Are you closed temporarily ?
If we can help, we'd like to donate our time.
We’re taking every precaution and adopting Health Canada’s recommendations to ensure that our production and fabrication facilities can remain open to serve our customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During this time, our creative and consulting team remains at full (remote) capacity. If you need help creating a strategy to implement any of the Five Steps in your business, we would be happy to donate our time.
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Five Steps to regain customer trust.
Strategies for:
Essential retailers to respond during Covid-19.
Non-Essential retailers to respond upon re-opening.
STEP ONE
Let customers know you're open.
1. Leverage Digital Channels
2. Make use of Real Estate
Leverage Digital Channels
Your customers are online, now more than ever. Once you're confident you can provide a safe and comfortable service, the easiest way to get the word out is through digital channels. Try setting up a landing page (like this one) to show customers the steps you've taken to ensure their experience is safe and comfortable. Direct advertising and social campaigns to your landing page to ensure that all customers are well informed.
Make Use of Real Estate
Customers are hesitant to enter any environment. A traditional open sign may not be enough to encourage customers to trust that the necessary precautions have been put in place. Try using temporary signs, banners and flags (as if you were opening for the first time) to invite customers to consider the precautions that you've put in place.
2. Make use of Real Estate
Leverage Digital Channels
Your customers are online, now more than ever. Once you're confident you can provide a safe and comfortable service, the easiest way to get the word out is through digital channels. Try setting up a landing page (like this one) to show customers the steps you've taken to ensure their experience is safe and comfortable. Direct advertising and social campaigns to your landing page to ensure that all customers are well informed.
Make Use of Real Estate
Customers are hesitant to enter any environment. A traditional open sign may not be enough to encourage customers to trust that the necessary precautions have been put in place. Try using temporary signs, banners and flags (as if you were opening for the first time) to invite customers to consider the precautions that you've put in place.
STEP TWO
Tell customers what you're doing.
1. Before Entering Your Environment
2. Upon Entering the Store
Before Entering Your Environment
Customers should be well informed about your procedures before entering your environment. A small notice on the door may not be enough to satisfy the concerns of customers, and creates a bottleneck at the entrance. Consider temporary signage, window graphics or exterior surface graphics (spaced at minimum 6' across the storefront) to allow customers to be fully informed before entering.
Upon Entering the Store
Avoid posting large amounts of information immediately after entering the store as this makes it difficult for other customers to safely enter. Instead, use temporary banners and signage to direct customers to information stations that have been safely dispersed throughout the store.
2. Upon Entering the Store
Before Entering Your Environment
Customers should be well informed about your procedures before entering your environment. A small notice on the door may not be enough to satisfy the concerns of customers, and creates a bottleneck at the entrance. Consider temporary signage, window graphics or exterior surface graphics (spaced at minimum 6' across the storefront) to allow customers to be fully informed before entering.
Upon Entering the Store
Avoid posting large amounts of information immediately after entering the store as this makes it difficult for other customers to safely enter. Instead, use temporary banners and signage to direct customers to information stations that have been safely dispersed throughout the store.
STEP THREE
Make precautions easy to follow.
1. Customers Won't Read Everything
2. Practice Safe Merchandising
Customers Won't Read Everything
No matter how thoroughly you've described your precautions, some customers won't take the time to read them. To ensure that every customer feels safe and can easily follow your procedures, try using floor graphics with supplementary signage to encourage social distancing. Avoid using harsh colours to invoke unnecessary concern. Customers should feel confident that they will be safe by following your procedures.
Practice Safe Merchandising
You shouldn't expect to operate at full capacity. Some products or services that are difficult to sell safely should be removed from the shelves, or placed behind a temporary barrier to limit customer interaction. Avoid using caution tape to invoke unnecessary concern. Consider limiting customers per aisle or using temporary merchandising units and kiosks to sell essential products safely.
