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How to Handle Negative Reviews as a Holistic Health Practitioner

Thursday, May 29, 2025, 01:43 PM

Many massage therapists and holistic health practitioners are also small business owners who grow their practice with digital platforms like social media. Online platforms offer a great way to reach a larger audience and interact with clients.

But what happens when you receive negative feedback in the digital world? Don't worry! There are many strategies to handle these situations professionally, empowering you to take control of your online reputation.

Online Reviews for Your Business

Online reviews are a great way to attract new clients. Think about how you use reviews in your daily life: before you buy a new product, see a new dentist, or reserve a table at a new restaurant.

People do the same research about massage therapy and other holistic health therapies before they book a session. People may look for reviews on various channels, including Google, Yelp, and social media.

Positive reviews about a business build client trust. They can be a great tool for your business to:

  • build credibility and trust
  • grow customer loyalty
  • improve your ranking in local search results
  • increase customer satisfaction

Someone looking at a laptop screen featuring Google.

How to Respond to Negative Reviews

You can't control what people write, but you can control your response. Here are the dos and don'ts of responding to reviews:

Do:

  • Maintain your professionalism as a holistic health practitioner: remember that your reply is public and for all potential customers to see.
  • Respond promptly: aim to address reviews within 24-48 hours. A quick response shows you're attentive and care about customer service.
  • Read the reviews carefully and identify key issues: understand what the specific complaints are before formulating a response. Avoid a generic response.
  • Thank the reviewer: acknowledge them for taking the time to provide feedback, even if it's negative.
  • Maintain client privacy and confidentiality: even if they share personal health details in their review.

Do NOT:

  • Respond emotionally or defensively: this can make the situation worse and reflect poorly on your business.
  • Ignore a bad review: unanswered complaints can make it seem like you don't care, which could only make the situation worse.
  • Offer bribes for removal: this is often against platform policies and can be seen as unethical. If you commit to solving the issue at hand, the customer would be more likely to change their review.
  • Go back-and-forth: detailed discussions or de-escalation may need to occur offline (for example, via phone call, email, an in-person visit back to the clinic). Reply once publicly, and if the client continues the conversation negatively in the public space, kindly ask them to contact you directly. This helps maintain professionalism and reiterates your commitment to providing better customer service.

While each situation is unique, you can ask yourself these questions to help when deciding how to respond to a negative review or comment:

  • Sender: Is the message from a regular client or individual you have interacted with before?
  • Tone: Is the tone aggressive, or is it inquisitive?
  • Message: Is the message constructive, or is it insulting or misleading?

Constructive feedback can be a valuable learning opportunity, providing insights on how to improve customer service in the future. Your response to criticism can also display your empathy and commitment to the customer's experience.

Take responsibility when the review addresses something you have control over and commit to improving in the future. Be sure to follow through on your words with action!

If the review addresses something you do not have control over, try not to take it personally. If you believe the review to be defamatory, you may wish to seek legal advice.

Tactful, professional communication always wins.

Real-Life Examples for Practitioners

Let's go through some scenarios together, and how you could respond to each type of review.

Sally says:

I got a massage here last week but unfortunately, I found the therapist used too much pressure, and the room was rather cold.

You say:

Thank you for your review, Sally. We are sorry to hear that your experience wasn't as comfortable as it should have been! We understand pressure preferences vary, and we aim to adjust to each client's needs. We also have additional blankets that are available at any time during treatment. We will be sure to communicate this more clearly next time so we can make immediate adjustments throughout the treatment. We hope to see you back soon.

Lawrence says:

I found the receptionist to be quite rude and didn't help me with my insurance coverage when it wouldn't go through.

You say:

Thank you for sharing your experience, Lawrence. We are sorry to hear that you did not receive top customer service, which we always strive to provide. Our front desk is instructed to charge your credit card if your insurance provider does not cover 100% of your treatment, but we understand this can be frustrating when it's unexpected. We recommend contacting your insurance provider directly to verify your personal benefits coverage.

Tony says:

Bad parking, no room in the parking lot and I got a ticket.

You say:

We're sorry to hear about your experience, Tony. While parking spaces can be limited in our lot, there is free two-hour residential parking one block north on ABC Street that many of our customers use. We will look into adding this information to future appointment reminders to help other customers! We hope to see you back soon.

Can You Remove a Bad Review?

What if the review or comment is harmful and abusive instead of constructive? Social media platforms offer restriction tools for extreme cases:

  • Restrict: limits the visibility of your posts or comments to the user without their knowledge.
  • Block: a complete removal from each other's profiles, where you become invisible to them and stop any future contact from them.
  • Report: escalates the issue to the social media platform (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, etc.). The user's account may be suspended if their communication violates community guidelines.

You cannot remove Google reviews, but you can dispute them by flagging reviews that may violate Google's policies (such as ones that include abusive language or spam content).

Google suggests that negative reviews can help a business build credibility. A flawless rating may feel too good to be true, and people are more likely to trust a business that feels real.

Improving Your Business's Online Reviews

Contrary to what you may think, one bad review won't sink your business. Remember that one person's opinion does not reflect the majority.

Not every client is a good fit — and that's ok. Recognize when feedback reflects a mismatch, not a failure.

If you want to improve your online presence, a great option is to rely on your existing connections! Ask your regular clients to leave a review after their next appointment. If you are uncomfortable asking them outright, consider putting up a poster (PDF) in your clinic or adding a message to your automated emails.

Don't lose sleep (or clients!) to a negative review. A tactful, professional response, combined with aligning actions with words, will make you ready to face any negative online review!

We're Here to Help

Our Practice Management team has over 20 years of training and experience in the holistic health industry. They are experts when dealing with challenging situations. NHPC members receive free consultation and guidance on how to deal with everyday practice situations.

Talking to someone with experience in your field can provide helpful insights on handling a difficult client or situation. If you feel overwhelmed or need advice, you can contact our team at practicemanagement@nhpcanada.org.

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