Review Response Guide — SGA Dental Partners

How to Use This Guide

The star-rating sections below cover the full range of reviews the network receives. Every response — regardless of rating — follows the same voice principles and SEO conventions at the top of this page. Positive-review templates (5★, 4★) can be posted directly by the practice. 3★ reviews should be read carefully — some are entirely positive with a small caveat, others contain a specific complaint that still needs escalation. 1–2★ reviews split into templates that can be handled directly and templates that require internal routing before any substantive response is posted.

Automated responses are available on request. Any theme in this guide that does not require escalation can be configured for automated response — the system uses these templates, applies the voice and SEO rules, and posts within the practice's chosen SLA. Escalation-required themes stay manual by design (they need human judgment before anything is posted publicly). To set up automation for one or more locations, contact Marketing.

Roles & Responsibilities

Ownership across the full lifecycle of a review — from receipt through public response, escalation, Google reporting, appeal, and case closure. All ownership was resolved on August 14, 2026 (see the green summary below the table).

Role	Owns
Office Manager	Investigates the underlying concern; attempts private patient outreach; drafts and posts the public response on the practice's assigned platform (Swell, PromoRepublic, or manual GBP); decides (based on the Google policy checklist) whether a review is reportable; files the report; submits the one-time appeal when eligible; escalates to the appropriate team when authority is exceeded; documents the final resolution and closes the case.
Regional Operations Director	Backs up the Office Manager on cross-office or repeat complaints; approves escalations that require operational leadership; holds the Office Manager accountable for executing this SOP — including the reporting and appeal workflow.
Growth Manager	Coordinates complaint-resolution, follow-up, and care-coordination escalation themes; helps the practice interpret ambiguous or brand-sensitive reviews.
Ops SLT Operations Senior Leadership Team	Owns the PatientEscalations@sgadental.com inbox — receives escalations that exceed Office Manager authority. Owns the immediate safety-threat protocol (threats of harm, active safety concerns).
Legal / Compliance	Owns legal threats, dental-board complaints, regulator inquiries, media inquiries, discrimination allegations, HIPAA / privacy allegations, and fraud allegations. Owns the LegalNotices@sgadental.com inbox and the Compliance / Privacy escalation path. Clears all response language for these categories before anything is posted publicly. Reviews Google-report appeals when the underlying review touches legal-sensitive content.
Clinical Leadership / CDO	Approves any public response that touches diagnosis, treatment outcomes, pain management, or provider empathy. Owns the substantive position on clinical-concern reviews.

✓ Ownership resolved — August 14, 2026

Decides whether to report a review to Google: Office Manager (using the policy-category checklist in Section 1 of "Report a Review to Google")
Files the report: Office Manager. The Office Manager should also ask the practice team to submit the same report — Google gives more weight to reviews flagged by multiple accounts.
Tracks Google's decision: Not formally recorded. The Office Manager may spot-check status in the Reviews Management Tool, but the practice does not maintain a Google-decision log.
Submits the one-time appeal: Office Manager. Escalate to Legal first if the underlying review touches legal-sensitive content (threats, board complaints, discrimination, fraud, HIPAA).
Patient Escalations inbox: Ops SLT
Compliance / Privacy escalation: Legal
LegalNotices inbox: Legal
Safety-threat protocol: Ops SLT
Swell + PromoRepublic publish-screen screenshots: Office Manager (placeholders remain in the Publish Response section)

Voice Principles — Read Before Every Response

Doctor feedback on the first draft of these templates was direct: "I don't want to be cheesy." The principles below exist to keep every response — from a glowing 5★ to a difficult 1★ — sounding like a real person from the practice, not a marketing team.

Be specific, not generic. If the reviewer named a team member, a service, or a moment, name it back. If they didn't, don't invent one. Generic praise deserves a specific thank-you, not an equally generic response.
One sentence of gratitude, maximum. "Thanks for taking the time to share this" beats a full paragraph of thank-yous. Corporate over-thanking is the tell.
Kill the exclamation stack, superlatives, and emoji. No "amazing," "thrilled," "means the world," "made our day," "we are so honored." One period per sentence.
Close with something concrete, not a canned goodbye. "See you at your next cleaning" reads honest. "We can't wait to see you again soon!" reads canned.
Never fish for a higher rating. Do not write "we'd love to earn that 5th star next time" on a 4★ review. Patients notice, and it makes the practice look insecure.
Vary the templates across locations. Google flags identical review responses posted across multiple business profiles as low-quality. Rotate openers, closers, and phrasings — never copy word-for-word.
Contractions are your friend. "We're" not "we are." "You're" not "you are." Contractions are how real people write. Their absence is a corporate-writing tell.

✗ Cheesy — do not use Thank you SO much for this AMAZING review! We are absolutely THRILLED that you had such a wonderful experience at our office. It truly means the world to our whole team! We cannot wait to see you again soon! 😊✨

✓ Sounds like a real person Thanks — glad the team at [Practice Name] took good care of you. See you at your next cleaning.

SEO Keyword Strategy for Review Responses

Google surfaces review responses in local search results. A well-written response that includes the practice name, city, and relevant service terms can reinforce the location's keyword footprint — without keyword stuffing. The rule is the same across all star ratings: one of each, once, and only if it fits. Overloading a positive review with services the patient never mentioned is the single most obvious signal that a response is templated or AI-generated.

