BounceBack
Many business owners have had to make huge changes in how they do business as a result of COVID-19, but what if they weren’t all bad?... What if the changes could be a positive impact on your business? We are going to explore 3 ways that COVID could better your business.1. Move to Digital
The big move to digital management has been a point of contention since time immemorial. Trusty pen and paper does the trick right?
As someone who has moved more than one long standing business from the pen and paper age to the new digital world, I can tell you that pen and paper leaves a lot to be desired. It has more flaws than we let ourselves believe… Loss, water damage, fire to name a few. It now also poses an infection threat and GDPR compliance issue unless you are somehow obscuring the data from the patron before. So now is the time to move…
You and your team are now under more stress than they have ever been. They have a legal obligation to take customer data, without showing the previous customers data, all of this whilst making a first impression on the customer that sets the tone for the rest of their time with you. Sounds impossible right?...
As the world welcomes a new normal of traceability, people are in a position where they not only accept that they need to interact digitally, but it is beneficial to them to get the best out of their experience with you and to keep them safe.
Now let’s move to a world where people are arriving already checked in. Those who aren’t, simply scan a QR code and fill in details or complete it on a wipe clean tablet. Can you feel the stress vacating your life?
Not only this, but you now have a limited amount of time with your customers, the last thing you want is to hold them up just to give you information through a clunky system you should have already replaced.
So, can we agree, the customers want it, your staff want it. If truth be told, you want it… No one wants stacks of paper forms that need to be kept that are of no further use to you, you have more important things to think about… which brings us on to the next point.
2. Let’s Get Efficient
You’ve decided to move to a digital world, and sure you are getting more time with your customers, but what else can we change I hear you say? Well I’m glad you ask.
As business owners we have all had to watch how we spend over recent times, but there are some really simple ways to be more profitable that being digital can help with.
For example, if you know how many people are due to be with you the coming day, you can better forecast. For example:
- How much stock you will need.
- How many staff you will need.
- When your popular sessions are.
These are huge insights that allow you to spend less on your cost to serve, know when to open and what sells, meaning you can greatly increase your profit. Not only this, you will be able to get insight into what makes your customers tick, who is returning and why.
Which leads us nicely into our final point…
3. Time to Market Effectively
So, we need to collect customer data, but you can’t do anything with it right?... Wrong.
The government website is very clear…
“Many organisations that routinely take bookings already have systems for recording their customers and visitors – including restaurants, hotels, and hair salons. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, more organisations have, or are planning to implement, an ‘advanced booking only’ service to manage the numbers of people on the premises. These booking systems can serve as the source of the information that you need to collect.”
What does this mean? Well if you are digitally recording your customers details anyway, through a booking/registration software, this can be used for Track and Trace. This means that you are no longer taking their details for track and trace, but rather to ensure an efficient workplace.
In short, you can ask them any additional data you need, such as whether or not they would like to hear about any offers you may have in the future.
Now team this with a way of linking into a mail campaign for those who say yes, and its time to turn your customer, into a repeat customer.
What’s Next?
In summary. Life has become more difficult for us business owners, but it can be used as a catalyst for positive change.
Let’s all do our due diligence to get the economy back to where it was, but let’s take steps to come out more efficient, more profitable and better business people.
