Dental reputation workflow checklist: weekly and monthly

A review process holds up only if someone checks it. This routine takes the review collection and response process and turns it into a short list for whoever owns it. Print it, or copy it into your practice task system.

Every working day

• Read new reviews on every platform you are listed on.
• Reply to straightforward ones using the approved templates.
• Pass any review that raises a concern to the practice manager before replying.

Weekly

1. Requests. Compare eligible appointments with review requests sent. Every gap needs a reason, such as a patient who asked not to be contacted. If requests went only to some patients, fix it this week: selectively asking for positive reviews breaks Google's policy ^[1].
2. Replies. Check every review from the week has a reply, and note any that missed your target.
3. Confidentiality. Reread the week's replies. None should confirm that someone is a patient or mention treatment, visits or costs ^[4]. Edit any that do.
4. Concerns. For each review invited offline, check whether the person made contact and, if so, that the complaint is being handled within your procedure's time limits ^[5].
5. Reports. Note any review you reported to the platform and check its status. Report only reviews you believe break the policies, not ones you disagree with ^[2].

Monthly

1. Log the numbers. Eligible appointments, requests sent, reviews received by rating, replies within target, concerns taken offline, complaints opened.
2. Themes. List what reviewers praise and what they criticise. The GDC asks practices to analyse complaints and share lessons with the whole team ^[5]; do the same with reviews, at a team meeting, without naming reviewers.
3. One change. Agree one thing to improve from the themes, with an owner and a date.
4. Incentive and pressure check. Confirm nobody has offered anything for a review, set staff review targets, or asked patients to review on the spot or name someone ^[1].
5. Website reviews. If you show reviews on your own site, check they are not only the positive ones and that your published review policy is still accurate ^[3].

Once a year, or when something changes

• Reread the request message and reply templates with the team.
• Retrain new reception and management staff on confidentiality in replies.
• Complete the review operations audit worksheet and compare it with last year.
• If you publish reviews, reassess the risk of fake or misleading ones appearing. The CMA says this is not a one-off exercise ^[3].

The guide to confidential replies has the template wording.