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A Refresher Course in how to Deal with Rising COVID-19 Cases

With the recent rise in COVID-19 cases, it’s understandable that you might be worried as we head into the winter months. The period between Halloween and Christmas is one of busiest times to be in the leisure and hospitality industry, and we know how vital the revenue you generate in the last two months to the longevity of your business. Luckily, there’s a lot more optimism this year than there was this time last year. Hopefully, with the push for people to get their booster jabs over the coming months, we can all band together to stop the spread.

However, there are other steps we can take to make sure that the run up to Christmas is a happy and profitable one. Of course, there are the obvious precautions we should all be taking – business owners, staff, and customers alike. This includes increased hand washing, cleaning surfaces regularly, and wearing a mask. However, beyond that there is still so much we can do to stop the spread. In particular, there are many ways in which technology can help to limit the spread of coronavirus within your business

  1. Go cashless

    Even before the pandemic, most businesses offered customers the ability to pay without cash. However, the cashless revolution has only been accelerated by the pandemic. Whether customers pay via their smartphone, their contactless card, or even using smartwatches and wristbands, these transactions mean that less cash is in circulation, staff and customers don’t have to regularly handle cash, and bacteria and germs cannot be spread through the use of cash so easily.

    We recognised the increased need to go cashless right at the beginning of the first lockdown. That’s why we provide industry leading RFID cashless payments solutions to business of all kinds. There are two ways in which we offer cashless solutions to businesses.

    • Customers can top up in advance, via an onsite kiosk or from their phone on our app; or
    • Customers also have the option of having contactless card payments use card or Apple/Google pay

    We also offer wristbands to our clients, who then distribute the bands to customers for them to top up via their phone or onsite kiosk. This is the one of the most innovative way in which venues can go cashless, and this method works best for nightclubs, live music venues, and festivals.
  1. Bookings

    Bookings are another great way to help control of spike in coronavirus infections. This is because bookings offer businesses the ability to determine how many customers they are expecting, control where customers are able to go within your venue, and help keep customers socially distancing throughout the duration of their visit. When pre-bookings were the norm, it was much easier to separate different groups at different tables, and to make sure that customers moved on after they had finished spending their money.

    Once again, Booked it has spent time developing an online booking system that seamlessly allows you to manage capacity and oversee the experience you are providing each of your customers. Features such as the

    • Ability to capture data from every customer that books,
    • Check guests in upon arrivals; and
    • Engage with your customers via Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp

    These tools, plus many more, allow you to take control of your bookings, and maximise the profits you are making with every visit. When you are able to manage your bookings efficiently and effectively, you increase the safety of yourself and your customers.
  1. Mobile ordering

    Mobile ordering has been a trend for some time now, but it has become particularly useful since the pandemic. Using mobile ordering means that customers don’t even need to get up to order the food, drinks, and services you provide. This means that it is far easier for customers to remain in their groups, and socially distanced from others. With a distance between tables of around 1m+, people will be far less likely to become ill with a respiratory infection. Not only does this stop the spread of coronavirus, but also the circulation of other seasonal viral infections!

    Our mobile ordering system is the ultimate way to ensure hygiene standards are met within your business. Our mobile ordering system, available through either Booked it or Licklist, allows you to

    • meet any government regulations for obtaining customer details for the NHS Test and Trace apps;
    • minimise contact between staff and customers; and
    • implement our loyalty scheme, meaning that customers earn points for every £1 they spend, with rewards on offer when they reach a set number of points.

These are just some of the benefits that come with using our mobile ordering system! It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the number of apps, widgets, and software providers available, each claiming to provide a failsafe way for your business to continue trading safely. That’s where Booked it comes in. Rather than having multiple systems from multiple providers, we can offer you the complete package. This saves you time and energy which could be better spent elsewhere in your business at this festive time of year.