Always Include (When Natural)

Practice name — once, not repeated
the team at [Practice Name]
City or neighborhood — anchors the response locally
[Practice Name] in [City]
Provider name — if the reviewer mentioned them by name
glad Dr. [Last Name] and the team took care of you

Mirror, Don't Add

Only include a service term if the reviewer mentioned it: cleaning, implant, extraction
Specialty language if applicable: pediatric dental office, periodontal care
Neighborhood detail if reviewer volunteered it: thanks for driving in from [Town]

Never Do

Stack multiple city names or zip codes
Volunteer services the reviewer never mentioned
Repeat the practice name more than once
Copy the same response word-for-word across locations (Google detects and downranks)
Add hashtags or emojis

Response Length

Ideal: 2–4 sentences (positive), 3–5 sentences (negative)
Max: 100 words — longer responses truncate in search results
Lead with acknowledgment. Close with something concrete.
Never close with a phone number or URL — reads as spam

5★ Reviews — Amplify With Restraint

5★ responses are the easiest to get wrong. The default is to match the reviewer's enthusiasm with more enthusiasm — that's what reads as cheesy. The move here is specificity + brevity: name back what they named, thank them once, close with something real. Keep them varied — a 5★ response that reads identically across three locations is a Google red flag.

Auto-Response Available 5★

Reviewer named a provider and a specific moment

Sample response:

Thanks, [First Name] — glad Dr. [Last Name] and the team at [Practice Name] took good care of you. It means something when patients notice the little things. See you at your next visit.

SEO used: Provider name · Practice name · (city implied by profile)

Auto-Response Available 5★

Reviewer mentioned a specific service (cleaning, crown, extraction)

Sample response:

Appreciate you leaving this. We work hard to make [service] visits feel straightforward at [Practice Name] in [City] — good to hear that came through for you. Take care.

SEO used: Service term (mirrored from review) · Practice name · City

Auto-Response Available 5★

Reviewer mentioned being nervous or anxious about the dentist

Sample response:

Thanks for saying so. A lot of people come in nervous about the dentist, and it means something to hear that the team at [Practice Name] made it easier. Glad you're on the other side of it.

SEO used: Practice name · (empathy language builds trust for other anxious searchers reading the profile)

Auto-Response Available 5★

New patient — first visit went well

Sample response:

Welcome to [Practice Name]. Glad the first visit went well — we try to make new-patient appointments feel unrushed, so it's good to hear that landed for you. See you at your next cleaning.

SEO used: Practice name · "new-patient" · "cleaning" (only because the natural next-visit reference)

Auto-Response Available 5★

Short, generic 5★ — no specifics ("great office")

Sample response:

Thanks for the kind words. Glad your visit at [Practice Name] in [City] went well — that's what we're going for. See you next time.

SEO used: Practice name · City · nothing invented

Auto-Response Available 5★

Complex or emotional case (implant, extraction, restoration)

Sample response:

Appreciate you leaving this. [Procedure] cases take a lot of planning behind the scenes, and it's satisfying to hear the whole thing came together for you. Take care of yourself.

SEO used: Procedure term (mirrored) · practice name optional if it fits

4★ Reviews — Acknowledge the Gap, Don't Chase the Star

A 4★ almost always has an implied "but." Something small held the reviewer back — a wait time, a front-desk moment, a mild pricing surprise. The move is: acknowledge what worked, signal you noticed there was room to improve, invite them to say more offline. Never write "we'd love to earn that 5th star next time" — patients read that as needy and it reflects badly on the practice. If the 4★ mentions a theme that would trigger escalation on a 1–2★ (billing, clinical concern), route the same way.

Auto-Response Available 4★

Warm 4★ with no specific complaint — the "but" is unstated

Sample response:

Thanks for the honest feedback. Glad the visit at [Practice Name] in [City] went well overall — and if there's something we could have handled better, we'd want to know. Reach out to our office manager anytime.

Voice note: "We'd want to know" is deliberately understated — it invites without begging. No mention of the missing star.

Auto-Response Available 4★

4★ with a specific, minor critique embedded

Sample response:

Appreciate you taking the time. Glad the [what worked] worked out — sorry about the [specific issue]. That's a real thing we're working on, not a canned line. If you'd like to talk through it, our office manager is easy to reach.

Voice note: Calling out that it's "not a canned line" is disarming and honest. Only use once — if it becomes its own template, it becomes canned.

Auto-Response Available 4★

4★ that praises the clinical work but critiques front-desk or scheduling

Sample response:

Thanks for sharing this. Good to hear the [clinical / hygiene / provider] side of the visit at [Practice Name] went well — the front-desk experience is something we know we can tighten up, and we're on it. Reach out anytime if you'd like to talk directly.

SEO used: Practice name · anchors the clinical praise, which is the highest-value part of the review to reinforce

3★ Reviews — Read Carefully, Then Respond Honestly

3★ is the hardest tier to write for. It's a mixed signal — the patient came, something worked, something didn't, and they're not writing to burn the practice down. Real engagement matters here more than any other rating: a canned response converts a lukewarm patient into a former patient.

