The hospitality sector seems to have been one of the hardest hit industries by the coronavirus pandemic. It is important to remember that this pandemic is temporary and like that saying goes, this too shall pass. With that in mind, here are some tips to help hospitality venues plan and overcome the wrath of coronavirus.
1. Continue to take precautions
Just because venues are reopening their doors does not mean the virus is gone completely, so it may be important to consider keeping the current safety measures in place. The last thing you want is to be facing another closure, a closure you may not be able to recover from. A good place to start is with your staff, you want to avoid any sign of symptoms and make sure they are fit and healthy to return to work. You can ensure this by providing them with coronavirus test kits. Companies such as Myhealthchecked produce at-home covid test kits which provide 99.9% accuracy within 48 hours, providing you with peace of mind that your business is safe to open and will pose no threat to your customers.
2. Changes in customer behaviour
Whilst many people are eager to get out and about again, others feel a little more anxious about the whole idea. It is natural that after the threat of coronavirus and the length of the pandemic, some people are not so keen on returning to packed restaurants or bars just yet. Businesses that have thrived during the pandemic are those that provide an online ordering system.
If you can, encourage the sale of your products online through delivery or click and collect services, keeping those that choose to stay home in the loop as well as boosting your sales to help recovery.
3. Get yourself out there
One-way businesses may fall victim to the wrath of coronavirus is through the failure to adapt to the new forms of consumerism that have come with the pandemic. With being encouraged to stay home, consumer needs have shifted to online. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed online shopping behaviours, according to a survey of about 3,700 consumers in nine emerging and developed economies.
As people spend more time online, they are spending more time on social media too and so by making sure you have a strong online presence will allow you to promote products and improve interaction. People these days are hugely influenced by social media so create accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep your name in the mix.
4. Maintenance & renovation
With your doors closed to the public, now could be a great time to catch up on those maintenance jobs which were impossible when the place was packed with people. Do some touch ups, fix that leaky tap, rearrange the furniture, so that when you open, you can open with a whole new look that customers will be dying to check out.
It is also a good time to conduct a serious deep clean, everything you can think of – clean it. This will ensure that when you reopen your customers will see your business as a clean, safe environment, encouraging them to return again and again.
