Despite your staff’s best efforts to provide exceptional service to your residents, you’ve received a one-star review. It happens to even the best establishments.
Now what? If you’re a facility that frequently receives four- and five-star reviews, getting a negative review can be nothing short of a headache. Not only does it bring down your average rating, but now you got to try to rectify the relationship. You don’t want to lose out on business.
Compare yourself to other facilities
Although there are often disgruntled users posting unwarranted reviews, you need to recognize when there’s truth in the text. You should compare how your community holds up to the competition. You can go on Medicare.gov to check out competitive local long-term care facilities and their ratings. You should also check out the Google and Yelp reviews to look out for any recurring themes.
Not only will this be the first step in identifying problem areas, but you’ll find the weak spots in your competition. Once you get a clear picture of what needs improvement, it’s time to work!
Don’t forget your staff
Residents are always a priority, but that doesn’t mean that you should ignore staff members. Sites like Glassdoor can give you insight into how your employees are feeling. If there aren’t many reviews to refer to, open up the floor for conversation. When the staff is happy, resident satisfaction goes up. No resident wants to live in a community with an anxiety-ridden team. High turnover in staff will result in a high resident turnover.
Showcase positive reviews and respond to bad ones
Whether you find a good review on Google or if you gather testimonials from your current residents – showcasing your positive reviews can bolster a good rep. You can insert them on the front of your website, social media, or even your marketing materials.
As for the bad ones, it’s better to address them head-on. Remember that you’re not responding to a single person, but rather to an audience of thousands. The stats support this. According to Tripadvisor, “the vast majority (89%) of users said a thoughtful response to a negative review improved their impression of a business and 90% of respondents said that seeing polite and respectful responses to reviews makes them believe the owner truly cares.”
Ask for reviews
You would be amazed at the number of communities that don’t ask for residents to leave a comment online. You can ask residents individually if you think they’d be solid advocates. You can also take the broad approach of leaving a sign-up that encourages reviews. (Although you should also be prepared for the potential negative reviews in addition to the good ones.)
Hire the best
The heart of the community is the people and your team is the foundation for your community’s success. As demand grows, and Senior Living communities offer heightened levels of service and amenities, finding the right leadership is crucial. Hiring the wrong leaders can cause avoidable issues that are effectively prevented by hiring good leadership.
JDI’s Senior Living practice brings a unique blend of access to the top talent in Senior Living, while leveraging 15 years of experience placing executives in the hotel industry. JDI can uniquely offer organizations a blended talent pool of top talent from both Senior Living and Hospitality, giving our clients an offering they cannot get anywhere else. If you’re interested in learning more, reach out to one of our recruiters here.