Bad Reviews

"Who gave you my name?" I asked.

"I found you on the Internet. I read your reviews."

More and more patients say things like this to me, so I Googled my reviews. Here's one:

"This guy gave me a 5 minute appointment. He did not listen to anything I had to say. I recommend NOT going to see him. Absolutely awful. Please, please don't waste your money."

Maybe you're thinking: "It's just cranky people who vent online. I'm sure Rockoff probably doesn't blow people off like that." If so, you are kind. Thanks.

But how do you really know? Maybe I do ignore what patients have to say. Or maybe I usually don't but did this time. Here's another review:

"This doctor was a total waste of time. I go in and explain my problem, explain my pains. He proceeds to tell me that it is all in my head, and the pain is because I am thinking about having pain. REALLY? I spend my time trying to imagine pain? Please, PLEASE do not go to this doctor."

I like to think I counsel more sensitively than that, but maybe I didn't at this visit. Since the review is anonymous, I really don't know.

Online reviews are a fact of life. Authors I know ask friends to plug their work on Amazon. I once chose a beard trimmer based on an online review. (I hate the trimmer but don't have the time, or bile, to share this with the hirsute universe.)

When it comes to reviews, legal experts tell us that we lack recourse to address egregious, even libelous, attacks on our professional competence, including those that could threaten our reputation and livelihood. Anonymity makes attacking easy and painless to the attacker.

"The three times I went he rushed the appointment, told me the wrong information regarding my skin problem, and was visibly (sic) upset when I tried to ask questions to understand what was wrong with my skin which if he explained it properly ..."

That isn't how I think I interact with people, but maybe I'm wrong. After all, offensive people mostly don't notice that they're obnoxious. Perhaps this patient and I just didn't hit it off. If you deal with a lot of people, a few of them won't like you. There is nothing new there.

But before the Internet, patients who disliked you just complained to a few friends and asked you for their records. Now they can vent their spleen and post it to all humanity.

I think most doctors are ingratiating sorts. Unlike litigating attorneys or meter maids, we generally want people to like us. Even if we know not everyone will, it bothers us when they don't. We sometimes give a passing thought to the way we'll be remembered, to the extent that we are. We may hope that people will recall us as someone who cared and tried to help, even if we sometimes fell short, or failed.

Online reviews ensure that critiques of these failures, justified or not, become an enduring part of the public record. Imagine if this were true of personal relationships: if every relative we riled up, every friend we let down, or every neighbor we crossed could spend 5 delicious minutes getting even by assassinating our character for the whole world for all time. And anonymously - what bliss!

Online reviews are not going away, so whining about them is about as useful as complaining that air has too much nitrogen. One helpful strategy is to actively solicit positive reviews. I admit this goes against my grain, but you have to move with the times. Happy patients will gladly post comments if you ask them. I did this last week. Here's the review:

"At a recent visit, I left waiting to hear back for results from a biopsy. Upon leaving, albeit a bit nervous, I thought about how assured I feel every time I meet with Dr. Rockoff. I know if I have to hear something dreadful, I would prefer to hear it from him."

Nice, yes? I may be Dr. Doom, but I do it with a smile.

Of course, the other reviews will remain, diluted but unexpunged. Oh, well. Keeps you honest anyway.

"Who gave you my name?" I asked.

"I found you on the Internet. I read your reviews."

More and more patients say things like this to me, so I Googled my reviews. Here's one:

"This guy gave me a 5 minute appointment. He did not listen to anything I had to say. I recommend NOT going to see him. Absolutely awful. Please, please don't waste your money."

Maybe you're thinking: "It's just cranky people who vent online. I'm sure Rockoff probably doesn't blow people off like that." If so, you are kind. Thanks.

But how do you really know? Maybe I do ignore what patients have to say. Or maybe I usually don't but did this time. Here's another review:

"This doctor was a total waste of time. I go in and explain my problem, explain my pains. He proceeds to tell me that it is all in my head, and the pain is because I am thinking about having pain. REALLY? I spend my time trying to imagine pain? Please, PLEASE do not go to this doctor."

I like to think I counsel more sensitively than that, but maybe I didn't at this visit. Since the review is anonymous, I really don't know.

Online reviews are a fact of life. Authors I know ask friends to plug their work on Amazon. I once chose a beard trimmer based on an online review. (I hate the trimmer but don't have the time, or bile, to share this with the hirsute universe.)

When it comes to reviews, legal experts tell us that we lack recourse to address egregious, even libelous, attacks on our professional competence, including those that could threaten our reputation and livelihood. Anonymity makes attacking easy and painless to the attacker.

"The three times I went he rushed the appointment, told me the wrong information regarding my skin problem, and was visibly (sic) upset when I tried to ask questions to understand what was wrong with my skin which if he explained it properly ..."

