Set it up once. Every patient visit runs the sequence automatically.
Optometry practices live and die by their recall compliance and review velocity. Spokk's SMS automation handles both — plus feedback collection, referrals, and annual recall reminders — without your staff having to think about it again after setup.
No credit card required · Fully customizable · Included in all plans
Why SMS is the only recall channel that actually works for eye care
Let me explain why this matters specifically for optometry. Most practices still rely on postcards, email, or phone calls for annual recall. Let me walk through what actually happens with each of those.
The reason SMS beats everything else is simple: it shows up where people already are, on the phone screen they check constantly, in a format that takes 10 seconds to read. A recall reminder via SMS with a direct booking link eliminates every friction point between "I should book my eye exam" and actually booking it.
And it is not just recall. The same SMS channel that handles your annual reminder also handles your post-visit feedback collection, review generation, and referral program. One infrastructure. Multiple outcomes.
The Spokk automation sequence for optometry practices
Here is the default sequence. Every step is customizable in timing, message content, and whether it is active or not.
Feedback SMS with personal link
Sent 2 hours after the patient checks in. Short, personal, links directly to their private feedback form. The timing is intentional: long enough that they are home and settled, short enough that the experience is still fresh.
Smart: Never sent to opted-out contacts. Respects your cooldown period so frequent visitors are not over-messaged.
Feedback reminder (smart skip)
A gentle follow-up if feedback was not submitted after the first message. Automatically skipped if they already filled it out. Most patients who are going to submit feedback do it within 24 hours of the first message.
Smart skip: if feedback already submitted, this step is skipped entirely.
Google review nudge with AI draft ready
For patients who submitted feedback but did not click the Google review link, this reminds them their review draft is waiting. For most patients this is the step that converts feedback into a published review.
Smart skip: if review link was already clicked, this step is skipped. If feedback was never submitted, this step is also skipped.
Referral program SMS
The patient receives their unique referral code and an explanation of your referral reward. At 20 days the visit experience is still fresh enough to motivate action, but far enough out that the message feels natural, not pestering.
Includes the patient's unique referral link. Referral tracking dashboard shows who referred who.
Annual recall reminder (custom step)
Add this step to your sequence at whatever timing makes sense. 11 months works well: early enough that patients can book before their prescription expires, late enough that the visit is genuinely imminent.
Include your online booking link, a note about prescription expiry, or whatever motivates your patient base to book. Fully customizable.
Add any custom steps you want
Beyond the defaults, you can insert custom SMS steps anywhere in the sequence. Some examples eye care practices add: a post-contact-lens-fitting check-in at 1 week, a spectacle lenses ready notification, a dry eye follow-up reminder, or an insurance renewal reminder. The flow builder lets you add any step with any message and any timing.
How to trigger the automation from your optometry workflow
The sequence starts automatically when a patient visit is logged. There are multiple ways to do that — pick the one that fits how your practice already operates.
QR code check-in
Print your Spokk QR code and place it at reception. Patients scan on arrival. The sequence starts automatically. Zero staff effort after the QR is printed.
REST API
Your practice management software sends a POST request to Spokk's API when an appointment is completed. Fully automated, no human in the loop.
Zapier / Pabbly
Connect your PMS to Spokk with no code. If your booking software has a Zapier integration (most do: Mindbody, Acuity, Jane App, etc.), you can connect it to Spokk in under 15 minutes.
Manual staff entry
Staff log the visit from the Spokk dashboard. Takes 30 seconds. Useful for walk-ins, phone bookings, or when a patient does not scan the QR code.
Annual recall: the SMS sequence most eye care practices are not running but should be
Most optometry recall systems are either nonexistent or running on decade-old postcard vendors that cost $0.80 per patient and get thrown in recycling. The practices that have invested in proper SMS recall have seen the difference.
Here is the math on why recall matters so much. Say your practice sees 250 unique patients per month. Without proactive recall, roughly 30-40% of them will not return the following year. That is 75-100 patients a year that you invested in acquiring, served, and then quietly lost. At $200+ per visit, that is $15,000-$20,000+ in annual revenue that simply walked out and did not come back.
An SMS recall message at month 11, with a direct booking link and a line about their prescription being due for renewal, converts a meaningful percentage of those patients back into booked appointments. The cost is effectively zero once the step is set up. It runs forever, for every patient, without any staff involvement.
Example recall SMS message
Hi [Name], it's been about a year since your last eye exam at [Practice Name]. Your prescription may be due for an update — book your annual exam here: [link]
Reply STOP to opt out.
Fully customizable. Add your booking URL. Change the timing. Edit the message entirely. This is just the default starting point.
