Ways to help keep your venue COVID safe
The hospitality industry was turned upside down when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit earlier this year. The impact was felt far and wide, and its legacy will endure for some time. That is why it is important to ensure that your venue remains COVID safe - no matter the level of infection or operations restrictions found in your area.
With restrictions starting to ease in some areas, and summer fast approaching, dine in traffic is certainly increasing. So now is the best time to review your restaurant's workflow and ensure you’re providing the safest environment for your staff and guests.
Offer a safe check-in
It is a requirement that venues must record the details of all guests who visit the venue. This information gathering is a safeguard and is used to help with contact tracing if an outbreak occurs in the community.
In a COVID safe environment decreasing touch points is elemental, so pen and paper just doesn't suffice. With this in mind, venues should move to an online check in system (indeed, in some states this is a legal requirement).
Using a QR code based system makes sure your guests’ details are safe, and it means they don’t have to touch any surfaces that were touched by a previous diner.
Mobile ordering
You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: the popularity of online ordering is on a meteoric rise. The pandemic has changed the hospitality industry immeasurably, especially following the introduction of legally-enforced social distancing.
At the outset of the pandemic, bars and restaurants were forced to shut down, and as a result, customers turned to digital platforms to order food from local restaurants.
If you’re now reopening, reducing the contact between staff and customers is an important element, and you can achieve this by offering mobile at-table ordering. Mobile ordering can also help your venue drive more revenue and make sure orders are more accurate.
One potential casualty of the leap to mobile ordering and payment is self serve kiosks and tablets. This is because ordering via a personal device is a far more hygienic experience for customers, which is increasingly essential during the pandemic.
Regardless, it seems likely that the increasing shift to mobile channels—both apps and contactless ordering platforms—will stick even after the pandemic subsides.
Epos Now Order & Pay App now available
Our new mobile ordering app offers seamless online ordering, encompassing delivery, collection, and table ordering. The mobile ordering platform has been designed to be entirely contactless so you can keep serving through any operating restrictions.
To get started, you simply have to create an online profile and import your products - and the Epos Now Order & Pay app takes care of the rest. The platform is accessible to diners on any device with a web browser, by simply scanning a QR code or typing in a URL for a seamless mobile ordering experience.
Offer Contactless payments
Touchpoint reduction is another crucial step to help minimise the spread of coronavirus. And since cash is already in decline throughout the developed world, offering contactless payments is a way to do so.
Maximise the speed, effectiveness, cleanliness of your service by offering contactless payments. If you need help finding an integrated payment provider talk to one of our consultants here.
Stay up to date with restrictions in your area
In Australia, each state has adopted their own road map to recovery as they continue to navigate the current COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside the restrictions being set for entire states, there are also changes that are set for regions, depending on case counts or contact tracing. It is definitely important to stay up to date with the news regarding restrictions and to operate accordingly.
Stay up to date by checking your governments websites regularly.
Hygiene and Cleanliness
Maintaining high standards of cleanliness will be a major priority for every hospitality business. Frequent cleaning of any surfaces or objects that are regularly touched will be essential. This will involve the regular cleaning of tables, counters, door handles, and any other types of equipment that are frequently handled.
Provide customers and staff with visual reminders of the importance of good hygiene, and make sure hand sanitizer is readily available throughout your venue.
Prepare for the future with Epos Now
Your point of sale system is crucial to your business, but it can do much more than simply process transactions. With the Epos Now hospitality POS, you can:
- Connect with 100+ apps to help with items like marketing, customer loyalty, and accounting
- Accept credit, debit, gift cards, and contactless payments
- Manage your store from anywhere with 24/7 cloud access