Read the review twice before drafting. If it mentions billing, insurance, clinical outcomes, sales pressure, or anything else on the escalation list — route it through the same escalation flow as a 1–2★ before posting anything substantive. If it's a genuine "some things worked, some didn't" without those flags, the templates below apply.

Auto-Response Available 3★

Clear positive + clear complaint (no escalation triggers)

Sample response:

Thanks for laying it out honestly. Glad the [what worked] worked for you — and the [what didn't] is fair feedback, not something we're going to argue with. Please reach out to our office manager at [Practice Name] so we can talk it through directly and figure out how to make the next visit better.

Voice note: "Not something we're going to argue with" is a small but meaningful phrase — it signals the practice is going to take the feedback seriously, without a lot of corporate flowers.

Auto-Response Available 3★

Neutral, hard-to-read tone — patient is unclear what they wanted

Sample response:

Appreciate the feedback. It sounds like the visit at [Practice Name] in [City] didn't fully land the way we'd want it to. We'd genuinely like to understand what happened — please reach out to our office manager so we can talk through it.

Voice note: "Didn't fully land" acknowledges the middle rating without over-apologizing. The word "genuinely" earns its keep here — read the sentence without it and it feels colder.

Route Before Posting 3★

3★ that mentions billing, insurance, clinical, or sales-pressure themes

Holding response (post within 24 hrs while internal routing happens):

Thanks for the review. It sounds like there's something specific we should follow up on — please reach out to our office manager at [Practice Name] directly so we can look into it and get back to you properly.

Then route through the same escalation flow below. A 3★ that mentions billing or clinical needs the same internal review as a 1★ with the same theme — the rating doesn't change the underlying question.

1–2★ Reviews — Office Manager Workflow

When PromoRepublic detects a new 1★ or 2★ review, it notifies the Office Manager. The steps below cover what happens from alert to closure. Public-response templates for each theme sit in the two sections that follow this one.

Automation note: Where a practice has opted into automated response for no-escalation themes, an initial public reply may already be posted by the time this workflow begins. The Office Manager's job in that case is to verify the auto-response was appropriate, complete any private outreach, and escalate if the review turns out to touch a higher-risk theme.

Step 1

Verify the review

Before responding or escalating, confirm the following:

The review belongs to the correct office (check platform, business profile, and geography — reviews sometimes land on the wrong listing)
Whether the reviewer name can be matched to a known patient — do not confirm this publicly
The patient has not already contacted the office by phone or email about the same issue
Capture: review URL, platform, date, star rating, reviewer name (as it appears publicly), and a screenshot
Identify the general issue category (staff, billing, clinical, scheduling, facility, etc.) without placing protected health information in the public response

Step 2

Risk triage — decide the routing level

Match the complaint to one of the six levels below. If the review touches more than one level, route to the highest-risk level.

Level	Examples	Route
Office-level service recovery	Scheduling, wait time, billing confusion, communication, staff interaction, or another issue the Office Manager can reasonably address	Office Manager handles outreach and posts the response using the appropriate template in the sections below
Internal patient escalation	Office Manager cannot resolve; patient requests leadership involvement; complaint is repeated or serious; requested resolution exceeds Office Manager's authority	PatientEscalations@sgadental.com — owned by Ops SLT.
Clinical concern	Alleged harm, treatment outcome, medication issue, diagnosis, clinical standard-of-care concern, or any matter requiring provider review	Escalate through the clinical escalation process; loop in Clinical Director / CDO. Do not debate clinical facts publicly.
Compliance or privacy	HIPAA / privacy allegation, discrimination, accessibility, harassment, suspected fraud, or any other compliance concern	Route to Legal. Copy Patient Escalations (Ops SLT) only if policy requires it.
Legal or third-party matter	Attorney contact, legal demand, subpoena, dental-board complaint, regulator, insurer investigation, or media inquiry	LegalNotices@sgadental.com — owned by Legal. Do NOT use the Patient Escalations inbox as the primary route for these matters.
Immediate safety threat	Threat of harm, active safety concern, or emergency language in the review or in patient contact	Follow the emergency / safety protocol immediately — owned by Ops SLT. Do not wait for the normal review-response workflow.

Not every 1–2★ review is a legal or escalation matter. The majority route through office-level service recovery — the higher-risk levels exist for the small share that need them.

Step 3

Attempt private outreach (when appropriate)

When the patient can be identified and the concern is within office authority, attempt private contact before or alongside the public response. The objective is to:

Listen and understand
Acknowledge the concern
Determine whether the office can resolve it
Offer internal escalation when the office cannot resolve it

Do not:

Admit liability
Promise refunds, free treatment, or clinical outcomes without proper authority
Argue about the facts of the visit
Require the patient to remove or change the review as a condition of assistance

Step 4

Post the public response

Use the theme-matched template in the 1–2★ No-Escalation Templates or 1–2★ Escalation-Required Templates sections. All 1–2★ public responses must follow the Voice Principles and the SEO conventions above.

Internal resolution does not remove the need for a public response. A well-written response is often the most visible signal that a practice takes complaints seriously — unless Legal or Compliance directs otherwise, post one.

