ViewMedica Alternatives for Waiting Room TV – VMCast Reviews

Looking for an alternative to ViewMedica for your medical waiting room TV? We’ve summarized the top choices below.

Whether you’re a hospital, medical office, urgent care, doctor, dentist, or specialist, having a quality TV service provider in your waiting room is very important. Many people who had used the ViewMedica VMCast system in the past are looking for alternatives that provide a more content-rich experience. They are looking to achieve better patient engagement and visitor satisfaction  with a different TV provider. Let’s take a look at the 3 types of TV services available to medical offices today:

#1 Custom Television Network

A custom television network is a relatively new technology. It’s a platform that delivers a variety of TV programming (that you can control), combined with the ability to message to your patients. Your messaging can take many forms; from your own videos and commercials to “digital signage” imagery, and programmable text on the screen. The Custom TV Network, pioneered by companies like It’s Relevant TV, keep television on the television, combine it will messaging, and provides ample control to the medical practice.

#2 Medical Information TV / Digital Signage

Medical Information TV provides a limited library of medical content, typically geared at medical specialties. At first glance these services, including ViewMedica, seem like a great match for a medical waiting room, but a closer examination of patient feedback shows that the content could use a boost. The goal of these services is to “educate your patients”, but if your patients aren’t engaged enough to watch the TV it’s really had to get that done.

The videos play on loop and can get very repetitive for patients sitting in front of them for any length of time. For this reason patients tend to “tune out” fairly quickly. They’d rather browse social media on their phones than watch a TV filled with only medical content and advertising for the practice.

Medical Information TV providers typically charge for access to videos and may charge extra per video you want to use. Some providers place pharmaceutical ads on your television that may become a source of added stress or anxiety for your patients.

#3 Cable Television

Cable TV is the service most often used in medical environments across the U.S. Cable lacks the ability to control anything other than choosing the channel you are on in any given moment. Competitive advertisements, inappropriate content and more can come across a cable TV broadcast. And short of advertising on cable, you can’t put your own messaging on the TV.

Best ViewMedica Alternative

While ViewMedica’s library of medical videos on demand is very much appreciated by doctors and specialists, you can do better than ViewMedica’s VM Cast service in your waiting room. Playing a small selection of medical videos that may not be relevant to your patients, over and over as they wait is a surefire way to lower patient satisfaction. Instead we recommend a custom television solution like It’s Relevant TV. Keeping the content relevant is crucially important for better visitor experience and online reviews.

Utilizing ViewMedica in the exam room, on a tablet for instance, is a great way to have videos on demand to show your patients. But it’s just not as good of a fit for the waiting room.

It’s much wiser to use a service that focuses solely on waiting room TV to provide the best patient experience, instead of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Relevance is key to keep engagement high. Check out It’s Relevant TV and Rele.tv for truly relevant solutions for medical waiting room environments.

Free TV for Medical Waiting Rooms

Looking for a full-featured TV service for your medical office waiting for free?

There is no such thing as a free lunch, but is there a good free TV solution?

We all know that free isn’t usually free. There is typically a catch. We’ll examine the things to look out for in this article, but if you want to cut to the chase, TV services like this one, are as close to free as you’ll get; with features that make it worthwhile, and tools to even offset the cost.

Many of the self-proclaimed “free” TV services are giving you TV while they are taking something away from your office. Let’s examine some of the ways that “free” service can actually cost you:

  1. Most free services will put pharmaceutical ads on and confuse your patients into thinking you are endorsing the drugs on the TV.  This can lead to a lot more patient examination time having to answer a bunch of questions that were generated in your waiting room.
  2. Most free services have limited content that they provide. Many of the TV providers are operating with a limited library of content. They will continue to loop the same set of videos over and over, making your patients feel like they are waiting even longer than they really are. It can lead to poor online reviews and overall attitudes.
  3. Most free services have boring content. While many of the medical related TV services provide specialty videos and seem great on the surface, the content can be very off-putting to your patients. Medical content played over and over has been known to create a nervous/anxious atmosphere for folks as they wait. No matter what your medical profession you want to create a healing environment, not one that makes people feel worse when they come in.

