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

It seems you are not the only person to have commented on the tone of the receptionist, which is a red flag they should be dealing with.

I would leave the review up but tweak a couple of things. Describing an aggressive and unsympathetic tone is fine and the effect this has on your DC. Calling someone vile smacks of online bullying and undermines your review which would have more impact without it.

Could you edit the review and say "I've been contacted by office manager who assured me they will address it" that equally holds them to account and also confirms they are dealing with it.

the dentist who posted above is right though. If you think the receptionist is bad enough to require a performance review or to be fired, you need to bring it up with the practice manager at the time.

It is never good just to walk off and leave a shit review. Maybe you would be the nth complaint that would trigger a performance review - but if everyone just pisses off and slags off the receptionist on trust pilot? that will never happen.

Also what, in your view, OP, constitutes "shouting" at your child? Was it a case of a hysterical child disturbing people and a sharp reprimand (since you weren't apparently trying to calm the child down?) Only those who were there will know that. And you're biased, of course that's not a criticism, and so would the receptionist be if she were to be asked.

It isn't manners to disappear so that when you are called for your appointment you aren't there. Dentists time is valuable and wasting it is rude. As I said if it was a case of there was somewhere for the OP to take her child the receptionist should have told her, wait in here/wait outside and I'll call you.

The OP said she had raised it when it happened previously so she had done that. The manager acknowledged they knew there was an issue.

In what world does a stranger shouting at a frightened child reassure them and stop the crying? We all get disturbed by other people at times when we are in a public place, doesn't give anyone the right to shout at a child.

So it's fine for you to ask me if I was there, but not fine for me to ask the same thing back? You seem contradictory and hypocritical. Make up your mind.

I worked as a solicitors receptionist/legal sec/PA for 5 years.

The amount of patience you have to have, dealing with everyone from cleaners, estate agents, clients, people off the street, other solicitors. I was lucky in that most people were friendly and polite to me but I've been threatened by a client (high on weed) and screamed at by clients and estate agents.

I'm guessing that OP after having seen the dentist and wanting to go home with her stressed child (children) didn't really want to hang about to speak to the practice manager. Or also have any involvement with the receptionist.

Last time I went in for my dental work (implant and bridge) the receptionist and dentist had been foul to me on the phone and in writing. My dentist was nervous about doing the work and asked how I was twice. When I left I paid my money, no goodbye or niceties as I didn't feel they deserved it. And yes, I wrote my bad review after that. I'm paying almost £5K for my work and for what, to be treated like shit? Thanks but no thanks.

Problem with that is that receptionists tend to be busy on the phone or seeing other patients, so it may well not be a simple case of "give me a call when the dentist is ready". That potentially leaves the dentist not knowing what's going on.

'truth' and 'fair comment' are watertight defences to defamation. if you have given an honest review and have pointed out both good and bad then in no way is this review defamatory.

Seems reasonable to me that you would point this out. If my DD had been crying through fear and had been shouted at by the receptionist then I can assure you that a bad review online would have been the very least of their worries!

Family friendly clinic needs to be aware that people are frightened of the dentist and that children wont always keep that to themselves. Shouting, when a simple kind word would do is not acceptable in those circumstances and if the clinic isnt prepared to accept that then they can simply have a no kids policy. Not very hard...

your review is absolutely fine btw.

Keep it up. A review is based on your actual experience. Giving someone the chance to change things after the event does not change your initial experience.

Don’t take it down! I was left permanently disabled by a medical “professional” last year who is part of a well known clinic. Your review is honest and they should accept that’s why reviews exist as they give others the choice of preventing that happening to them too. Unfortunately for us, we left a review on FB and the admin deleted it within a minute, followed by a threatening email. Leave your review up so that other parents don’t go through it too.

Keep it up. Are they going to ask every person who left a less than glowing report about a grumpy, unfriendly receptionist to take it down?
If they don't want to come across as an unfriendly practice, sack the receptionist 😁

I didn't vote until I read what the problem was. I think you were right to put this review up and would add another stating you had been asked to take it down.
The receptionist needs retraining or sacking.

I had something similar with an Etsy review. Bought a product and was sent a link to write a review. I put that the delivery was quick but I was disappointed with the quality considering the price. I got a fairly rude email from the seller saying my review was out of order and damaging to a small business and asking me to delete it. I only bought the product in the first place because of the high reviews so it did make me wonder how many other not so good reviews had just been deleted.

No don't take it down.

Parents can make their own choice to attend the Dentist based on your review.

If they knowingly employ this rude receptionist... well there choice.

I had a seller on Amazon begging me to to remove a review. Emailed me three times, talked about how was she going to feed her 6 kids....

I had bought a toy that was badly designed and broke almost immediately. Again based on the reviews. I left my review up on principle.

You don't owe a business anything other than the honest facts in a review.

The truth is, employers can’t be responsible for every action of their staff…but are accountable. If you believe that the matter has been dealt with to prevent any repeat of what happened and the service is generally good, maybe take the review down as it no longer serves as a warning .

You don’t get people to change the ones that make you look bad. If the service was better, the reviews would be better. Focus on staff training and recruitment not asking people to change their reviews!

I would leave the review up. I wish I had your bravery....our dental receptionist is similar with an aggressive manner and is also generally disorganised which causes some admin issues. I don't complain because I need to keep my NHS dentist but the whole situation sucks!

i would let it stand they know this receptioist is rude and arent doing anything about it-youre just warning other patients