What Your Staff Should (and Shouldn’t) Say About Reviews
Here’s the reality:
Your patients are watching everything.
Not just how they’re treated.
Not just how clean the office is.
But how your team talks about reviews.
And if your staff says the wrong thing — even with good intentions — it can immediately kill trust, raise compliance red flags, or make your business look desperate.
But when they say the right thing, in the right tone, at the right moment?
It reinforces confidence.
It signals professionalism.
It encourages honest feedback — without pressure.
In 2025, you can’t afford to wing this.
So let’s get clear on exactly what your team should — and shouldn’t — be saying about reviews.
Then we’ll walk through how to hardwire that language into your daily flow so it feels natural, not scripted.
First, What NOT to Say (No Matter How Polite It Sounds)
Let’s start with the red flags.
If your staff is saying anything close to these, it needs to stop today:
❌ “If you leave us a 5-star review, we’ll give you a discount.”
❌ “Can you make sure to leave something positive?”
❌ “We’d really appreciate a good review — it helps us a lot.”
❌ “Please don’t mention anything bad if you post one.”
❌ “Can you leave one that mentions my name?”
❌ “You’ll get a link — just make sure to give us 5 stars.”
Why is this dangerous?
Because it crosses the line from review request to review manipulation — and the FTC is already cracking down hard on that.
Even beyond legal risk, it feels weird to patients.
It sounds needy.
It puts pressure on the moment.
And it cheapens everything they just experienced.
If you’re delivering quality service, you don’t need to beg.
You just need a system that captures real stories, and a staff that gets out of the way.
The Best Teams Don’t Ask for Reviews — They Acknowledge Feedback
Here’s the smarter way to handle it.
When a patient has something great to say, your staff shouldn’t pivot straight into a review request.
Instead, teach them to say:
✅ “That means a lot — thank you for saying that.”
✅ “We appreciate that — and we’re so glad you had a great experience.”
✅ “Thank you! That’s exactly the kind of experience we aim for.”
✅ “That’s so kind of you to share — we love hearing that.”
Notice what’s missing?
No ask.
No stars.
No push.
Just acknowledgment.
Gratitude.
Connection.
Why?
Because when the emotion is acknowledged first, the patient is far more likely to act on their own — without prompting.
And when you have a review system like GetReviews.Live in place, they already have the perfect channel to do it — right there at checkout.
If a Patient Asks How to Leave a Review — Keep It Natural
Sometimes a patient will beat you to it.
They’ll say:
“Do you guys take reviews?”
“Where should I leave a review?”
“You want me to post something?”
“How can I share this experience?”
Now what?
This is where your team needs one short, casual reply that always fits the flow.
Here’s the one we recommend:
✅ “Absolutely — there’s actually a little stand at the desk you can tap. It takes a few seconds and helps us a ton.”
Or if you want to keep it more casual:
✅ “You’re welcome to! We’ve got a little tap stand for reviews here — it’s super quick.”
That’s it. No pitch. No push. No overthinking.
Just redirect the moment to the system — and move on.
If the patient wants to share, they will.
If not, they won’t.
But either way, your staff stays professional, confident, and completely hands-free.
Why Less Pressure Creates More Reviews
It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s true:
The more you ask for reviews, the fewer you get.
The more you imply what should be said, the worse they sound.
And the more awkward the moment feels, the more likely the patient will avoid it.
On the other hand:
- A warm experience
- A casual mention
- A visible system they can use on their own
- A quick, effortless moment
…all result in more, better reviews — with more emotional detail and authenticity.
You’re not trying to push patients into reviews.
You’re creating an environment that makes it feel natural to share.
That’s what scales.
What to Say When the Patient Had a Problem (But Didn’t Leave a Bad Review Yet)
Your team might occasionally hear something like:
“Well… the wait was long.”
“I was a little confused about the billing.”
“Everything was good except for…”
Now what?
Here’s what NOT to do:
❌ “We’d appreciate it if you didn’t post anything about that.”
❌ “Can you just leave that part out if you review us?”
❌ “It’s just been a weird day — normally we’re great.”
❌ “Let us fix it and then maybe you can post something better.”
Those are panic responses. And they reek of insecurity.
