Albertsons directly connects customers to vaccine info

A leading grocery conglomerate is leveraging Google Business Messages to inform customers about COVID-19 vaccine availability – in real-time.

Customers can connect with Albertsons Companies banner pharmacies, including like Safeway, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Albertsons, Acme, Shaw’s, and Tom Thumb, 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, senior VP of pharmacy and health at Albertsons Cos. “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, it means freeing up our pharmacies to focus on what’s most important—administering the vaccine and taking care of our patients.”
Walmart is also leveraging Google Business Messages to provide information about its vaccine distribution to customers. The company has been using the technology to inform shoppers of store hours and pick-up and delivery options since early 2020. 

Meanwhile, Walgreens is streamlining access to COVID-19 vaccinations with an intelligent conversational voicebot from Nuance Communications. The voicebot helps customers schedule their COVID-19 vaccine appointments 24 hours a day, seven days a week, beyond Walgreens’ existing web-based vaccine portal.