APMA News - March/April 2018 - 50

Inside APMA's Social Media

What is Social Call-Out Culture and
How Does it Affect My Practice?
What is social call-out culture?
Social call-out culture refers to the practice of
consumers turning to social media forums like
Facebook or Twitter when they feel they were
wronged by a brand. This practice became more
popular as more brands came to social media to connect with their consumers. Brands understood that social media was the quickest and most cost-effective way to
connect with their consumers, especially when it came to addressing customer support or accountability issues.

I'm still confused. What is an
example of social call-out culture?
Back in December 2017, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport experienced an underground fire that caused a
massive power outage. As a result, more than 700 ﬂights were
cancelled, leaving hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded.
It took a long time for the airport to communicate with travelers
about what was going on, and as a result, travelers took to social
media to air their grievances. It didn't take long for pictures of
passengers stuck on escalators in the dark to go viral.

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According to the Sprout Social Index, 81
percent of consumers said social media increased accountability for businesses. This statistic speaks to how prevalent and important
social media has become.
be
So you may be wondering what causes consumers, or in your case,
patients, to voice their opinions online? The same study
found that three in five consumers said dishonesty is what
caused them to voice their opinions via social media. In the
above example of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
Airport, travelers believed the airport did not communicate
what was happening. Instead, travelers were left alone in the
dark, clueless.
If your practice has a social media presence, you cannot
afford to ignore this behavioral phenomenon. If patients turn
to your practice's social media page to air their grievances,
here's what you can do:
1. Respond as soon as possible.
The longer you wait, the worse it will be. APMA recommends doctors dedicate some time every week to looking at their social media page(s) to make sure they are
not missing any comments.
2. Be polite and apologize.
There is a reason why the same brands rank highest in
customer satisfaction year after year. They are polite and
apologize every time a customer has a bad experience.
3. Offer a solution.
Patients want to know they've been heard. Offering a
solution to their problem will help them know you take
their complaints seriously.
For example, let's say a patient complains on your social media page about long wait times. Here's an example of a response
that puts all three of the above tips into practice:
"Jane Doe, thank you for filing a complaint with us. We are
sorry you had to wait that long today. The wait must have been
very frustrating. Our staff knows your time is valuable, and
we are constantly looking for ways to cut down on your waiting-room time, and as such, are implementing changes that
will help with this problem."
n

For more information about APMA's social media accounts, contact Nora Younes at nryounes@apma.org.

50 APMA News March/April 2018

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of APMA News - March/April 2018