Instead, train your team to say:
✅ “Thank you for being honest — that’s helpful for us to hear.”
✅ “We really appreciate the feedback — and we’ll make sure to take a look at that.”
✅ “Thanks for letting us know. We want every visit to be smooth, so this matters.”
No defensiveness.
No redirect.
Just acknowledgment and calm.
And because you have smart routing in place, even if they leave feedback, it gets handled the right way — without going public before you’ve had a chance to respond.
Train Your Team to Normalize the Review Stand — Without Pitching It
The key to success isn’t training your team to promote the review stand.
It’s training them to treat it as a normal part of checkout — like handing a patient their next appointment card.
Here’s what that looks like in real time.
Patient says:
“Thanks again, you guys were awesome today.”
Your staff replies:
✅ “So glad to hear that — if you feel like sharing, there’s a little review stand here. It only takes a second.”
Or better:
✅ “Thanks so much — you’ll see our review stand on the way out, no pressure at all.”
No selling.
No begging.
No desperation.
Just awareness and casual redirection.
And because the review stand is already visible and simple to use, that’s all it takes.
The patient taps, shares, and moves on.
Avoid the Over-Scripted Sound That Kills Trust
Here’s a fast way to ruin the experience:
“Hi! If you had a five-star experience today, please leave us a five-star review using this stand right here!”
That screams corporate training video.
It doesn’t sound real.
And it immediately makes the patient feel like a transaction.
The best practices know this:
Tone > Words.
It’s not what your staff says — it’s how they say it.
Avoid:
- Forced excitement
- Word-for-word scripts
- Canned language
- Incentive talk
- Anything that sounds rehearsed
Instead, reinforce:
- Authentic voice
- Natural phrases
- Casual flow
- Professional calm
When the moment feels natural, patients follow through.
When it feels staged, they disengage — or worse, they feel pressured.
The Review Stand Should Feel Like a Part of the Office — Not a Pitch
Placement matters.
Make sure the review stand isn’t tucked in a corner, buried under pamphlets, or behind the desk like it’s a forbidden tool.
It should:
- Be visible at checkout
- Stand on its own — sleek and inviting
- Require zero explanation
- Be touch-and-go simple
- Have signage that signals “You’re welcome to share” — not “You’re required to”
And most importantly — it should not rely on staff involvement.
The best compliment your system can get?
A patient who leaves a review…
…and no one even remembers who asked.
That means it worked inside the flow — exactly as it should.
How Mercy AI Makes Your Staff Look Responsive — Without Lifting a Finger
Here’s where automation closes the loop.
Once the review is left, Mercy AI steps in:
- It reads the feedback immediately
- It generates a warm, appropriate reply
- It posts the response in your tone
- It ensures the review doesn’t sit in silence
Why does this matter?
Because now, when your staff is busy…
- Greeting new patients
- Handling checkouts
- Answering phones
- Solving problems
…Mercy AI is making your brand look responsive, present, and engaged.
And when the patient checks back and sees their review acknowledged?
They feel:
- Seen
- Heard
- Appreciated
That’s what creates word-of-mouth.
That’s what drives repeat visits.
And that’s what keeps your team looking like they’re everywhere — even when they’re heads-down working.
You’re Not Just Training Words — You’re Training Culture
At the end of the day, this isn’t about giving your staff a few phrases to memorize.
It’s about shifting the culture to say:
“We care about feedback — but we don’t pressure people for it.
We have a system that makes it easy.
And we let our patient experience speak for itself.”
When your team believes that, everything changes:
✅ Less review fatigue
✅ No awkward asks
✅ Better patient flow
✅ Cleaner experience
✅ Higher quality reviews
✅ Fewer compliance risks
And all it takes is a few small shifts in language and leadership.
You Don’t Need Review Experts — You Need Consistent Habits
The truth is, your team doesn’t need to become review marketers.
They just need to:
- Know what to say when it comes up
- Know what not to say (ever)
- Trust the system
- Let the process work
- Focus on patient care
When that happens, your reviews become automatic.
Your trust grows.
Your team breathes easier.
And your front desk stops feeling like a sales floor.
That’s what we built GetReviews.Live for.