Eight Ways to Turn Your Restaurant Contactless
During the foreseeable future, owning a restaurant might seem like you’re running the 100-meter sprint with an anchor around your leg.
COVID-19 has made it insanely challenging to thrive in food and hospitality. Undoubtedly, restrictions will loosen if they haven’t already. But your client-base is bound to have a long list of concerns about dining out.
That isn’t to say they won’t get the itch to leave their home in an era where social isolation is the norm. Still, they might be venturing to your establishment far less frequently than ever before.
Here’s the thing: you’re a business owner, meaning you’re dynamic and creative. You also have an inherent understanding of how to mold your services to your target consumers’ needs and behaviors.
Meaning that you’ve already realized the need to go contactless in your restaurant. Perhaps, you require a little help to create a plan to minimize customers bumping into one another and physically contacting your staff.
Fortunately, Loopy Loyalty gathered a list of 8 ideas to get your restaurant’s contactless era started on a triumphant note:
Signage and other Visual Cues Are Your Best Friend
During these challenging times, running a restaurant comes with a stringent set of responsibilities, at least in customers’ eyes.
As much as you want to keep your staff and customers safe for very humanitarian reasons, there’s a marketing aspect.
With that said, you shouldn’t be surprised when we tell you that perception is everything. Put up signage out front of your restaurant AND inside, reminding everyone that you’re contactless. This clearly conveys that you’re — at the very least — try to do the right things by keeping your community protected.
Consider creating markings 2-meters apart (many establishments use stickers shaped like feet) on the floor at the front of your restaurant. This is the spot where customers can bottleneck when waiting to be seated, and they’d benefit from the visual cues.
These cues will help keep everyone, from your staff to customers, to avoid making physical contact with one another.
Use Social Media to Your Advantage
Similar to the previous section, this suggestion is all about perception and reinforcement of contactless protocols.
Engage with your social media audience — on your given platforms — about your contactless protocols. Make videos showing what you’re doing to ensure your staff and client’s safety. Remind people that there’s nothing to worry about when coming to your restaurant.
Rely on Ordering Apps
One way to bolster your contactless efforts is by limiting foot traffic. At the same time, you still must make your food widely available through other options.
Look into takeout and delivery apps to streamline this process and make your restaurant more accessible to a broader base. Also, offer curbside pickup when customers order takeout.
Strictly Enforce Your Maximum Capacity Rules
We can totally understand the urge to pack your restaurant with customers, given how lean recent times have been. You must think beyond your bottom line and shift your perspective toward the greater good.
A packed restaurant means remaining contactless is virtually impossible — even with the right technologies and layout.
The ideal capacity during the pandemic will come down to your establishment’s available space. Beyond that, look into local regulations and inquire with officials if you need more clarifications.
Ensure That Your Diners are Spread Out
Adhere to a policy where customers can’t sit at tables next to one another, ensuring a vast enough space to keep everything contactless.
Beyond that, utilize glass partitions at tables if it makes logistical, spatial, and budgetary sense.
Since you’re limited in the number of patrons allowed inside your dining room, we understand that this limits your earning potential. There is a silver lining. Fewer people in your establishment means it’ll be easier to serve them quickly, making for optimal turnaround times.
Eliminate Cash Transactions
Let’s get serious: cash transactions were already on the way out long before COVID. Debit, credit, and of course digital wallet transactions are where the world is headed.
Ensure that your debit and credit POS systems incorporate tap technology so that customers don’t have to enter their PIN codes. You might want to investigate if it’s possible to increase the dollar amount for which customers can tap. There are often relatively minimal limits, and restaurant bills can get fairly pricey.
Furthermore, examine cashless payment solutions implementing digital wallets.
Stay Contactless During Deliveries
This suggestion piggybacks off the last one. Ensure that when you’re delivering to customers, you don’t accept cash. The same POS technology you have within your establishment should be available for delivery drivers.
Beyond that, most delivery apps usually involve prepayment, eliminating the need for making any money exchanges during the drop-off.
Reap the Benefits of a Digital Stamp Card Solution
Here is another nuts-and-bolts suggestion that leverages technology to keep everything contactless in your restaurant:
Implementing Loopy Loyalty’s digital stamp card program will keep your customers feeling safe.
Also, using Loopy Loyalty goes beyond safety and will create a buzz amongst your target market.
What’s so incredible about Loopy Loyalty?
First and foremost, it’s a digital stamp card solution, so customers don’t require a physical card that necessitates physical contact. Instead, rewards are doled out via scanning. Plus, Loopy is compatible with digital wallet technology. Thus, we’re at the cutting edge of COVID-era services.
The considerable value offered by Loopy’s features goes beyond contactless capabilities. Loyalty programs with this amount of versatility and convenience get people talking, leading to referrals. We also provide direct marketing tools, such as push notifications, allowing you to craft targeted messages to your patrons.
We’ll Help Your Thrive, Even When Times Are Tough.
Right now, restaurant owners have their backs against the wall. The pandemic is fluid and seemingly changing every day. The second things seem as though they might “get back to normal,” there’s suddenly another setback or stifling regulation.
Regardless of these hurdles, we’re here for you at Loopy Loyalty. Whether it’s with our contactless technology or with our helpful suggestions, we’ll help you thrive in the new normal.
