switching from email to Voice AI for patient recall in an optometry office is a game changer

Yaopeng Zhou
Jul 31
2 min read

The Problem with Email Recall

Traditional email recall campaigns often have low engagement:

Open rates are ~20–30%, but...
Click-to-schedule rates are often <10%, meaning only 1 in 10 patients actually book.
Emails are easily ignored, lost in inboxes, or filtered as spam.
No immediate feedback loop — if the patient has a question or objection, the email can’t respond.

For a practice relying on volume and repeat care, this is lost revenue.

Why Voice AI Changes Everything

1. Real-Time, Two-Way Conversations

Voice AI doesn’t just send reminders — it talks with patients like a staff member would:

It can ask: “Are you due for your eye exam?”
Handle objections: “I can find a time that fits your schedule.”
Schedule on the spot, without back-and-forth emails or phone tag.

This makes it feel personal, proactive, and frictionless.

2. Dramatically Higher Engagement

Unlike emails, phone calls are noticed and acted on immediately.
AI can make hundreds of calls per hour, reach patients within minutes, and follow up automatically.
Booking rates from Voice AI can exceed 25–40%, 3–4x higher than email.

3. Sells the Value of the Visit

Voice AI can educate and influence, not just remind:

“Your insurance covers an annual exam.”
“You’re eligible for a free contact lens trial.”
“We have weekend appointments available now.”

This builds urgency and perceived value, converting passive patients into booked appointments.

4. Staff-Free Automation

No more front desk spending hours dialing patients or chasing no-shows.
Voice AI works 24/7, follows up automatically, and can triage responses to staff only when needed.
Your staff is freed up to focus on in-person care and higher-level tasks.

5. Higher Recall = Higher Revenue

Let’s say you have 1,000 patients due for recall:

Email at 10% success = 100 booked appointments
Voice AI at 30% success = 300 booked appointments
If each visit brings in $250, that's $50,000 vs. $12,500 — a 4× revenue impact.

Switching from email recall to Voice AI isn't just a tool upgrade — it's a workflow transformation. It turns passive outreach into active conversations, boosts booking rates, saves staff time, and unlocks tens of thousands in missed revenue. In today’s competitive optometry landscape, that's a game changer.