Is Your Store Reopening? Take These Safety Measures

Unfortunately, we haven’t eliminated the coronavirus from our lives just yet. The pandemic rages on. However, provinces all across Canada are begin to lift certain restrictions on business owners. If you are planning to reopen your store, we congratulate you on waiting out this tough time. As mentioned, we’re not out of the water just yet. So, it’s vital you take some precautions in order to reopen your store as safely as possible.

It’s a must you consider the health and safety of both your employees and your customers. That involves such steps as placing markers on the floor that designate where people should stand. This promotes the highly recommended act of maintaining at least two metres of distance from others. As well, it’s a good idea to insist upon having your team members wear masks and gloves. But what other safety measures should you take for a safe reopening?

Go disinfectant crazy.

Okay, maybe “crazy” isn’t the operative word. Conscious is more like it. Be aware of the various surfaces that are regularly touched in your place of business and be sure to clean them frequently. Computer keyboards and mouses, for example, are constantly being touched. The same goes for doorknobs and drawer handles. To be on the safe side, disinfect as many surfaces as possible – no matter how “crazy” that may sound.

“Stores will need to ensure shopping carts, point-of-sale devices, and any other touchpoints are sanitized regularly, often multiple times a day,” notes Tom Buiocchi on FastCompany.com, “What used to be ‘clean to clean’ is now ‘clean to disinfect’…This work will need to be documented to ensure it’s performed consistently and avoid potential liability.”

Consider a doorknob replacement.

As you know, doorknobs are frequently touched objects. In an effort to eliminate or, at least, minimize the number of surfaces touched at your place of business, consider replacing your doorknobs. As reported by Kevin J. Ryan on Inc.com, Portland, Oregon window manufacturer, Indow, has replaced its facility’s doorknobs with hooks. That way, workers can open doors with their forearms.

“The staff also placed colourful stickers next to often-touched areas such as light switches and buttons, to heighten awareness of those places; workers are each assigned shifts when they\’re responsible for cleaning those surfaces,” he explains.

Display informational signage.

One way to ensure that you both keep people safe and increase business is to display signage that declares the safety measures you’re taking. Prominently display signs that inform people of the cleaning routines you’re partaking in, the social distance measures you’re practicing and the fact that all employees are healthy.

“Being seen to act is nearly as important as acting itself, since consumers need to feel confident they’re protected,” says Buiocchi, “A survey (last) month found that only about one third of shoppers would feel safe venturing into shopping in malls and department stores. Expect to see prominent signage and marketing campaigns educating consumers about sanitation efforts, and visible displays of cleaning.”

Of course, it’s also wise to allow your customers to use their credit cards and debit cards to pay for their purchases. A simple tap of a card ensures that no physical money needs to be transferred from one set of hands to another. Contact Canadian POS to learn all about how the Poynt Smart Terminal can make accepting such payments easier than ever! Please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-877-748-2884 or email us at info@localhost.