⚠ Never include in a public response

Any confirmation that the reviewer is a patient
Treatment details, diagnosis, medications, appointment specifics, insurance information, or account balance
Requests to email clinical information through unsecured public channels
Promises of refunds, free treatment, or removal of balances without proper authority
Debate about the facts, or defense of specific providers or decisions
Admissions of wrongdoing
Direct engagement with attorney, dental-board, regulator, or media communications — those route to Legal, not this workflow

Step 5

Submit the internal escalation (when the office cannot resolve)

If the matter cannot be resolved at office level, submit to PatientEscalations@sgadental.com (owned by Ops SLT). Include the following:

Practice name and location
Office Manager's name and contact information
Review platform, URL, date, star rating, and screenshot
Reviewer's public name
Patient identity and contact details, if confirmed (shared only internally)
Summary of the complaint
Actions already taken
Dates and outcomes of contact attempts
Patient's requested resolution
Reason the office could not resolve the matter
Whether a public response has been posted
Any clinical, compliance, privacy, legal, safety, or reputational risk indicators
Requested next step or support needed

Subject-line format:

PATIENT ESCALATION | [Practice Name] | [Patient Initials or Internal ID] | [Issue Category]

Do not put protected health information in the subject line. Subject lines are scanned by many systems and staff — keep identifiers non-clinical.

Reusable email template:

To: PatientEscalations@sgadental.com (owned by Ops SLT) Subject: PATIENT ESCALATION | [Practice Name] | [Patient Initials] | [Issue Category] Practice: [Practice Name, City, State] Office Manager: [Name, phone, email] Review platform: [Google / Facebook / other] Review URL: [Link] Review date: [Date] Star rating: [1 or 2] Reviewer public name: [As shown on the review] Screenshot attached: [Yes / No] Patient (internal only, if confirmed): Name: [Full name] Contact: [Phone / email] Complaint summary: [2–4 sentence factual summary — no clinical detail beyond what the review itself made public] Actions already taken: - [Date] [Action, outcome] - [Date] [Action, outcome] Patient's requested resolution: [As stated by the patient] Reason the office could not resolve: [Authority, policy, or scope reason] Public response status: [Posted / Held per Legal / Not yet posted — reason] Risk indicators (check all that apply): [ ] Clinical concern [ ] Compliance / privacy [ ] Legal / third-party [ ] Safety threat [ ] Reputational sensitivity [ ] Repeat complaint Requested next step: [What the Office Manager is asking Patient Escalations to do]

Step 6

Document and close

A 1–2★ review is closed when all of the following are true:

The concern and the actions taken are documented
The correct internal owner has accepted the escalation, when applicable
A privacy-safe public response has been posted, or intentionally held on direction from Legal or Compliance
The Office Manager knows whether additional follow-up is required

Sending the escalation email does not mean the patient matter is resolved. It means ownership has been transferred to the appropriate internal team. The Office Manager should remain available for follow-up but should not continue negotiating independently unless instructed.

Proposed timing (pending SGA leadership approval)

Action	Proposed target
Review the alert and complete initial risk triage	Same business day
Post the public response or route to the appropriate owner	Within 1 business day
Attempt private outreach	Same or next business day
Escalate urgent legal, privacy, clinical-safety, or threat-related matters	Immediately
Escalate unresolved routine complaints	Within 1 business day
Follow up on an unacknowledged internal escalation	After 1 business day

These are proposed service targets pending SGA leadership approval — they are not existing policy. The Internal Routing timeline below covers what happens after the escalation is received by the internal team.

Publishing the Response — Choose Your Platform

SGA operates on three review-response platforms. Confirm which one your practice uses before publishing — the shared preparation steps below apply to all three, and only the publish step is platform-specific.

Platform	Coverage	When to use
Swell Accessed via Dental Intelligence login	91 locations	The practice's current review-response platform, contracted through December 2026.
PromoRepublic Direct platform login	157 locations launching	The practice's rolling-launch review-response platform; will be the network's platform of record as Swell is retired.
Manual — Google Business Profile Direct Google login	Fallback / not-on-either	Use when the practice is not yet on Swell or PromoRepublic, or when either platform is temporarily unavailable.

If you are unsure which platform is assigned to your practice, ask your Growth Manager or ROD before publishing.

Preparation · applies to all platforms

Before you publish (steps 1–7)

Locate the correct practice. If you support multiple offices, confirm the practice name and city before opening any review. Reviews posted to the wrong profile happen occasionally.
Open the review. Find the specific review in the reviews list.
Confirm no one has already responded. Check whether another team member has already posted a public reply, drafted a holding response, or logged a private outreach attempt. Two responses on the same review look uncoordinated to the reader.
Review the details. Capture the star rating, the full review text, the date posted, the reviewer's public name, and any internal context you have on the visit (without placing PHI in the response).
Apply the SOP's approval and escalation rules. If this is a 1–2★ review, or a 3★ that trips the escalation triggers, work through the Office Manager Workflow before drafting. Do not post a substantive response ahead of the required approval.
Draft a privacy-safe response. Use the theme-matched template from the sections above. Never confirm patient status. Never reference treatment details, insurance information, payment history, or appointment specifics.
Obtain any required approval. Clinical, Finance/RCM, or Legal per the routing matrix, if the theme calls for it.

