Albertsons Companies helps customers find COVID-19 vaccines with Business Messages
Sanaz Ahari
Senior Director of Product Management
Since the release of initial COVID-19 vaccines in late 2020, online searches for vaccines have surged. While vaccines are becoming more broadly available, many people still have questions about eligibility criteria, as well as where and how vaccine appointments can be made.
Meanwhile, for some vaccine administrators, there is no centralized process or call center that can efficiently handle the level of inquiries from the public. That’s where Google can help.
Organizations around the world can activate Business Messages, a conversational messaging solution, and receive messages from customers in Google Search, Google Maps, and the business’s owned channels. We're now supporting vaccine administrators such as Albertsons Companies that need to alleviate communication burdens, reduce the volume of incoming calls, combat potential misinformation, and boost customer satisfaction.
People can connect with their local Albertsons Companies banner pharmacies—like Safeway, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Albertsons, Acme, Shaw’s, Tom Thumb, and more—directly through Google Search and Maps via a “message” button. From there, they can quickly receive up-to-date information about vaccine eligibility, availability, appointment booking, and frequently asked questions.
“The eligibility criteria for the COVID-19 vaccine is dynamic and varies across states or even adjacent counties. We were seeking hyper-local solutions for customers to find a timely answer to ‘Am I eligible?’” said Omer Gajial, SVP of Pharmacy and Health at Albertsons Companies. “With Google’s Business Messages, we can quickly and accurately inform people of where, when, and how they can get the vaccine. For our patients, this means getting them information quickly. For Albertsons Companies, it means freeing up our pharmacies to focus on what’s most important—administering the vaccine and taking care of our patients.”
Other organizations are also choosing Google’s Business Messages as a scalable communication channel for vaccine information. Since early 2020, Walmart has been using Business Messages to inform the public of store hours, pick-up and delivery options, and it's now using the technology to provide information about its vaccine distribution.
Business Messages drives customer satisfaction and loyalty by providing helpful information to current and potential customers. This technology can also use Google Contact Center AI’s Dialogflow, which can build and deploy a virtual agent with personalized messaging. Business Messages will continue innovating to support all kinds of organizations, giving them the ability to connect people with helpful information when they need it.
For more information on how you can activate Business Messages for your organization, please fill out the Contact form on the Business Messages website or reach out to a Business Messages partner.
