How to Reassure Customers & Employees | Evergreen Franchise Advisors
With a dangerous virus lurking, economic uncertainty and so much of our normal lives disrupted, there’s plenty of anxiety to go around right now. Those worries have kept many Americans mostly at home for months, which means small businesses take a hit from missing customers.
If you find yourself in that group, here are some steps you can take to help make your facility safer and to reassure both customers and employees you’re taking the threat seriously.
Make a Plan
Whether with an expert or on your home, go through your facility and identify contact and other hazard points that could promote the spread of the virus. The CDC indicates the virus is most likely to spread through extended, close-quarters contact between people and less frequently may be contracted by touching a surface with the virus on it then touching your face.
Though much is still not known about transmission, you can use that information to identify risk spots in your facility and develop a plan for mitigating those. In some cases, that may be a one-time project, such as installing barriers to keep people separated, while other risk mitigation may be ongoing, including regular sanitation efforts. The CDC offers advice on cleaning and disinfecting public spaces that will likely be helpful both as you make and implement your plan.
Take Action
Once you’ve found the likely contact points, take action to reduce the risk of transmission they pose. Here are some ways you might be able to make virus spread less likely:
Put barriers between people in common contact areas, such as at desks or spots where employees interact with the public. That can mean partitions or clear safety panels that still allow verbal and monetary exchanges as needed.
Talk with an HVAC technician about airflow. ASHRAE, an organization for those who work on HVAC systems, offered guidance for mitigating the potential for spread by an HVAC system. Again, this is an area that still needs more study, but it can’t hurt to ensure your HVAC system doesn’t make spread more likely.
Install hand sanitizer dispensers and ensure they and your hand soap dispensers are adequately supplied at all times.
Institute a cleaning regimen that includes regular sanitizing of common areas and contact points, as well as deeper daily cleanings.
Tell People What You’re Doing
This is probably the most-overlooked part of this, but it’s crucial that you let both employees and visitors know what you’re doing to protect them. Doing so can help workers feel safer about spending their time in your facility and can help potential customers feel better about spending their money with you, as well.
If you’ve always wanted to start your own franchise but aren’t sure if this is the right time, give our experts a chance to look over the options with you and help you make the call. Schedule a free consultation today!