Option 1 · Fallback Manual · Google Business Profile

Publish directly through Google Business Profile

Use this path if the practice is not on Swell or PromoRepublic, or if either platform is unavailable.

Sign in to the Google account authorized to manage the practice's Business Profile.
Open the correct Business Profile.
Select Read reviews.
Find the applicable review.
Select Reply under the review.
Paste or type the approved response text.
Select Post.
Copy the URL of the review for the internal case record.

Training / access issues: If you do not have the Google account credentials for your practice's Business Profile, contact your Growth Manager.

Option 2 · 91 locations Swell (via Dental Intelligence login)

Publish through Swell

Use this path if your practice is one of the 91 SGA locations on Swell.

Sign in through the practice's Dental Intelligence login — Swell rides on that authentication.
Open the review from within the Swell reviews list.
Paste or type the approved response text.
Publish through Swell's publish flow — screenshot placeholder for exact UI labels: [Office Manager to capture and add Swell publish-screen screenshot].

Training: Contact debi@swellcx.com for Swell onboarding or refresher training.

Option 3 · 157 locations launching PromoRepublic

Publish through PromoRepublic

Use this path if your practice is on the PromoRepublic launch list. PromoRepublic will become the network's platform of record as Swell is retired.

Sign in to PromoRepublic using the practice's PromoRepublic credentials.
Navigate to the reviews / reputation section for the correct location.
Open the review from the reviews list.
Paste or type the approved response text.
Publish through PromoRepublic's publish flow — screenshot placeholder for exact UI labels: [Office Manager to capture and add PromoRepublic publish-screen screenshot].

Training / launch access: [Confirm PromoRepublic training contact — Decision Required]. In the interim, coordinate with your Growth Manager.

Close-out · applies to all platforms

After you publish

Record the details in the internal case record. Log the responder's name, the response date, the exact text posted, the platform used, and any escalation or follow-up already in flight.
Consider whether the review should also be reported to Google. Reporting is a separate action from responding — see the Report to Google section. Reporting a review should not automatically delay the public response you just posted.

Publishing through Swell or PromoRepublic pushes the response to the connected Google Business Profile automatically. You do not need to also publish through Manual · GBP if you have already published through Swell or PromoRepublic.

1–2★ Reviews — No-Escalation Templates

These themes don't require internal escalation. Templates can be posted directly by the practice or configured for automated response on request. Respond to the experience, not the underlying clinical or billing matter. Use these when Step 2 above returns Office-level service recovery.

Auto-Response Available 1–2★

Staff Friendliness · Demeanor · Front Desk · Receptionist · Greeting

Theme frequency: Moderate — often paired with billing or clinical themes. Respond to the experience, not the underlying clinical/billing matter.

Sample response — staff tone:

Thanks for taking the time to share this. Sorry your visit to [Practice Name] in [City] didn't reflect the kind of welcome we work to provide. Kindness and clear communication are things we take seriously — your feedback will get to office leadership. If you're open to it, please reach out to our office manager directly so we can make it right.

Sample response — first impression / greeting:

Sorry your first interaction at [Practice Name] fell short. A warm, professional welcome is the foundation of every visit at our [City] dental office, and we clearly missed the mark here. Please contact us so we can understand what happened.

SEO used: Practice name · City · "dental team" or "dental office"

Auto-Response Available 1–2★

Atmosphere · Facility Comfort · Facility Cleanliness

Sample response:

Thanks for your review. A clean, comfortable environment is something [Practice Name] holds to a high standard, and we're sorry your experience didn't reflect that. We take facility feedback seriously and will address it with our team. If you're open to it, please reach out to our [City] office directly.

SEO used: Practice name · City

Auto-Response Available 1–2★

Wait Time · Check-in Process · Convenience · Anxiety Management

Sample response — wait time:

Thanks for sharing this. We know your time matters, and we're sorry the wait at [Practice Name] wasn't what you expected. Our team is committed to running on schedule. Please reach out to our [City] dental office so we can give you a better experience next time.

Sample response — anxiety / comfort:

Thanks for letting us know. A lot of people come in nervous about dental care, and making that easier is something we care about at [Practice Name]. Sorry we didn't get it right here. Please reach out so we can figure out how to do better next visit.

SEO used: Practice name · City · "dental care" · "dental office"

1–2★ Reviews — Escalation Required (Holding Responses Only)

These templates acknowledge the review publicly within 24 hours while internal escalation is in progress. Do not post a substantive response until the appropriate team has cleared the position. Never admit fault, reference internal processes, or quote policy in a holding response.

⚠ Holding responses buy time — they are not final responses. A follow-up must be posted once the team has reviewed.

Escalate First → Finance / RCM 1–2★

Billing Accuracy · Cost Transparency · Out-of-Pocket Costs · Worth the Money · Payment Options

Holding response (post within 24 hrs):

Thanks for sharing this. Clarity around costs is something we take seriously at [Practice Name] in [City]. Our team is looking into your feedback and will be in touch. If you'd like to speak with someone sooner, please contact our office directly.

Follow-up response (once Finance / RCM has reviewed):

Thanks for your patience while we looked into this. [Practice Name] is committed to clear communication about costs, and we're sorry this experience fell short. We believe your concerns have been addressed through [our billing team / directly — confirm with RCM], but please don't hesitate to reach out if you have more questions.