Free isn’t always the best option

We all know the phrase “you get what you pay for”, well when something is “free” what are you getting? When something is branded as “free” it’s likely taking advantage of you in some way.

Is it too good to be true?

A free TV plus videos that you pay nothing for may seem like a win, but beneath the surface there is almost always something else going on. Because as a medical office with a waiting room, you have something these service providers want; a captivated audience.

Those folks who are waiting in your office are taking in what you provide them on the TV. It’s your choice what you want to provide them. Would you rather share messaging for outside businesses, drug companies and emerging brands, or would you rather have it focus on you and your partners?  You have the choice.

Recommended Read: “Top 5 Reasons a Free TV Service is Bad for Medical Offices

Free Waiting Room TV that’s paid for by a local partner

You don’t want someone you don’t know to be controlling your TV and reaping all of the benefits from it. So there is an alternative that lets you pick your partner, have the partner pay for the service and you keep control.

It’s Relevant TV, provides custom TV networks that does just that. It offers medical offices a $0/month Sponsor-Supported package in which you choose a trusted company, organization, or partner to cover the cost. In exchange, you  feature their brand and messaging on your TV in a way that is mutual, non-intrusive, and most-importantly; safe for you and your patients.

If anyone should be making money off of the TV in your business or medical office, it’s you, or a partnered brand.

COVID-19 Vaccination Sites | Communicating With Your Visitors

Vaccination sites require visitors to wait 15 minutes after getting the COVID vaccine; that’s 15 minutes you could be using to your benefit as a vaccine provider.

The TV provides an opportunity to communicate with your patients while they’re sitting around waiting for time to pass. Whether it’s getting first-time visitors to come back for other reasons or encouraging more volunteers to donate things like plasma; you have a prime opportunity to educate those people-in-waiting. This article is all about the best way to take advantage of that time, and it all starts with the TV in your waiting room.

The Best Waiting Room TV for Vaccination Sites

The best waiting room TV for medical offices isn’t cable, nor is it a medical display; that goes double for “FREE” medical TV services. The best TV software for your clinic is It’s Relevant TV. It’s Relevant is geared towards patient comfort, providing hospitals, clinics, and medical offices with a means to keep their visitors entertained. Entertainment here is key, because medical displays are NOT fun. They’re boring, and often times unsettling.

It’s Relevant helps pass the time by putting something fun on the TV.

IRTV brings a variety of engaging content to the table separated into a list of 40+ unique categories. The categories are like “channels,” which can be turned on/off based on the interests of your visitors. So whether you’re someone who likes celebrity interviews and cooking, or prefer home gardening and automotive, there’s something for all audiences.

It’s Relevant TV features short-form content. This increases the liklihood of your visitors seeing something that will get their attention.

More importantly, It’s Relevant gives you the freedom to upload your own videos and messages. Playing your messaging alongside content that your visitors are genuinely interested in watching is the best, most-effective way to get those messages across. Because It’s Relevant isn’t just a medical display, you can count on the only medical-related messaging being your own approved videos. This is important, because you’re not always in control of what shows up on your TV when it comes to other services. With IRTV, you’re in control.

Getting It’s Relevant TV for your Vaccination Sites

You can find out more about It’s Relevant TV here. Chat with the TV experts about any questions you have regarding custom TV networks, or schedule a demo to see the technology firsthand. Custom TV software is the future of medical office television as more and more clinics are seeing the advantages to canceling cable in favor of a customizable, personally-branded network.