2. Practice Safe Merchandising
Customers Won't Read Everything
No matter how thoroughly you've described your precautions, some customers won't take the time to read them. To ensure that every customer feels safe and can easily follow your procedures, try using floor graphics with supplementary signage to encourage social distancing. Avoid using harsh colours to invoke unnecessary concern. Customers should feel confident that they will be safe by following your procedures.
Practice Safe Merchandising
You shouldn't expect to operate at full capacity. Some products or services that are difficult to sell safely should be removed from the shelves, or placed behind a temporary barrier to limit customer interaction. Avoid using caution tape to invoke unnecessary concern. Consider limiting customers per aisle or using temporary merchandising units and kiosks to sell essential products safely.
STEP FOUR
Encourage safe interaction.
1. Ensure Staff can Practice Social Distancing
2. Make Sanitation Simple
Ensure Staff can Practice Social Distancing
All other precautions can quickly be discredited if staff disregard or aren't able to practice social distancing. Consider adding sneeze guards to reception and checkout counters where social distancing becomes difficult due to required customer interaction. Use kiosks with sneeze guards to allow staff to fulfill online orders and pickups without requiring customers to break social distancing.
Make Sanitation Simple
As shortages to sanitation supplies lessen, try to make them easily accessible to your staff and customers. This could include hand sanitizer stations and access to disinfecting wipes at both merchandising areas as well as during checkout.
2. Make Sanitation Simple
Ensure Staff can Practice Social Distancing
All other precautions can quickly be discredited if staff disregard or aren't able to practice social distancing. Consider adding sneeze guards to reception and checkout counters where social distancing becomes difficult due to required customer interaction. Use kiosks with sneeze guards to allow staff to fulfill online orders and pickups without requiring customers to break social distancing.
Make Sanitation Simple
As shortages to sanitation supplies lessen, try to make them easily accessible to your staff and customers. This could include hand sanitizer stations and access to disinfecting wipes at both merchandising areas as well as during checkout.
STEP FIVE
Ask for feedback.
1. Encourage Digital Feedback
2. Dedicate a Customer Service Representative
Encourage Digital Feedback
The safest and most convenient way to ask for feedback is through online channels. Remember that landing page you built in step one? Try including a form for customers to provide feedback on their experience and whether they felt comfortable in your store. Use signage prior to exiting to encourage customers to engage with you online.
Dedicate a Customer Service Representative
Encouraging customers to take action online can be difficult, try using a dedicated representative to ask customers about their experience prior to leaving the store. Ensure that the representative is safely distanced using a kiosk equipped with a sneeze guard, then have him or her jot down any suggestions or comments made by exiting customers.
2. Dedicate a Customer Service Representative
Encourage Digital Feedback
The safest and most convenient way to ask for feedback is through online channels. Remember that landing page you built in step one? Try including a form for customers to provide feedback on their experience and whether they felt comfortable in your store. Use signage prior to exiting to encourage customers to engage with you online.
Dedicate a Customer Service Representative
Encouraging customers to take action online can be difficult, try using a dedicated representative to ask customers about their experience prior to leaving the store. Ensure that the representative is safely distanced using a kiosk equipped with a sneeze guard, then have him or her jot down any suggestions or comments made by exiting customers.
Disclaimer: The above recommendations are meant as practical mitigation measures only and in no way guarantee the safety of your customers.
Always consult the regulations and recommendations of your local and national governing bodies before opening or re-opening any retail location.
Please forward any feedback to sales@kuwlvu.com
Always consult the regulations and recommendations of your local and national governing bodies before opening or re-opening any retail location.
Please forward any feedback to sales@kuwlvu.com
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Need help implementing a Five Step strategy for your business?
We'd like to donate our time.
Our team would be happy to (remotely) donate their time to provide strategy, design, and a price to implement the 5 Steps for any retailer that requires it. Drop us a line or get in touch with the form. We'll get back to you in 24 hours, or less.