel frustrated and ignored, which raises their anger further.

• Follow-Up Offline (DM/Email/Phone)

When the matter is severe, it's better to share your contact details with the patient. So you can settle the matter quickly out of the public eye.

Methods for Doctors to Gain Positive Reviews 

If you are a doctor who is looking for positive Google reviews to boost your online reputation. You can take the assistance of a professional like Buyreviewz.  

Here’s what you can get following the service:

• Even after doing well and responding to reviews. Sometimes, it gets difficult to gain new Google reviews or outnumber your negative ones. At the time, we offer you fresh Google reviews to shine your image.

• We also offer real, high-quality Google reviews from verified users to improve the doctor's credibility and trust.

• You can order reviews from us online.

• We guarantee 100% real and non-drop reviews.

• Doctors can also buy custom Google reviews relevant to their professions.

You can order now to buy Google reviews from our platform and brighten your online image.

How Doctors Can Improve Their Google Reputation Quickly?

No doubt, with glorified reviews, doctors can establish a great online reputation. However, raising the count of Google reviews requires some effort, which is as follows:

• Share review links and post-checkup feedback surveys

After the patient check-up process is complete, you or your clinic staff can ask them to leave a review or fill out the survey. So you will know where the improvement is required.

• Train staff to ask for reviews

Always instruct or train your front desk office staff and others to encourage the patient or their guardians to write reviews. When more people do the same task, you will get more reviews.

• Automate the review system via SMS/email

You can also automate the system by sending a review request to the patient's registered mobile number or email. It will quicken the review requesting process and reduce the manual task.

• Buy reviews to speed up growth

You can also buy Google reviews to build a trustworthy image of a doctor. However, always make sure to deal with an authentic Google review service provider that offers actual user reviews for your reviews page, like Buyreviewz. It will give a great push to online progress.

Conclusion

Now that you know the art of recovering from bad reviews, apply it to your doctor review platform to gain more out of it. You need to understand this right: a single negative review won’t harm you. In fact, your response might just turn a frustrated patient into a loyal one. 

When doctors handle negative reviews professionally and timely they not only satisfy that particular patient but also build a great trust bond with several others. Patients don't expect perfection- they just want to be heard, respected and cared for.

Meanwhile, due to a lack of time, if you are struggling to get 5-star reviews, don't worry; connect with us. BuyReviewz offers custom Google reviews from real users, which are available on our platform easily and affordably.