The Best Kids Content For Waiting Rooms | It’s Relevant TV

Kids content for your waiting room TV can be tricky to find; but it’s the most effective first step you can take towards creating the best possible experience for your younger patients. If you’re a pediatric doctor, or dentist, you don’t need to be told that your medical office is the LAST place these kids want to be; putting something on the TV that’s intended for them can be a big stress-reducer for nervous children. This article is all about how the right TV technology can entertain and even educate the kids in your waiting room.

Fun & Entertaing Kids Content for your Waiting Room TV

Browsing for kids content is hard. It’s made even more difficult when kids under the age of 7 have very different interests compared to kids over 7. There aren’t a lot of options out there for pediatric offices who want to license children’s content; licensing is the key word here. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, licensing refers to the rights and permissions to use a piece/collection of media in your business.

Think twice about playing videos off of YouTube!

It’s NOT legal; unless you have permission from the creator of the content. There are other reasons why you don’t want to stream YouTube in your waiting room, which you can read in this article. Legality aside, it’s also about control; YouTube just isn’t built with a worry-free “set-it-and-forget-it” mentality.

That’s where a custom TV network comes in handy.

A Custom TV network can be a safe and reliable alternative to cable, DVDs, and looping playlists. You can try Googling “custom TV networks for medical offices,” or take our advice and check out ItsRelevant.com for the most well put together system. It’s Relevant is feature-rich, and users have complete access to a library of over half-a-million videos. More importantly, It’s Relevant TV has kids content; separated into kids 7-under and kids 7+, It’s Relevant gives you greater control over what shows up on your TV.

Educational Kids Content for your Waiting Room TV

Fun and entertaining videos are good, but educational content is even better. It’s Relevant TV’s kids content is a mixed bag, which is great no matter which way you look at it. Whether it’s fun facts and trivia, heathy habits, or new ways to be creative and stay active; IRTV delivers good, quality, licensed content that’s perfect for a pediatric waiting room.

Related article for medical waiting rooms beyond kids: Tips on the Best Patient Education Videos for your Waiting Room TV

When it comes to educating kids on specific information; well-being, oral health, etc, It’s Relevant empowers users with the ability to upload your own custom messaging. Did you ever create videos in the past featuring your brand? Maybe a commercial? Or videos highlighting your staff? You can put those videos to good use with It’s Relevant TV. The technology allows you to upload videos and images for everyone to see. There’s no better way to communicate with your visitors.

Want to know more about Custom TV Networks?

Every medical office is a little different, but every one can benefit from a custom TV network. Set up a demo with the TV experts at ItsRelevant.com if you have any questions about the technology.

Free Waiting Room TV Service | Businesses & Medical Offices

Looking for free waiting room TV service for your business or medical office? Cutting cable in favor of waiting room TV software is a step in the right direction; but settling on one of the self-proclaimed “free” TV services is just as bad, if not worse, than what you just got rid of. If you take anything away from this article, let it be not to fall for “free.” You always get what you pay for. Certain waiting room TV services, like this one, are as close to free as you’ll get; with features that make it worthwhile, and tools to even offset the cost.

If you’re paying $0/month for waiting room television, it shouldn’t be because it’s costing you $0/month. It should be because it’s generating enough revenue to cover the monthly cost.

Why is a Free Waiting Room TV Service a Bad Idea?

When something is advertised as “free,” it generally means that it isn’t costing you any money. However, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t costing you something else. Free is good when that free thing is complimentary, or a bonus; a thank-you for choosing X, Y or Z, with the hopes of leaving a good first impression. When that free thing is a TV service, or a brand-new television; or both, chances are that provider is taking advantage of you in some way.

How can you tell if you’re being taken advantage of?

If something is too good to be true, more often than not that’s usually the case. A free TV + content that you pay 0$/month for? It might seem like a win-win, but beneath the surface there’s something disingenuous going on. There’s no two ways of looking at it — whether you’re a restaurant, a gym, salon, dentist, or even a hospital, you have something these service providers want; a captivated audience.

