Patient journeys · Opticians · 31 October 2026 · 6 min read
Sight test recalls that customers actually answer
A practical guide for opticians to recalls that turn into booked eye tests: timing, channels, booking in the same conversation, following up the customers who don't reply, and measuring results.
Recalls fill your diary
For most practices, recalls are one of the most reliable sources of eye tests, and of the spectacle and contact lens sales that follow them. Every customer who is due and doesn't come back is a test, and often a purchase, that goes elsewhere.
Yet many recall systems stop at sending a letter or a text. The customers who respond book themselves in, and nobody follows up the ones who don't.
Get the timing right
Recall intervals are set by your optometrist: often two years for most adults, and more often for children, older customers and people with certain conditions. Send the first reminder shortly before the customer is due, not months after, and send a follow-up if they don't respond.
Contact lens wearers need aftercare recalls too, often timed with their supply running low, which is a natural moment to book a check.
Use the channel each customer reads
Letters still work for some customers, but many respond faster to WhatsApp or SMS, and some only to a phone call. Record each customer's preferred channel, use it for their recall, and switch channel if the first attempt gets no reply.
Let customers book in the same conversation
The biggest drop-off happens between “I should book that” and actually booking. If a reminder says “call us to book”, many customers mean to and never do.
A recall agent can offer real appointment times in the message itself, at the customer's usual branch, and book the one they choose. Customers who reply “not this month” can be offered a later date, rather than falling off the list.
Follow up the customers who don't reply
- Second reminder. A reminder on a different channel a week or so after the first.
- A call. A short call for customers who haven't replied to messages, made by an AI agent or your team.
- Close the loop. Customers who say they've moved or gone elsewhere are updated, so they stop receiving recalls.
Measure what matters
- Recall booking rate. The share of customers due a recall who booked a test.
- Time to book. How long after the first reminder customers booked.
- Channel performance. Which channels lead to bookings for which customers.
- Sales after recall. Spectacle and contact lens sales following recall appointments.
See how this works for a practice like yours.
See the recall agent for opticians →Questions
Are recall reminders marketing messages?
Recalls for a customer's eye care are usually treated as service messages. Promotional offers are different and need the right consent, and customers should always be able to opt out.
Can the AI book the eye test directly?
Yes. Intelinteract's recall agent offers real availability from your practice system and books the appointment in the same conversation.
What about customers who don't reply?
The agent follows up on another channel and can call customers who haven't responded, then updates the record either way.