Here are some highlights from the program:

Communications: Critical at Every Stage with Every Stakeholder

People may not remember what you say, but they will remember how you made them feel.

~ Kim Goei, COO Fexa

What are the rules?!  Clear, timely, targeted communications matters.

Signage

• New role, front & center stage to help customers feel comfortable & confident in engaging with the brand;
• Clear, simple, strategically placed signage makes a big difference;
• Increasingly, as organizations settle into “new normal” more branded comms via their signage is emerging;

General

• Setting & communicating clear guidelines from HQ in alignment with brand
  • When faced with varying requirements state by state – Guitar Center elected to go with strictest guidelines regardless of local variations;
  • Solidcore provided HQ guidance, but enabled Studio Level compliance based on local guidelines;
• Lean in the direction of over-communication with customers to ease their concerns;
  • Leverage Loyalty program comms if you have them;
  • Use pre-visit emails (Fitness) for setting expectations;
• Be specific with location staff around expectations  – e.g. masking required; cleaning protocols; customer engagement; etc.
• Using Tech to manage the flow – e.g.  Waitlist Me App & texting;
• Physical presence & strategic signage to manage crowd control at curbside, in the lobby, and eventually when dine-in resumed;
• Floor tape to guide traffic flow throughout the experience;

We learned to control the flow … not let the flow control us!

~ Cody, Hacienda

* Learn more about Critical Communications best practices in this webinar from earlier in the month!

Adapting Fast:  Lessons Learned

• When going from 15% to nearly 60% takeout overnight, adapting quickly is key to customer satisfaction!
• • Beef up phone answering staff
  • Use stations strategically to control flow – such as a Doordash /Grub Hub station, etc.
• Retail Moving fast: When going from 0% to 98% Curbside pickup, provide clear protocols and support for your locations;
• Balance attention to your e-commerce, curbside, and in-store plans & be prepared to easily shift between those engagement options at scale;

Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning

General

• Established a PPE Task force, setting guidelines and obtaining PPE for all locations;
• Clear expectations for teams in stores, for example, employees know they are to be cleaning if they are not engaging with customers;
• Use of hand sanitizing stations strategically placed around facilities;
• Solidcore shared that they evaluated electro-static sprayers, but could not currently justify the ROI at this time;
• Pay attention to any unique cleaning protocols or new standards for in-store experience:
  • Specific cleaning protocols for merchandise that must be experienced (aka. guitars);
  • Removal of all “testers” at Ulta;

Contact Tracing and Remediation

• Be prepared.  Have a protocol for mitigating incidents established for the safety of employees & customers;
• Encourage customers to notify store if they find out they have been exposed (Guitar center);
• Centralize through Corp/HR the responsibility for managing the sensitive personal info around contact tracing and notification;
• Innovate through creating an in-house team for remediations (McCoys shared how they saved money & standardized process).