PREPARING THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR TO BE HOSPITABLE
Amongst many other things, March 2020 may well be remembered as the month in which almost every business in the UK underwent an operational shift as a consequence of the COVID-19 crisis. Whether deploying technology at speed to support remote working; implementing new processes to service customers at a distance; or converting to an online and home delivery model; there are few industries that have not been impacted.
Whilst we are optimistic that the lockdown will be short-term, indications are that it has potential to cast a shadow for quite a while to come. Having worked closely with a pub restaurant to transform their model in recent weeks, I wanted to summarise the preparations that the hospitality sector might make now, targeted to win back a potentially nervous client base when we are finally given permission to come ‘out of hibernation’.
People have been shocked to find out how long it takes to wash hands thoroughly! Little wonder then that our affinity for alcohol-based, anti-bacterial gels has never been higher. As a non-swimmer would hold onto a flotation device, this is a dependency we should all encourage in the long term. After all, ‘ordinary’ flu is spread in exactly the same ways as coronavirus, it too can be fatal, plus UK working days lost each year as a consequence are expensive. If you have not done so already, consider installing automatic gel dispensers at all entry points to your premises, also near touchscreens, high-traffic door plates and handrails, or in any other areas of common use. I believe these will continue to provide reassurance to a large proportion of the population for a long time to come.
Now to the layout of your premises. Although it may reduce your maximum covers overall, look objectively and consider whether tables and chairs might be more distantly placed to avoid the ‘cheek by jowl’ sensation that will be disconcerting for many of us post-lockdown - and which we may be unwilling to revert to.
Having adopted rigorous cleaning practices in the run-up to lockdown, look to document and publish these for easy reference by your customers, who will want to be reassured that beyond attainment of a periodic hygiene rating, any standards evidenced then were not just ‘for the camera’, but rather are the modus operandi for your establishment.
Revisit your website and promotional material - does your value proposition incorporate your distancing and hygiene precautions? Whilst your food and drink, service and entertainment offerings might be second to none, a cautious public may want continued reassurance of your diligence when you're fighting to rebuild your business following closure.
At the same time, take the opportunity to review the presentation of your market offering, also with an objective eye. Would it appeal to you if you were a visitor to your area? Is it sufficiently appealing to ‘locals’, whose repeat business will be fundamental to your ongoing success? Is it appropriately reflected in your reviews? If your brand is comparable to others nearby, what makes yours more ‘special’ than your neighbour, and is that clear to see in how you position yourself to market?
And then there’s social media. It would have been hard pre-crisis to imagine a scenario that would so emphatically confirm the value of social media as a means to rapidly communicate and engage with an interested audience. If you do nothing else in future, take time to understand which social media channels have greatest appeal to your demographic. Ensure you have a plan to leverage them incessantly, stimulating audience interest and appeal in your brand on a regular basis, and that you stick to a plan to exploit this in the long term.
This is a crisis for many businesses for sure, but it also represents an opportunity to position yourself to thrive in what will likely be a quite different world. Make the most of it and, if you need assistance, find help quickly, then take advantage of this downtime to effect any changes that will best support a rapid (and profitable) resurgence.