In recent weeks, countries around the world have enacted social distancing policies. And across the U.S., various states have limited social gatherings and encouraged non-essential employees to stay home.
There’s no doubt that these efforts are necessary right now to stop the global spread of COVID-19. But it has also wreaked havoc on small businesses as many are forced to close their doors. Even those that haven’t closed have still seen a dramatic decrease in sales.
And while stay-at-home orders won’t last forever, social distancing will likely become part of our culture for the time being. So, it will be necessary for businesses to find a way to adapt to this trend.
How Kiosks Help with Social Distancing
Self-serving kiosks can be a good way for many businesses to begin to adapt to this new normal. Kiosks allow customers to scan their purchases, place food orders, and even pay for their purchases with the aid of an employee.
And while it won’t benefit every business, kiosks can be especially useful for sporting venues, restaurants, entertainment centers, and amusement parks. Listed below are three ways kiosks help with social distancing.
1. Fewer interactions between customers
A self-serving kiosk can move customers through the line more quickly than having two employees checking customers out. This means there will be fewer customers standing around waiting in line, and fewer interactions among customers.
2. You won’t need as much staff on hand
One of the biggest benefits of kiosks is that they can limit the number of errors in any given order. Kiosks don’t get tired or hungry and forget to ring customers up for certain items.
This can free up many of your employees to help in other areas of the business, like maintaining safety and enhanced sanitation protocols. And it reduces any unnecessary interactions between guests and staff.
3. It puts the safety of your guests first
Using self-serving kiosks is one of the best ways to put the health and safety of your customers first. They limit person-to-person interactions and can help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
And when your customers see that you’re prioritizing their safety, this will inspire more confidence in your business.
Things to Keep in Mind
Self-serving kiosks can be a great way for many companies to promote social distancing and still stay in business. But you need to make sure you take the necessary cleaning measures recommended by the CDC.
A frequently used kiosk is likely touched hundreds of times on a daily basis. Implementing proper cleaning procedures will help reduce the risk of infection among guests and stop the spread of the virus.
Make sure you have an employee on hand who regularly cleans and maintains the kiosk. And always provide hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes on hand for customers.
To your success!
Written by Brian Johnson