A Review We Couldn’t Verify—and a Truth We Couldn’t Share

A negative one star review was left by someone who is not a patient of record. Google makes it nearly impossible to remove these reviews. If it were a patient of record posting under an alias there is nothing in the review that is remotely true. Due to HIPPA I can’t respond to the review appropriately. I would like to be able to say “We do not have a you as a patient of record. If you have decided to post your review under an alias for anonymity we would like the opportunity to discuss your experience. The events you have described have never occurred at this office.” Despite this response being perfectly respectful and reasonable my hands are tied.

This may not be a patient of record. Or, if it is the patient I suspect, the reality is that our interaction was excellent. I asked the patient about their pain, what type of treatment they are hoping to receive, gave options for treatment and I did a complete and thorough exam. The patient decided not to move forward with treatment due to finances. The review of our office was scathing and completely inaccurate. He claims he was mistreated by the staff and given very little attention from the dentist.

It has weighed on my mind since I read the review two days ago. I am frustrated that there is nothing I can do to respond and Google will not take down the review whether is is actually left by someone who is not a patient or someone who has chosen to use an alias an alias and is lying. This impacts the morale of my staff, potential patients looking for a dentist, and the reputation of my practice.

We have notified Google that a review was left by someone who is not a patient of record. I also plan to send a personal note to the patient thanking them for visiting our office. I do not plan to mention the review to the patient unless he brings it up.