Beyond a few quotes for posting on a website, very few home care agencies take the task of getting publishable feedback very seriously or put any effort behind it.
At the same time, they will spend many man-hours “rubbing elbows” and, sometimes, spending heavily on paid advertising placements when Google and other similar sites provide identified, qualified and interested prospects absolutely free. And, you can use the quotes you gather in the process on your website, too.
There are a variety of ways to accumulate reviews from random people who are personally motivated to give you a testimonial (passive) to those who are invited at arm’s length (proactive) to those with whom you are communicating face-to-face (personal).
Passive.
To acquire reviews as they happen to fall in your lap, all that is necessary is a visible vehicle by which clients or their family members can take action. This is accomplished by providing the request (“Tell us how we did.”) at the bottom of email correspondence, a tab on the website that leads a visitor to a page that explains the importance of feedback and a live link to leave a review, to a simple button on the home page of the website that says “Review Us”. Collectively, they will direct the client to the place where he or she can leave a review on Google or any other site that takes reviews. Your team members can even have a QR code printed on the back of their business cards to accomplish the same thing.
Proactive.
By using a series of emails (perhaps automated by using an autoresponder system) to solicit reviews from current and former clients or their families. Once you have a good email for your target, use a series of two to four email requests that they to leave a review. It is easy for them to respond by clicking on a special link you place in your email that takes them directly to the page where the review can be left. The easier you make it for them, the more people will respond.
Personal.
There is software (e.g. Rowan Resources Home Care Review Accelerator or HCRA) for situations where reviews can be solicited fact-to-face. The short explanation of the process is that you send a text to the person who has agreed to leave a review while you are still in their presence. All they have to do is to type or dictate a review into his or her own cell phone and it is instantly posted to Google (or other sites). Nothing else to it
Why should you do this?
Online publishing of reviews has changed the face of marketing since the Internet became a household convenience. It allows agencies to have active, positive participation from client families and gives prospects a starting point to create a relationship with your agency.
Online reviews have created a new form of marketing and communication that bridges the gap between simple word-of-mouth and a viral form of “advertising” that can be extremely powerful for a business. The importance of online reviews for businesses includes increasing brand awareness leading ultimately to an overall increase of profit.
Rowan Reputation Resources can set you up with the necessary code to install on your website or cellphone to make the process dramatically simple. Once institutionalized as part of your marketing, it is the least expensive, most impactful marketing resource you will find.
If you would like to discuss how it works and the modest cost of a customized program for your agency, please contact us HERE.
By the way, Tim Rowan and I will be at a number of events this fall either as speakers, exhibitors or both. We will be at CSA, HCAOA, Decision Health, Home Care Sales and a few state meetings. Hope to see you at one of them.