Day-in and day-out, you’ve got visitors coming in and waiting — sometimes for 10, 15, or even 30 minutes. That’s a long time, and that’s precisely what these providers are looking for; to turn your TV into an electronic billboard. For who? Themselves, and their happy advertisers. They might throw you a bone and give you the ability to upload your own ads on the side, but not without your messages competing for the spotlight.

If you thought commercials were bad…

Try endless looping commercials for drugs, treatments, or nonsense-conditions that you or your doctors don’t endorse; it’s on your TV, visitors will associate it with your brand, and nothing short of turning it off will stop to it.

Recommended Read: “Top 5 Reasons a Free TV Service is Bad for Medical Offices

An Alternative to Free Waiting Room TV Software that’s still Free, and 100% Safe

One of the downsides of a free waiting room TV service, as described above, is that fact that someone else is reaping all of the benefits while you’re stuck with their ads playing on your TV. But what if that “someone else” was someone you chose to instead? Someone you trust, or a non-competing brand that your business supports.

It’s Relevant TV, a company that provides custom TV networks to businesses, is unique in that it offers shoppers a $0/month Sponsor-Supported package in which you choose a trusted company, organization, or fellow business owner to cover the cost of your monthly subscription. In exchange, they get to feature their brand and messaging on your TV in a way that is mutual, non-intrusive, and most-importantly; safe for your business.

Check to see if there are any local businesses that you can partner with!

Choosing a brand that pairs well with your business, who has your best interests at heart, is a lot better than letting someone you don’t know; who you’ve never heard of, profit off of your business’ TV. Partnerships are, and always will be, a great marketing strategy.

A Safer Way to Shop for Waiting Room TV Software

The best way make sure that you’re getting a TV system that’s built to serve your brand is to consult with someone in the industry itself. The TV experts at ItsRelevant.com are there answer any questions you might have about what to look for when it comes to waiting room TV technology. Schedule a call with them, or ask to arrange a demo if you’re serious about a custom TV network.

If anyone should be making money off of the TV in your business or medical office, it’s you, or a partnered brand. Your TV, your space, and your visitors are extraordinarily valuble to these advertising companies; so much so that these “free TV services” are able to deal out free TVs and iPads like playing cards. The cost of that technology is nothing compared to what they’re making off of you.

Top 5 Ways To Prepare Your Business For Reopening After COVID-19

If you’re one of the many business owners who had to temporarily close, or adjust the ways you’re serving your customers because of the coronavirus, having a strategy in mind for reopening is a smart move. Especially when there is a high likelihood that the virus may make a resurgence in the Fall.

Whether you’re an urgent care center or dentist office with a waiting room, or a restaurant with a dining area; creating a safe environment for your visitors is going to be paramount. Even after the pandemic ends, people are still going to be nervous about going anywhere.

Here are the top 5 ways you can prepare your business for reopening:

1.) Cleanliness: Make your Business Shine

Nothing is going to be more reassuring post-COVID than a clean, and spotless environment. When the pandemic does eventually come to an end, it won’t be overnight. Even with businesses reopening, it’s going to take some time before the public settles down, and isn’t feeling as germaphobic. Therefore, it’s important to keep up with your new cleansing/disinfecting routines.

Read: “Top 5 Factors to Enhance Your Business Environment.”

2.) Consider Seating & Spacing

Social distancing is likely to persist even after the country is given the ALL-CLEAR. You can expect people to find comfort in maintaining distance from one another. They will also have greater appreciation for businesses that make an effort to space-out seating for them. Now the idea isn’t to put traffic cones on sofas, or nudge visitors apart with a long stick; but reducing chairs, tables, or putting up a friendly sign for customers to be mindful of spacing is easy, and a step in the right direction.

The trick is getting visitors to notice the message.

The best way to get visitors to notice your messaging is by putting it on your on your TV, which you can learn more about HERE.