That isn't how I think I interact with people, but maybe I'm wrong. After all, offensive people mostly don't notice that they're obnoxious. Perhaps this patient and I just didn't hit it off. If you deal with a lot of people, a few of them won't like you. There is nothing new there.

But before the Internet, patients who disliked you just complained to a few friends and asked you for their records. Now they can vent their spleen and post it to all humanity.

I think most doctors are ingratiating sorts. Unlike litigating attorneys or meter maids, we generally want people to like us. Even if we know not everyone will, it bothers us when they don't. We sometimes give a passing thought to the way we'll be remembered, to the extent that we are. We may hope that people will recall us as someone who cared and tried to help, even if we sometimes fell short, or failed.

Online reviews ensure that critiques of these failures, justified or not, become an enduring part of the public record. Imagine if this were true of personal relationships: if every relative we riled up, every friend we let down, or every neighbor we crossed could spend 5 delicious minutes getting even by assassinating our character for the whole world for all time. And anonymously - what bliss!

Online reviews are not going away, so whining about them is about as useful as complaining that air has too much nitrogen. One helpful strategy is to actively solicit positive reviews. I admit this goes against my grain, but you have to move with the times. Happy patients will gladly post comments if you ask them. I did this last week. Here's the review:

"At a recent visit, I left waiting to hear back for results from a biopsy. Upon leaving, albeit a bit nervous, I thought about how assured I feel every time I meet with Dr. Rockoff. I know if I have to hear something dreadful, I would prefer to hear it from him."

Nice, yes? I may be Dr. Doom, but I do it with a smile.

Of course, the other reviews will remain, diluted but unexpunged. Oh, well. Keeps you honest anyway.

"Who gave you my name?" I asked.

"I found you on the Internet. I read your reviews."

More and more patients say things like this to me, so I Googled my reviews. Here's one:

"This guy gave me a 5 minute appointment. He did not listen to anything I had to say. I recommend NOT going to see him. Absolutely awful. Please, please don't waste your money."

Maybe you're thinking: "It's just cranky people who vent online. I'm sure Rockoff probably doesn't blow people off like that." If so, you are kind. Thanks.

But how do you really know? Maybe I do ignore what patients have to say. Or maybe I usually don't but did this time. Here's another review:

"This doctor was a total waste of time. I go in and explain my problem, explain my pains. He proceeds to tell me that it is all in my head, and the pain is because I am thinking about having pain. REALLY? I spend my time trying to imagine pain? Please, PLEASE do not go to this doctor."

I like to think I counsel more sensitively than that, but maybe I didn't at this visit. Since the review is anonymous, I really don't know.

Online reviews are a fact of life. Authors I know ask friends to plug their work on Amazon. I once chose a beard trimmer based on an online review. (I hate the trimmer but don't have the time, or bile, to share this with the hirsute universe.)

When it comes to reviews, legal experts tell us that we lack recourse to address egregious, even libelous, attacks on our professional competence, including those that could threaten our reputation and livelihood. Anonymity makes attacking easy and painless to the attacker.

"The three times I went he rushed the appointment, told me the wrong information regarding my skin problem, and was visibly (sic) upset when I tried to ask questions to understand what was wrong with my skin which if he explained it properly ..."

That isn't how I think I interact with people, but maybe I'm wrong. After all, offensive people mostly don't notice that they're obnoxious. Perhaps this patient and I just didn't hit it off. If you deal with a lot of people, a few of them won't like you. There is nothing new there.

But before the Internet, patients who disliked you just complained to a few friends and asked you for their records. Now they can vent their spleen and post it to all humanity.

I think most doctors are ingratiating sorts. Unlike litigating attorneys or meter maids, we generally want people to like us. Even if we know not everyone will, it bothers us when they don't. We sometimes give a passing thought to the way we'll be remembered, to the extent that we are. We may hope that people will recall us as someone who cared and tried to help, even if we sometimes fell short, or failed.

Online reviews ensure that critiques of these failures, justified or not, become an enduring part of the public record. Imagine if this were true of personal relationships: if every relative we riled up, every friend we let down, or every neighbor we crossed could spend 5 delicious minutes getting even by assassinating our character for the whole world for all time. And anonymously - what bliss!

Online reviews are not going away, so whining about them is about as useful as complaining that air has too much nitrogen. One helpful strategy is to actively solicit positive reviews. I admit this goes against my grain, but you have to move with the times. Happy patients will gladly post comments if you ask them. I did this last week. Here's the review:

"At a recent visit, I left waiting to hear back for results from a biopsy. Upon leaving, albeit a bit nervous, I thought about how assured I feel every time I meet with Dr. Rockoff. I know if I have to hear something dreadful, I would prefer to hear it from him."

Nice, yes? I may be Dr. Doom, but I do it with a smile.

Of course, the other reviews will remain, diluted but unexpunged. Oh, well. Keeps you honest anyway.