SMS Marketing Examples

How It Works: 1-800 CONTACTS Text Message Prescriptions

1800 Contacts Prescription Text Message Example

Do you have a business process that could use improvement? If so, using text messaging to improve that business process may be the answer, or at least it was the answer for 1-800 CONTACTS, one of the world’s largest contact lenses distributors.

1-800 CONTACTS faced a similar scenario because, by law, the company must receive a copy of their customer’s written prescription before 1-800 Contacts can fill the customer’s prescription. Luckily for 1-800 CONTACTS, almost everyone nowadays has a camera on their mobile phone, so they’re able to take a photo of their written prescription. By integrating text messaging into the process, now 1-800 CONTACTS allows you to text message that photo of your written prescription directly to them.

By making the process drop-dead simple for the customer, 1-800 CONTACTS can significantly speed up the ordering process, making the experience of ordering contacts through 1-800 CONTACTS better and faster for the customer. This also positively impacts the bottom line for 1-800 Contacts, as the company can operate at a much more efficient level than before integrating text messaging into their ordering process.

As you can see in the screenshot below, 1-800 CONTACTS promotes their text message prescription option after an order has been placed. They tell the customer to “Get your next order even faster. Text a picture of your Rx to 41800 today.” 1-800 Contacts dedicated vanity short code 41800 is MMS enabled, which allows their short code to send and receive images. As you can also see in the screenshot below, 1-800 CONTACTS has allows their customers to upload their Rx to the website at 1800contacts.com/upload-rx, and even email their Rx to rx@1800contacts.com. As you can see, though, text messaging your prescription to the company is the preferred method.

1800 Contacts Prescription Text Message - Onsite Ad

So how does it work to text message your prescription to 1-800 CONTACTS? The first step is to take a photo on your mobile phone of your written prescription. Once that’s done, you create a new text message to the short code 41800 and attach the photo of the written prescription. An example of this process is below.

1800 Contacts Prescription Text Message

The customer receives a text message confirmation when 1-800 CONTACTS has received the prescription. You can see this text message confirmation in the screenshot below on the left. Once 1-800 CONTACTS has reviewed the prescription, they text message the customer back to let them know that everything looks great and that their order will be shipping out. You can see an example of this in the screenshot below on the right.

If the prescription is invalid, expired, or has some other issues, a 1-800 CONTACTS customer representative will respond via text message on the same short code 41800 to assist the customer.

1800 Contacts Prescription Text Message .   1800 Contacts Prescription Text Message
While this text messaging prescription feature improves efficiencies for 1-800 CONTACTS by lowering the cost of fulfilling an order, it’s also promoted as a positive for customers, as it allows customers to get their orders faster. Not only is this program promoted after an order is placed, as you saw above, but it’s also promoted in various places on their website and online. 1-800 CONTACTS has specific pages on their website promoting the text messaging prescription feature, like the one you see below, which can be found here: https://www.1800contacts.com/connect/upload-your-contact-lens-prescription

Text Message Prescription Ad - 1800 Contacts

The company has also created and distributed infographic type images to promote the text message prescription feature, as you can see below. These images promote the fact that with this text messaging technology, customers can get their orders faster.

1800 Contacts Prescription Text Message - Infographic

1-800 CONTACTS is also promoting its text messaging prescription feature on Twitter, as you can see below in this tweet.

1800 Contacts Prescription Text Message - Twitter Ad

The company is also using their 1-800 CONTACTS Facebook fan page to get out the word, as you can see in their Facebook post below, which they posted here.

1800 Contacts Prescription Text Message - Facebook Ad

In addition to using text messaging to allow customers to send in their prescriptions, 1-800 CONTACTS also uses text messaging for other purposes. You can re-order contacts from 1-800 CONTACTS simply by texting “REORDER” to 41800 or chatting with a live customer support representative by texting “INFO” to 41800.

Do you have a business process that could use improving? If so, why not explore using text messaging, like 1-800 CONTACTS did, to not only improve business efficiencies but improve the customer experience. Have questions about how 1-800 CONTACTS uses text messaging, or want to discuss how your company can use text messaging? Contact Tatango today to discuss your options.

For the full 1-800 CONTACTS SMS terms and conditions, click here.


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