Whether or not you ever intended to offer "curbside services," it may now very well be something you have added to your suite of business functions as a result of the pandemic. Or perhaps, the addition is something you're now considering in 2021. So we've put together some tips to help you get started or take your process to the next step.
Don't be fooled. Curbside is not just for restaurants. Grocery stores, health clinics, veterinary offices, and the like are finding ways to offer their business car-side, even if it's only for a portion of the products and services starting out. With fewer people coming in, the more you can bring your product out –and deliver—the greater the odds you'll have.
We all know how cautious consumers have become in this pandemic era. Here's an eye-popping statistic from a Medellia article titled "Five Reasons Why Curbside Pickup is Here to Stay" that highlights the consumer mindset: 77% of people say they are more cautious about cleanliness, health, and safety.
Many consumers don’t want to go in stores. They also want contactless payments.
All of which makes the case for offering online sales and curbside pickup as a convenient, safe, and secure solution for consumers that helps your business.
Whatever way you choose to approach this, we want you to be successful. These tips are based on different challenges that business owners face to help you think outside of the box in your situation. Many options can work right now, even if you're a small shop with a small budget. So, let's get going
TAKING ORDERS
If you need a solution for online ordering, Chesapeake Payment Systems has a comprehensive solution available through our in house point-of-sale system. The real magic of it is that you don't even need a website to interface with in order to get your online ordering experience started. Rather, our system provides a URL (web address) that you can share as-is or link to from your social media or Google profile. If you already have your website, it's as easy as creating a link or button from your site to our platform. We'll even train you and help you load your products into the system.
If you need customers to place orders on a website even when they are at your location, you can create a simple QR code from any app and link it to our ordering URL. Then you can print or display the codes in your window or storefront. When the customer arrives, they can use their cell phone camera to scan your code, and it will take them directly to your menu link.
Of course, your team can place orders too from the same utility. Once an order is received, it will display on a screen for monitoring by your team. It can also immediately print the ticket when it arrives, which can be ideal in a kitchen or supplier environment.
COLLECTING PAYMENT
Our ordering system can accept payments online, and there is an option to accept payment on-site as well.
Our terminals include various options that range from countertop, wireless, and cellular models, to different functions like tips, receipts, etc.
Additionally, our android devices have access to apps that can help you tableside, should you need to bring them indoors and repurpose them later on.
PARKING
If you cannot use your whole parking lot, you'll need to designate the space where curbside pickups will take place. Whether you use two spots or twenty, number each one, and consider posting a sign at each one (as shown below). It allows the customer to immediately tell your team that they have arrived and where they are so your staff isn't wandering around the parking lot.
If you have street parking, see if you can partner with other neighboring businesses or local town administration to create a shared identification system that works for all of the impacted companies.
ARRIVAL ALERTS
You'll notice our image (above) displays a text number, but every business is unique with different needs and schedules. "How to alert the team" can be a broad subject, and it can often require a combination of systems to get the job done well. The good news is there are also a multiple ways to deliver (and even convert) an alert.
- Want text but don't want to use a personal number: There are apps and services that provide a new number and text services without giving your personal number away. They can be used on a device that already has text-ability, and they can be used on devices that don't have cellular plans at all (as long as you're connected to Wi-Fi.)
- Need to share a device between employees: Depending on the number of people you have, it may make sense to set up a notification system on a shared iPad, phone, or pc that is always at the office no matter who is working.
- Alerting the whole team: Technology has come a long way. Not only can a separate message app be installed on all devices to alert a team if needed, but there are also systems that can "broadcast" a text message to all users.
- Text to email: With this method, customers can text a dedicated number, but it's converted to emails that can go to any device, including computers. While many of the apps mentioned previously have free options, systems like this usually have a fee. It's also frequently bundled with other programs in a suite for your particular industry. We're excited to announce that this feature is coming soon (2021) to our online ordering system.
VISIBILITY OF GOODS AND SERVICES – BRINGING THINGS OUT
There are a couple of ways to approach this, and of course, the weather, and protection of goods are always a concern that you will need to be mindful of.
- Staging Areas: Whether you use a table, counter, island, or something else, can you create a staging area for orders that are ready to go? It will organize the traffic and flow in your space for your team.
- Table space: Can you put one table or a few of them outside for customer space. It makes sense in a restaurant, but if you're not one, are there things you can bring out to waiting patrons for a personal experience, or can you schedule mini appointments and personal tours through your shop?
- Mini Store Front: Instead of just thinking about the traffic piece, what are the items that you could bring out? Can you set up a display area for "Featured Products" of the day or week? Can you schedule a particular time of day to offer demos, give advice, or share tastings and samples?
- Events: Can you partner with another local business or several of them for a workshop, sidewalk event, entertainment, etc.
- Online: All of the items we mentioned in the last three bullets are perfect content for your website or social platforms.
MANPOWER
Of course, there is the issue of balancing being outside, and taking on new responsibilities, when you have so much to take care of inside.
- Volunteers: Who wouldn't love a volunteer? Maybe it's possible. In a typical year, some high school and college students need a certain amount of community service hours for credits to accommodate special programs. Aiding a non-profit or a local business in this scenario might be a qualifying option on their list. Quite a few other students have found themselves restless at home. So, it's worth asking about. Check around the neighborhood with locals or call the schools to see if they could recommend a program or volunteer.
- Funding: One of the primary reasons PPP funds were issued to small businesses was payroll expenses. With another round of PPP funds getting dispersed, this may provide the funding you need to obtain help. It also never hurts to talk to a business mentor through SCORE or one of the economic development or small business development centers. There may be other funding available or something they can help you restructure to obtain help elsewhere and free your other resources up.
- Contests: Having a contest between staff members might keep morale up and/or incentivize those willing to do the extra work necessary. Give them points if they come up with the contest rules themselves and find ways to keep it going.
HAVE A DIFFERENT CHALLENGE?
Let us know. We have solutions, a network in the community, and a team dedicated to your small business. Let's talk. We want to help.