Escalate to: Finance / RCM within 4 business hours of review receipt. Include review URL, location, and patient-facing description (no PHI).

SEO used: Practice name · City · implied service context from the review

Escalate First → Finance / RCM 1–2★

Insurance Processing · Insurance Verification · Billing Support

Holding response:

Sorry to hear about the confusion with your insurance at [Practice Name]. We know how frustrating these situations can be, and we want to understand what happened. Someone from our team will be reaching out — or please contact our [City] office directly so we can work through it with you.

Escalate to: RCM / Billing. Flag separately if the review mentions collections, legal threats, or fraud — those route to Legal, not RCM alone.

Escalate First → Clinical Leadership 1–2★

Quality of Care · Bedside Manner · Treatment Outcomes · Procedure Experience · Pain Management · Provider Empathy

Holding response:

Thanks for leaving this review. We want every patient at [Practice Name] in [City] to feel heard and cared for, and we're sorry your experience left you with concerns. Your feedback has been shared with our leadership team. If you'd like to speak with someone directly, please contact our office — we want to understand what happened.

Follow-up response (once Clinical has reviewed — CDO or Office Manager approval required):

Thanks for your patience. Our clinical leadership has looked into your concerns, and we sincerely apologize that your visit to [Practice Name] didn't meet the standard of dental care we hold ourselves to. [Approved language from clinical team goes here.] We'd welcome the chance to speak with you further — please reach out to our office at your convenience.

Escalate to: Clinical Director / Office Manager within 2 business hours. Do NOT post a substantive response until clinical leadership has reviewed. No admission of error or clinical facts in the public response — those belong in a private follow-up only.

Red flag triggers: Mentions of wrong diagnosis, unnecessary procedures, infection, or injury → elevate to Chief Dental Officer and Legal immediately.

Escalate First → Operations 1–2★

Availability · Scheduling Efficiency · Delays · Ease of Contact · Hold Time · Response Time · New Patient Instruction

Holding response:

Sorry to hear about the difficulty reaching us and scheduling your visit. Access and responsiveness are priorities at [Practice Name] in [City], and this experience doesn't reflect what we're working toward. We've shared your feedback with our team and would love to connect — please reach out to us directly.

Escalate to: Operations / Office Manager. Call center complaints should also be flagged to the central contact center team lead.

Escalate First → Operations + Growth Manager 1–2★

Complaint Resolution · Follow-up · Ongoing Communication · Care Coordination · Team Coordination

Holding response:

Thanks for reaching out through your review. Sorry that the follow-through after your visit at [Practice Name] fell short of what you deserved. Our team is looking into it and will reach out to you directly. We're committed to making this right.

Escalate to: Growth Manager for coordination. If the complaint involves a prior unresolved clinical concern, Clinical Leadership must also be looped in.

Escalate First → Clinical + Operations 1–2★

Worth the Money · Sales Pressure · Upselling · Options Discussed · Treatment Expectations

Holding response:

Thanks for taking the time to share this. Every treatment recommendation at [Practice Name] in [City] is intended to be in the best interest of the patient, and we're sorry you left feeling otherwise. We'd like to understand your experience better — please reach out so we can talk it through directly.

Red flag: If the review alleges specific unnecessary procedures or a second opinion contradicted the diagnosis — escalate to Clinical Leadership and Legal before any response. Do not post a holding response until leadership is aware.

Report a Review to Google

Google will consider removing a review only when the content violates one of its published policies. Reporting is a separate action from responding — reporting does not replace the public response, and posting a response does not prevent reporting. Both can happen in parallel.

⚠ Read before deciding to report

A negative, emotional, disputed, or allegedly inaccurate review is not automatically eligible for removal. The person reporting it must identify the specific Google policy that appears to have been violated.
Disagreements about insurance, fees, treatment outcomes, service quality, or the reviewer's version of events will not usually qualify for removal. Handle those through the response and escalation workflow above.
Google permits one appeal per reported review. Use the appeal carefully — an appeal that merely repeats "the review is false" will not succeed. Cite a specific policy violation.

1. Decide whether the review should be reported

The Office Manager makes this decision using the checklist below, drawn from Google's current prohibited and restricted content policies. A review is a candidate for reporting only if it appears to fall into one of these categories. If none clearly fits, do not report — respond and, if warranted, escalate internally.

Google policy category	What it covers (typical examples in a dental context)
Fake engagement	The reviewer was never a patient and never visited the practice; content that misrepresents the location; rating manipulation.
Conflict of interest	A former or current employee, a competitor, or someone with a stake in the practice's reputation posting under the guise of a patient.
Off-topic	Political, social, or personal commentary unrelated to the patient's experience at the practice.
Personal or confidential information	The review discloses another person's identifiable data — a staff member's home address, phone number, medical detail, etc. — without consent.
Harassment, threats, or hate speech	Threats of harm, doxxing, unwanted sexualization, or content vilifying a protected group.
Offensive content · profanity · obscenity	Profane or obscene content clearly intended to offend; sexually explicit material.
Impersonation or misrepresentation	Content pretending to represent a specific person, group, or organization; false accounts of service quality intended to deceive.
Advertising & solicitation	Promotional content, external contact information, or links intended to move traffic elsewhere.
Restricted content	Calls-to-action for alcohol, gambling, tobacco, firearms, pharmaceuticals, adult services, or financial products.
Dangerous content · violence & gore · child safety · terrorist content	Rare but escalate immediately if seen. These also warrant Legal / Compliance involvement.
Unclear & repetitive · defacement	Meaningless posts, duplicate reviews, or content that damages the profile through pranks.