3.) Communicate your Efforts to your Visitors

Working hard to make your environment safe and accommodating isn’t going to mean a whole lot if no one knows you’re going the extra mile. Don’t let your efforts go to waste. Communicate with your customers in any way that you can; via social media, email, or a big sign outside of your business. Whatever it takes to get the message across.

One of the most effective ways of communicating with your visitors that your business is safe outside of telling them, is showing them. Advise your staff to wipe-down counters, touchpads, and other surfaces frequently. Putting out hand sanitizer, if you haven’t already, is also a good idea. Lastly, your TV is one of the best tools you have to remind people that your business is a safe place to visit, and come back to!

Research: Television for Businesses.

4.) Keep the Coronavirus off of your Business’ TV

We don’t mean disinfect the screen, though it’s good to clean it once in a while.

The last thing you want visitors to see is a news story about “WHY YOU SHOULD STILL THINK TWICE ABOUT EATING OUT,” or “WHY IT’S STILL NOT SAFE TO RESCHEDULE THAT DENTIST APPOINTMENT.” News coverage can be bad for business in general, but it’s worse when there’s a major health crisis like what we’re experiencing now.

A COVID-free TV is better for your business!

The public is anxious enough without the TV reminding them that they’re “constantly at risk,” especially when they have mustered the courage to return to your business. We’re all very well-informed at this point. Simply changing the channel doesn’t help either, you’re simply trading one problem for another. Consider looking into cable TV replacements for businesses and get rid of those problems.

Read: “The Top 5 Risks of Coronavirus News in your Businesses.”

5.) Encourage Visitors to Come Back

Getting your customers to visit after reopening your business is great, getting them to come back is even better. After being away from your business for a time, you need to become part of their routine again. So give them reasons to come back! Whether it’s a sale, a new sandwich, a limited time offer, or a promotion; educating your visitors on products and services they can take advantage of is extremely important.

How you go about educating them is the key.

The TV is a best place to start. You could put up signs and hang posters all over the inside of your business, and yet, 9 times out of 10 visitors will be able to tell you what was on the TV instead of what was on the poster. (“What poster?”)

It’s frustrating, but it’s true. Fortunately, more and more business owners are realizing this, and are taking advantage of the TV’s ability to get people to notice things by putting their own content on the TV.

It’s a growing trend that has businesses taking control over what’s on their TV. Instead of showing ads from competitors, or unsettling news, businesses are able to display custom-tailored content as well as their own promotions, giving visitors a good experience and reasons to come back. If you’re interested learning more about cable TV alternatives, schedule a demo with the TV experts at itsrelevant.com.

Read:Should I Cancel Cable? A Better Alternative for Businesses.”

Top Free TV Service for Medical Waiting Rooms and Lobbies

Browsing the internet for a free TV service for your waiting room? The leader in patient-focused TV has recently announced a new subscription plan that’s available to all medical offices. Whether you’re a hospital, urgent care, doctor, dentist, or medical specialist; the sponsor-supported subscription option allows you to utilize the premium service, but without incurring the cost.

A “Free” TV Service Vs. It’s Relevant TV’s Sponsor-Supported Service

free TV service is exactly what it sounds like on the surface. It’s a TV service with no cost, which you pay nothing for– at least insofar that you’re not spending any “money” for it; but that doesn’t mean it’s not costing your medical office something else.

Read: Top 5 Reasons a “Free” TV Service for your Waiting Room is Bad for your Medical Office.

TV providers who offer that kind of “free waiting room television” are only able to do so because their services are actually paid for by pharmaceutical ad support. You might be paying $0 for the service, but you get what you pay for in this case– likely generating $0 for your own practice from it. Instead, the revenue generation is completely taken by that provider. What’s worse, you’re left with TV that you have little control over, and may upset your patients.

While you are not paying any money out of pocket for that kind of service, it could be costing you money, and your patients’ trust. It goes against the spirit of creating a good patient experience when you allow your visitors to be subject to ads which might make them feel like they have X symptoms, or need Y drugs.

