The nation is on lockdown, which means that your clients have been asked to stay indoors unless they need something essential, like food and medicine. Remember when we thought the request to practice social distancing was bad for business? Well, that’s nothing compared to now. But if your business offers essential goods, then you’ll be open. And you’ll need to know how to transact with your clients as hygienically as possible.
Before we share our top tips with you, please remember that business owners in South African have weathered their fair share of tough situations over the years, from e-tolls and drought to load shedding and political angst. Many businesses have survived or been reborn throughout these challenging times and it’ll be no different with the Coronavirus pandemic.
Your business could make it through, but you’ll probably have to change a few things in order to see the light of day, especially around how your clients transact with you. These tips are here to help start you off.
Encourage your clients to avoid cash
Banknotes and coins carry germs, so you really want to be dealing with physical money as little as possible. Before the lockdown, you could get away with handling cash, but now it’s just not safe. If there are clients who truly have no choice, then ask your client to use your hand sanitiser at the till before and after touching their money. Ask them to drop the cash into a clean container so that the person handling the transaction can put the money into the till without ever handling it themselves and then cleanse the container. Even though you’re not touching the money, you or your staff should also use the hand sanitiser before and after dealing with every client.
These are the lengths you need to go to if you’re dealing with cash, but if you can, try and avoid it.
Encourage your clients to go cardless
Just like cash, bank cards also carry germs that can be spread when used to pay for groceries and other essential products during the lockdown. We recommend that you encourage clients to pay via EFT or with an app on their phones. Cardless payment options, like the Zapper and Snapscan apps are also great options so make sure to put up a sign telling clients about the payment options that you offer.
What’s even more useful is for your business to offer clients free WiFi so that they can download and use the app that your business uses. It’s small acts like these that not only prevent the spread of the virus, but also help your clients.
If a client really can’t use a cardless payment option and they need to use their card, then implement hygiene protocols for each transaction. This could mean that you ask clients to use your hand sanitiser at the till before and after touching their card. Let them put their own card into the point of sale, press all the buttons, and remove their card themselves. Make sure to clean the point of sale before and after every use. You basically want to ensure that the point of sale remains a germ-free zone at all times.
Make sure that you and your staff are on the same page
Whichever way you decide to implement more hygienic means of helping your clients to transact with your business, make sure that you and your staff are in the know. If you and your staff are confident and calm about the hygiene measures that you’ve put in place, then your clients are likely to adjust with minimal fuss.
Also, when it comes to the new ways of transacting, make sure that you and your staff understand how it all works. It’s not nice to have a system in place that you don’t understand and your staff don’t want to look silly.
A word to the wise about rationing
Apart from what our government has stated about panic buying and what businesses can and cannot do during this time, you should consider rationing other essential items that you know will be problematic in your own store. This way, you can do your bit to curb the frenzied shopping that some clients have unfortunately succumbed to.
Folks, we’ll see the light soon. This will end, and your business very well could live to fight another day. If you’re still worried, then get in touch with an insurance company who specialises in small-to-medium business insurance and get their take on helpful tips to survive this challenging time and how to cover yourself from going under.
Posted in partnership with King Price Insurance