More resources for optometrists
Frequently asked questions
What SMS messages does Spokk send automatically for optometry practices?
The default automation sequence sends: (1) a feedback request 2 hours after the visit with a personalized link; (2) a feedback reminder at 24 hours if feedback was not submitted; (3) a Google review reminder at 3 days if feedback was submitted but the review link was not clicked; and (4) a referral request at 20 days. You can add custom steps — including an annual recall reminder at 11-12 months. Every step is fully customizable in timing and message.
Can Spokk send annual eye exam recall reminders?
Yes. You can add a custom SMS step at any delay you choose. For annual recall, a step set to 330-360 days (11-12 months) after the visit works well. The message can include a booking link, mention their prescription expiry, or use any custom text. This step runs automatically without any staff follow-up.
How does Spokk know when to skip an SMS message?
Spokk has smart skip logic on every step. The 24-hour feedback reminder is skipped if the patient already submitted feedback. The 3-day review reminder is skipped if the patient already clicked the review link. The referral step checks opt-out status. No patient receives a message about something they already did.
How is the SMS automation triggered for optometry patients?
The automation triggers on patient check-in. Check-in happens via QR code scan at reception, via API connection from your practice management software, via Zapier or Pabbly from a booking tool, via HubSpot integration, or via manual staff entry from the dashboard. All methods trigger the same sequence.
Can I connect Spokk to my optometry practice management software?
Yes. Spokk connects via REST API, Zapier, and Pabbly to most practice management systems. If your PMS can trigger a Zapier action when an appointment is completed or checked out, that action can automatically log the visit in Spokk and start the automation sequence. No coding required for Zapier or Pabbly.
Can I customize the SMS messages?
Yes. Every message template is fully editable. You can change the wording, adjust delay timing, and enable or disable individual steps. Templates support dynamic variables: {{name}} inserts the patient name, {{company}} inserts your practice name, and {{link}} inserts the relevant URL.
What if a patient does not want to receive SMS messages?
Patients can reply STOP to any message. Opted-out contacts are never messaged again and all future automation steps are automatically skipped. Opt-out is recorded at the contact level in Spokk. Every message includes a STOP option, fully compliant with TCPA and CTIA guidelines.
Does Spokk use a dedicated phone number for my practice?
For US and Canadian practices, Spokk provisions a dedicated toll-free SMS number for your practice on paid plans. During the 14-day trial, messages come from a shared Spokk number. International practices can use their own Twilio credentials (BYOT).
Does Spokk SMS automation work for multi-location optometry groups?
Yes. Each location can have its own automation configuration and check-in QR code, or they can all share the same flow. Check-in at a specific location is tracked, and the feedback link routes to that location's form.
What is the feedback cooldown period and why does it matter for optometrists?
The feedback cooldown prevents the automation from triggering too soon after a recent message was sent to the same contact. You set the number of days in your settings. For an optometry practice where patients visit annually, this is less of a concern than for a practice where patients visit monthly — but it still matters for patients who have multiple family members on the same account or for specialty patients with more frequent visits.
Can I see which messages were sent to each patient?
Yes. Your Spokk dashboard shows automation activity for each contact: which steps were sent, when they were sent, which steps were skipped and why, and whether the patient clicked any links. Automation logs are detailed and per-run.
Starter
For solo operators & small teams
Billed $588/year
250 customers / month
Unlimited SMS included
- 250 customers / month
- 1 manager + 1 staff member
- Unlimited locations
- Dedicated toll-free SMS number (US & Canada)
- Full automation sequence
- AI review response drafts
- Loyalty & referral programs
- Feedback forms & QR codes
- HubSpot integration & API access
- Buy additional customer top-ups
Growth
For growing businesses & teams
Billed $984/year
500 customers / month
Unlimited SMS included
- 500 customers / month
- 2 managers + 2 staff members
- Unlimited locations
- Dedicated toll-free SMS number (US & Canada)
- Full automation sequence
- AI review response drafts
- Loyalty & referral programs
- Feedback forms & QR codes
- HubSpot integration & API access
- Buy additional customer top-ups
Pro
For high-volume businesses
Billed $1992/year
1,500 customers / month
Unlimited SMS included
- 1,500 customers / month
- 3 managers + 5 staff members
- Unlimited locations
- Dedicated toll-free SMS number (US & Canada)
- Full automation sequence
- AI review response drafts
- Loyalty & referral programs
- Feedback forms & QR codes
- HubSpot integration & API access
- Buy additional customer top-ups
All plans include a 14-day free trial. No charge until your trial ends. Questions?