See the full current list of prohibited and restricted content at support.google.com/business/answer/7400114. If none of these categories clearly fits, do not report the review — respond and, if warranted, escalate internally.

2. Collect evidence before reporting

Whether the report is filed through Google Business Profile or the Reviews Management Tool, the internal record needs the following before the report goes in. Confidential information belongs in the internal record only — never in the public response or in unnecessary external submissions.

Practice: [Name, City, State] Reviewer public name: [As shown on Google] Review date: [Date posted] Star rating: [1–5] Review URL: [Link] Screenshot: [Attached — Yes / No] Google policy category: [Exact category name from the table above] Factual explanation: [1–3 sentences on why this content appears to violate that category] Date reported: [YYYY-MM-DD] Person submitting: [Name, role] Related escalation ref: [Patient Escalation ID, Legal reference, or "none"] Public response status: [Posted / Held / Not posted — reason]

↑ Amplify the report — ask the team to submit too

The Office Manager files the report as the practice's primary submission.
After filing, the Office Manager should ask other team members at the practice to also submit the same report from their own Google accounts, citing the same policy category.
Google tends to give more weight to reviews flagged by multiple independent accounts. A single-account report is easier for the algorithm to dismiss.
Team members should each identify the same policy category (from the checklist above) — do not coach them into different reasons.

3. Report through Google Business Profile

Use this path when you already have the Business Profile open. Source: support.google.com/business/answer/4596773.

Step-by-step

Report through Google Business Profile

Sign in to the Google account authorized to manage the practice's Business Profile.
Open the correct Business Profile.
Select Read reviews.
Find the applicable review.
Next to the review, select the Report icon (three dots or flag, depending on the surface).
Select the policy reason that most accurately applies (see checklist in step 1 above).
Select Send report.
Document the date, submitter, selected policy category, and supporting rationale in the internal record.

4. Report through the Reviews Management Tool

Use this path when you need to report multiple reviews, or when the Business Profile UI is not convenient. Direct link: support.google.com/business/workflow/9945796.

Step-by-step

Report through the Reviews Management Tool

Open Google's Reviews Management Tool.
Confirm your email address or switch to the account associated with the Business Profile.
Select the correct business and select Continue.
Select Report a new review for removal and select Continue.
Next to the review, select Report.
In the new tab, select the applicable policy reason.
Select Submit.
Record the submission in the internal case record.

5. Track Google's decision

Google's evaluation can take several days. Status is visible in the Reviews Management Tool. The current statuses are:

Status	What it means
Decision pending	Google has received the report but has not yet evaluated it.
Report reviewed — no policy violation	Google evaluated the review and concluded it does not violate policy. The review will remain live. This status is eligible for a one-time appeal.
Escalated — check email for updates	The report has been escalated within Google. Watch the email inbox associated with the reporting Google account.

Google-decision outcomes are not formally recorded. SGA does not maintain a Google-decision log at the practice level. The Office Manager may spot-check status in the Reviews Management Tool when useful, but no scheduled review or reporting cadence is expected.

6. Submit the one-time appeal (if eligible)

The Office Manager owns the appeal. Google allows only one appeal per reported review — do not appeal reflexively. Reserve the appeal for cases with a clear, defensible policy argument that was not fully considered on the first pass.

⚠ Escalate to Legal before appealing when the review touches

Threats, legal claims, or attorney contact
Dental-board or regulator complaints
Discrimination allegations
HIPAA / privacy allegations
Fraud allegations
Media inquiries or public-facing accusations of harm

In these cases, Legal reviews the appeal language before it is submitted — the one-time nature of the appeal makes it too costly to send without a legal review of the wording.

One-time only

Appeal a "no policy violation" decision

Return to the Reviews Management Tool.
Confirm you are on the correct Google account and business.
Select the option to check a previously reported review and view appeal options.
Select Appeal eligible reviews.
Choose the applicable review.
Continue to the appeal form.
Provide a concise, policy-based explanation. Cite the specific category from the checklist above and the specific words or elements of the review that fall into it. Do not re-argue that the review is false or unfair — that argument already failed on the first pass.
Submit the appeal.
Save the confirmation. Monitor the email account associated with the reporting Google account for the outcome.

You can appeal up to 10 reviews in one session, but each review still receives only one appeal opportunity.

7. Public response while removal is pending

Reporting does not guarantee removal. Most reported reviews stay live.
A suitable public response should normally be posted within the SOP's timing targets, even while the report is under review.
Keep the response neutral, empathetic, and privacy-safe. Follow the templates and voice principles above.
Invite the reviewer to continue the conversation offline.
Do not argue point-by-point, accuse the reviewer of lying, or disclose information intended to prove the practice's position.
If the review contains threats, legal claims, discrimination allegations, media threats, regulatory complaints, or other high-risk content, follow the existing escalation path before responding — see Step 2 of the Office Manager Workflow.

