With COVID-19 numbers rising and people being told to stay home or order online, brick and mortar businesses must do everything they can to make sure customers feel safe walking through the door.
When a customer enters your business, what are you doing to help them feel safe and secure? Consider walking through your doors with fresh eyes, experiencing everything they would for the first time.
Tip 1: Make a good first impression at the door
On entry, do you have any signs or notices that explain maximum occupancy, cleaning schedules, mask rules, or social distancing expectations? These notices are easy to create, and do a lot to answer questions before they need to be asked.
Tip 2: Use directional signage to manage shopping flow
If your business has aisles or tables, do you have clear signage to direct the flow of traffic? Most grocery stores and pharmacies have started doing one-way aisles to decrease the chance of people meeting face-to-face. While it may seem like an unnecessary step, directional signage will do a lot to make even the most nervous shopper feel safer.
Tip 3: Use signs to reinforce social distancing
If your business has a till or a checkout desk, do you have truncheons or signage to instruct people where to stand? You don’t want a lineup to back into an aisle, or block an entrance or exit. Give your customers a sense of control and safety by putting down signage that says “stand here”. These simple dots, placed 6 feet apart, will simply and effectively guide people to stand in the right spot while they wait.
Tip 4: Reinforce safety messaging at the till
When your customer makes it to the sales desk, what is their experience? Are they coming face to face with a cashier, or do you have some sort of distancing measure, or protective barrier between them? Plexiglass barriers offer a unique opportunity to post signage that can reassure customers that you’re doing all you can to keep them safe, to thank them for their purchase, and to offer one last piece of positive and helpful engagement with your brand. Signage or stickers saying thank you, come again, or reminding people to stay safe and use your products responsibly can be posted to these plexiglass barriers.
Tip 5: Use signs to thank customers as they leave
On the way out of your business, you have one last opportunity to keep your customers happy and in the know. Directional signage guiding them toward the door, offering a branded hand-sanitization station before they touch the door handle, or even simply thanking them for their patronage can go a long way to having those customers walk away from your business and tell their network “I felt so safe – you should shop there too”.
COVID-19 and the corresponding lock-downs have taken their toll on business in Alberta, and across the country. Putting up signage to empower your customers and encourage safe shopping will establish you as a trustworthy business, and make sure your business outlasts this pandemic.
Alberta Sign Rentals is Alberta’s oldest and most trusted provider of temporary signs in the province. Our team of experts can guide you through the options available to you and help you choose the right signs to meet your needs. Contact us today!