Best practice: Avoid TV services that put anything medical-related on the TV that you don’t endorse yourself.

Patients don’t need to be bombarded with drug ads, and pharmaceutical companies shouldn’t be invading and monetizing your waiting room. If someone should be generating revenue off of your TV, it’s you!

It’s Relevant TV: A No-Cost Waiting Room TV Service for Medical Offices

Let’s compare the traditional “free TV service” described above to It’s Relevant TV’s sponsor-supported service. Instead of your service provider profiting off of your waiting room TV, you do. It’s Relevant’s unique approach is for a sponsor, of your choosing, to pay the cost of your subscription in exchange for having their brand on the TV.

It’s a great way to strengthen relationships with local businesses.

This way, you’re in control; you control who, and what, shows up on your TV.Sponsor-supported subscribers don’t miss out on any of IRTV’s premium content. Over +1,000,000 minutes of fun and interesting content is available for your visitors to enjoy, coupled with the ability to promote your services in a more meaningful way. This allows you to generate positive feelings among patients, and more revenue on the side to improve your medical office.

Visit: It’s Relevant TV: Medical Custom Networks to learn more.

Top 5 Risks of Coronavirus News in Your Business

Is coronavirus news impacting your business?

The TV in your business may be doing more harm than good for you, your visitors, and your employees given what’s happening around the world. Because of the fear and panic being caused by coverage, now more than ever businesses should be looking into cable TV replacements, or considering news alternatives for their TV solution. Listed below are 5 reasons why you, as a business owner, should be thinking about what’s on your TV right now.

Learn more about COVID-free TV!

1.) Coronavirus News Scares People

Coverage on the virus, however informative, is unsettling to people who are sitting down to eat at a restaurant, or are in a waiting room. When the whole country is on the edge of their seats watching others are in a panic on the TV, people start to notice every little cough, every sneeze, or anytime someone clears their throat; suddenly, they start to become anxious and uncomfortable.

Your business’ TV shouldn’t contribute to your visitors’ anxiety.

Awareness of COVID-19 is essential to preventing the spread of the virus; but at this point, just about everyone already knows the risk, and knows what to do in order to minimize their exposure. Yet in spite of that, people are still going out and visiting businesses for one reason or another. Whether they’re looking for comfort in food, or they have a scheduled appointment to keep; the last thing you want is your TV making life stressful for your visitors.

What’s the answer?

The best thing you can do for your visitors is to turn off the news; or better yet, find a cable TV replacement for your business.

2.) Corona Coverage Might Highlight A “Lack of Preparedness” in your Business

A friendly reminder to wash your hands, avoid touching your face, and always cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing!

The public’s responsibility when it comes to staying safe and healthy is fairly straightforward, but what about businesses? If you’re a business owner, or you manage a business, you’ve no doubt spent time these last few weeks corona-proofing your location to the best of your ability.

But is what you’re doing enough?

In truth, you could be taking every necessary precaution in order to combat the virus from wiping down counters every 2 minutes to offering free hand sanitizer; but out of nowhere, there’s a news story about how local businesses are disinfecting not only counters, but things like touchpads and doorknobs as well and have multiple sanitizer dispensers. Not only that, the story could show the lengths many businesses are going to communicate with visitors about good, healthy practices.

The last thing you want is for your business to seem like it isn’t doing enough because of a story on the news. Allowing your visitors to see these kinds of stories while they’re eating, or waiting, is a surefire way to discourage them.

3.) Coronavirus News Affects Your Employees

“Businesses left and right are closing amidst a growing number of confirmed cases the the local area…”

Visitors aren’t the only ones that are affected by coronavirus news on your TV. News coverage featuring buildings with CLOSED signs, images of dim, vacant restaurants, and interviews with workers expressing their fears about employment in the coming crisis are being shown on the TV; when those stories are being played in your business, it can be very stressful and concerning for your workers.

Seeing businesses closing on TV is harmful to worker morale.

