Called me and asked me to take down bad review

[TotalTired]

Just has a slightly intimidating call, disguised as finding out more facts, regarding a very honest review I wrote for my dentist which involved my kids. An incident happened yesterday and I wrote about it. I mentioned a lot of positives along with the incident.

practice manager just called me saying they will speak to the person. She then said will I please take it down as it doesn’t look good on the clinic. I told her it was 100% the truth and I stand by it. She said she wants me to take it down as it affects the surgery, I told her I will think about it.

aibu - take it down - yes
not being unreasonable don’t take down - no

The response they have given you suggests they won't be addressing it as already know its an issue especially as others have said the same so personally I would leave the review up.

Agree, if the kid is sitting quietly next to mum and mum is comforting her, the receptionist has no business interfering. But if the kid is hollering and upsetting other patients, it needs removing from the waiting room until it is their turn and calming down by the parent. Dentists can be terribly intimidating for patients of all ages, but other nervous patients don’t need to hear a screaming tantrum. Of course, we don’t know the context, pr how this particular kid was, so can’t really condemn either party.

Don't take it down.

I'm wondering if we share the same dentist! Actual dentist is wonderful and kind and DC always asks to go back as they like her so much. The receptionist is horrid. Huff's and puffs, glares at us and has been very rude to DC before who ware barely making a peep.

I wouldn’t take it down. It’s not your fault the receptionist is awful. Not your problem to fix. You have an honest review, they can piss off.

I had Yell call me 4 times because a grooming service injured one of my dogs and did a worse than poor job of clipping the other two. I refused to take my review down, my poor dogs were so badly treated and others need to know.

Tell the practice manager to go swivel!

Tell them if they do something about the receptionist you'll take it down.

Definitely keep the review up, I would want to know in advance about that woman if I was taking my dc there

The practice need to deal with her attitude if they want better reviews

Where does the OP say her child was meant to sit down?

OP, YANBU at all. The practice manager needs to deal with her receptionist, not waste their time brying to browbeat clients into taking down perfectly fair criticism.

Affects the surgery how exactly?

Aren't those reviews there to warn people off bad experiences?

How does it benefit the public for you to take the review down? Call back and ask this question.

trying

Please don’t take down your review. It’ll be helpful for other parents.

@TotalTired your dentist doesn’t happen to be a practice in Birmingham by any chance?

I recently wrote a bad review about a dentist (more the practice than the dentist itself) but it was appalling practice and even more so considering DM and stepdad are also customers at the practice.

It was for bridge/implant work and private so not cheap. DM also recommended a friend of hers there for similar treatment and she had a similar experience to me.

I had the first dentist who was supposed to do my work (turned out after I got my expensive quote from her that she was rarely in the surgery doing work as she was away lecturing) send a nasty email to me arguing with me over points in it. The receptionists were rude and unpleasant to me and my mum's friend.

As they're not my regular dentist I don't care if they ban me from the practice.

When I went to an NHS dentist a few years ago where a newly qualified dentist cocked up and ruined a couple of teeth (the resident dentist there had to come in and finish off what she'd messed up), I was actually not charged for approx £500 of work, the resident dentist finished the work correctly and I got an apologetic letter from the practice manager (wife of the resident dentist). I didn't return because of the first error. They were worried I'd sue them. But I didn't leave a bad review because they'd sorted things out well for me and apologised.

OP - I'd stand by your bad review and maybe state that if there's an apology or they fix what happened you might amend your review. But only if that happens.

That's totally unacceptable! A receptionist should be trying to calm nervous patients (whether they're children or not). The person who runs the practice should speak to the receptionist to ensure they get a personality transplant!

I recall years ago when DM had money and went to Harley Street dentists on a regular basis with us as kids (both under 12), the receptionist/PA there was utterly charming and knew us on first name terms. We recall being fascinated and allowed to play with those metal ball executive toys on her/dentists desk!

Having thought about it, I agree with those saying that a compromise would be to re-word it in a less emotive way. Using the word vile is never going to have people think that you're being calm and collected. I tend to tune out anyone who uses it on mumsnet.

So yes, offer to re-word it, giving exactly the same information but in a calm and rational way. Presumably if you can take it down, you can also edit it?

I’d leave it up, otherwise the whole review system means absolutely bigger all.

With Covid hampering non-emergency/ in person appointments for so long, there’s a lot of young children who wouldn’t be as familiar with medical settings including dentists as they would have been otherwise.

It doesn’t take a massive empath to see that they might be a bit nervous in a strange environment.

I need to bring my pair for a check up soon, and I’d value a review like that so I’d know to avoid!

Especially with a dentist.this is the exact way that kids will associate fear and upset with the dentist over.and can very quickly make them have the fear kids often get of the dentist long lasting .this will be much worse for kiddies and then adults in the long run as they can move on from a shit receptionist in life but that fear and loathing of dentist can often stay the same once those pathway have formed.

Tell them that you will take it down when the unreasonable receptionist stops working for them. And offer to give evidence at an employment tribunal if unfair dismissal is claimed.

Shouting at a scared 5 year old is going to achieve what precisely? Will it reassure her? No it will scare her more.

Leave it up my asd child meows and hisses in unfamiliar environments or when they get anxious (like at a dentist) your review would have me avoid that practice or be prepared for the onslaught (and yes I know its annoying but currently I can't stop it)

I wouldn’t have a clue how to leave a review of my dentist on Google!!! Can someone explain to me how to do this?

She was doing her job, no need to be at the end of her tether. If receptionist can't cope with clients or patients depending on the business she's in the wrong job.

I wouldn't walk out of a dentist surgery if I had booked in, dentists don't generally go wandering around outside looking for patients. If she needed taking out the receptionist should have told her mother it was OK and she'd fetch her when the dentist called her rather than shouting at the child. Much more appropriate and useful.

No leave it on there , they should look at the receptionist not taking down the honest reviews.