Internal Team Routing (After Escalation Is Received)

This section covers what happens inside the organization after the Office Manager hands off an escalation via the workflow above. It defines team SLAs, the theme-to-team routing matrix, and the fields required in every internal ticket. The Office Manager Workflow is the front-door process; this is the back-door.

Response Timeline

0–2 hrs

Review received

Practice or automated system classifies theme. Holding response drafted if escalation is needed.

By 4 hrs

Holding response posted

Acknowledge publicly. No substantive position taken. Internal routing ticket opened.

By 24 hrs

Escalation routed

Appropriate team (Clinical / Finance / Ops / Legal) has received the flag and confirmed ownership.

3–5 bus. days

Final response posted

Cleared by owning team. Practice drafts final response and publishes after approval.

Legal flags

No SLA

Legal/Compliance holds all response timing. Do not post any response until Legal releases.

Routing Matrix

Review Theme(s)	Route To	Auto-Response Eligible?	Who Approves Final Response?
Staff friendliness, atmosphere, wait time, check-in, front desk, greeting, cleanliness	No escalation needed	Yes — available on request	Practice
Billing accuracy, cost transparency, out-of-pocket costs, payment options	Finance / RCM	Holding response only — manual	Finance / RCM confirms position → practice posts
Insurance processing, insurance verification, billing support	Finance / RCM	Holding response only — manual	RCM confirms · Legal if fraud mentioned
Quality of care, bedside manner, treatment outcomes, pain management, provider empathy	Clinical Leadership (CDO / Office Manager)	Holding response only — manual	CDO or designated clinical lead approves language
Wrong diagnosis, unnecessary procedure, infection, gloves / OSHA	CDO + Legal + Compliance immediately	No response until Legal clears	Legal only
Availability, scheduling delays, hold time, call center, ease of contact	Operations / Office Manager	Holding response only — manual	Ops confirms position → practice posts
Complaint resolution, follow-up, care coordination, team coordination	Growth Manager	Holding response only — manual	Growth Manager or Office Manager clears
Sales pressure, upselling, unnecessary treatment	Clinical + Operations	No response until team clears	CDO or Legal (if fraud implications)
Collections threat, legal threat, board complaint, fraud allegation	Legal + Finance immediately	No response until Legal clears	Legal only — no exception

What to Include When Escalating Internally

Route escalations with the following information — no patient name or PHI in internal ticket:

Field	What to Include
Location	Practice name + city
Platform	Google · Facebook · other
Review date	Date posted
Star rating	1★ or 2★ (or 3★ with escalation trigger)
Theme(s)	Theme label from routing classification
Review text	Full verbatim text (public, not PHI)
Holding response	Paste text of response already posted (or note if none posted)
Red flags	Collections / Legal / OSHA / clinical integrity — call out explicitly
Requested action	Confirm organizational position so the practice can finalize the public response

Case Documentation Checklist

A review case is closed when every applicable box below is either checked or explicitly marked N/A. Not every case involves a Google report or appeal — many close after steps 1–6.

Review received (platform, date, star, reviewer name, URL, screenshot logged)
Internal investigation completed (theme identified, patient matched if possible)
Patient outreach completed or attempted (or N/A — patient not identifiable)
Public response drafted (theme-matched template used)
Approval received (Office Manager · CDO · Finance/RCM · Legal — as required by theme)
Response posted on the practice's assigned platform — Swell · PromoRepublic · manual GBP (responder name, date, and platform logged)
Google policy violation identified (only if reporting is being considered — otherwise N/A)
Review reported to Google (via Business Profile or Reviews Management Tool)
Google decision status checked (Decision pending · No policy violation · Escalated)
Appeal submitted (only if eligible and the case warrants a one-time appeal)
Final outcome documented (Google decision, any changes to public response, patient follow-up outcome)
Case closed (owner confirms all above and closes the internal record)

Open Decisions Before Automation Rollout

The following must be resolved before automated review response can be rolled out at scale:

Scope confirmation: Which locations opt into automated response — SGA West / Gen4 only, or the full 260-location network? Automation is opt-in per practice, not a network default.
Escalation routing: What system routes non-automated (escalation-required) reviews to Finance, Clinical, Legal, and Ops? The automation platform can flag escalation themes and hold the response — but a human still needs to receive and act on the ticket. (Suggested: M365 shared mailbox or existing Ops ticket queue.)
NPS escalation thresholds: What score triggers outreach? Who owns patient follow-up? What is the expected response timeline from Ops?
Platform decision: Swell contract runs through December 2026. PromoRepublic ($46/location) is the recommended transition and is the platform that would host automated response templates. Approval needed before onboarding begins for non-Gen4 locations.
Growth Manager capacity: Growth Managers handle escalation triage for the reviews that automation can't touch. Has their workload been adjusted to accommodate escalation volume?
PromoRepublic training contact: Decision Required — see the PromoRepublic card in the Publish Response section. In the interim, Office Managers coordinate through their Growth Manager.
Publish-screen screenshots: Both Swell and PromoRepublic cards in the Publish Response section carry screenshot placeholders. The Office Manager will capture and drop them in on the next real response through each platform.