Business, in general, is slow thanks to COVID-19. Couple that with the aforementioned news story, and your employees will wonder whether or not they’re going to be out of a job. As a result, productivity might suffer, workers might become less focused; which opens the doors to number of new problems. Consider putting something better on the TV and get rid of the coverage that’s harming your business.

4.) Bad News = Bad Vibes

Simply put, bad news creates a bad atmosphere. This has always been the case; graphic, or unsettling news stories ruin meals if you’re at a restaurant, and makes waiting uncomfortable if you’re in a medical office. However now, that same news channel is covering stories on a virus that’s spreading across the globe; you don’t want the bad vibes generated by coronavirus news to be associated with your business.

It’s time to do something. COVID-free TV is better for businesses.

The quick-fix is to simply change the channel; or better yet, shut off the TV, especially when the news is as risky for your business as it is right now. However neither option is a longterm solution. Changing the channel only changes the type of problem you have; you’re not in control of what comes on the TV. Shutting the TV off eliminates the risk, but you’re left with a blank screen that makes your business look like something is missing. Replacing cable with a custom TV network gives you control, and blocks out bad news coverage. Click here if you’re interested in learning more about a customized television for your business.

5.) Coronavirus News is Bad for Repeat Business

Visitors watching news coverage on the virus in your business might very well choose to stay home the next time they would have gone out. For many people, what they see on TV can lead them to lean towards “better safe than sorry.” Keeping your business open during the coronavirus outbreak is hard enough without your TV working against you.

Preparing Your Business for the Future

It doesn’t take a pandemic to see why cable TV is unfit for businesses.

Or perhaps it does? The impact of COVID-19’s coverage should be a wake-up call for business owners. Today it’s the coronavirus, tomorrow it’s the next nationwide, or worldwide catastrophe; neither of which is beneficial to your business. Take action against cable, and take control of your TV.

How to Communicate With Your Patients About Coronavirus (COVID-19)

News coverage on the coronavirus is everywhere; on TV, social media, the radio- you’re even getting mass emails from your favorite retailers and restaurants advising you to be cautious.

In the midst of all of these efforts to inform the public on ways to stay safe and healthy, what is the best way to communicate with your patients about preventing the spread of the virus? This article is all about exploring an alternative, and very effective way of getting your message across.

The Best Platform for your Messaging is your Waiting Room TV

The TV in your waiting room is the best platform for your health & safety tips regarding the coronavirus. Why? Because patients always notice the television. We’re naturally predisposed to look at TVs everywhere we go; whether it’s at home, at a restaurant, or in a waiting room- if it’s there, the eye will find it. Therefore, the best- most effective way to deliver your messaging is by putting it on the TV.

TV News Coverage on the Coronavirus is NOT a fit for your Waiting Room TV

Unfiltered news segments covering the virus can do more harm than good for your patients. While they can be informative, repeating stories can make your patients feel anxious, or uncomfortable. The world is facing a serious pandemic  that nations are working very hard to contain; everyone knows this. People don’t need to be reminded 24/7 at this point, especially while they’re waiting to see a doctor.

It’s unnecessary stress for your patients!

Is awareness of the coronavirus important? Absolutely. However, more important than being reminded of the fact that the virus exists, are the ways in which your patients can prevent the spread of infection. Gently reminding visitors to wash their hands thoroughly, and to avoid touching their eyes, mouth, and face in general are not only more effective when it comes to combating COVID-19; it does so without any drama, or the threat of an impending doom.

Virus or no, a personalized approach to patient education and engagement is the best thing you can do for your waiting room TV. However, having a thoughtful message isn’t enough. You need a way to ensure that the messaging will be seen by your visitors.

COVID-free TV is the way to go.

It’s Relevant TV: The Best Way to Deliver Important Messaging to your Patients

It’s Relevant TV is a custom TV network that is available to medical offices; one that transforms waiting room TVs into powerful communication tools. Designed with waiting rooms in mind, It’s Relevant features over half a million licensed videos that visitors genuinely enjoy watching; removing otherwise graphic, depressing, or otherwise unsettling programming.

IRTV has an entire category of content dedicated to preventing the spread of viruses that take a friendly factual approach. You also have the option of creating our sourcing your own videos to add to the mix. There’s no better way to educate your patients about important health reminders than by uploading your messaging directly to the TV.

For more information about the best waiting room TV software for medical offices, speak with the TV experts at itsrelevant.com.

Top 3 Steps to Remove Bad Reviews From Yelp and Google

Bad reviews hit businesses hard. Having a bad review, or a one-star rating, show up whenever new or even repeat customers search for your business might as well be a big sign that says: “DON’T COME HERE.”

Often times that’s EXACTLY what it says.

While there’s no way to easily delete a negative review that’s impacting your business, there are ways of getting around them. You want to avoid these kinds of reviews, and generate new positive reviews instead. There is great technology out there to encourage exactly this.

Step 1: Finding the Bad Reviews

Before you can act on negative feedback, you have to find it first. Knowing where people are posting about their experiences in general is the best place to start. Whether you own a restaurant, an urgent care, a dentist office, or car dealership; if one of your visitors has a bad experience- i.e., one so bad that they feel compelled to leave a negative review. Chances are that review can be found on Google. Other popular review sites include: Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Citysearch. Look up your business on each one of these sites, if you haven’t already, and see what people are saying.

Step 2: Addressing the Bad Reviews

A good practice for any business owner is to dedicate a member of your staff to finding any negative reviews that might be out there. Most review sites have the option of commenting on someone’s post. If you’re able, address it ASAP! Remember- it’s important to be as polite, understanding, and considerate as possible with your feedback. The original poster might never see it, but you can bet others will. And your response is more for everyone else, than it is for the person making the complaint in the first place.

Responding to Comments Makes a Difference

Seeing your responsiveness goes a long way towards those viewers giving your business a chance in spite of a bad review. In some cases, your responsiveness is more important to people than whatever misstep you, or your staff, might have made in the first place. Responding to feedback is a quick and easy way to fix things.

On rare occasions. you may be able to get a once-frustrated-customer to change or remove a negative review entirely.

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What you put on the TV is important!

In addition to being aware of these reviews, you need to address the concerns in a way that prevents people from having negative experiences in the first place. The most common negative reviews we’ve observed, in no particular order, are; visitors complaining about loud TVs, the [political] newslong wait timesrude staff, and shabby waiting areas. Fortunately, most of these problems can be resolved fairly easily.

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It’s not always about the food.

If visitors complain about what’s  playing on the TV, consider a business-friendly cable replacement, or a custom TV network. When a visitor says that a member of your staff was rude, address the complaint and work with your staff. If you receive complaints about the cleanliness of your space, or other environmental issues, check out this article about the Top 10 Secrets for Creating the Best Waiting Room.

Step 3: Give Visitors a way to Leave You Feedback Directly

Giving your visitors a way to leave feedback is one of the best ways to prevent negative reviews from showing up on sites like Yelp and Google. Plenty of complaints are simple enough that they can be resolved on-the-spot if your visitors can be empowered to say something while they’re there.

How you go about this is up to you. Whether it’s a box, a billboard, or an email they can address specifically, you can’t go wrong. Some businesses even provide a telephone number customers can send a text message to in order to voice their opinions. However, more important than the “how,” is getting your visitors to know that they can come to you directly if they have a complaint, or grievance. Your TV can help.

One of the best ways to encourage on-site feedback is through messages on your TV. Consider investing in waiting room technology that allows you to customize what’s on your business’ television. We recommend visiting  ItsRelevantTV.com as a great place to start. By being proactive with your environment and publicly asking for customer opinions directly, you will be able to address the bad reviews before they ever hit the sites, and encourage the posting of positive ones.