We’ve finally reached the point where the economy is reopening, but with the pandemic lingering and the country only in the early stages of its vaccination plan, it won’t be business as usual for a while. 

If your business is one of the millions that closed its offices and shifted to remote work, you may be preparing to get employees back to their desks and sales reps back on the road. And, at the same time, your clients are turning to you for help to support their new business models and operations with the right technology.  

This business reopening checklist offers a framework that you and your clients can use as a starting point to safely and efficiently getting back to business. 

For Sales and Technical Support Teams

After a year of video sales calls, streamed product demos, and virtual industry events, sales teams are ready to return to face-to-face meetings to build a stronger rapport with customers and prospects. However, business leaders need to make sure they’re doing so safely. 

Consider enforcing these best practices for sales that will show customers and prospects that you value their health safety:

• Stress that there should be no handshakes or personal contact.

• Plan meetings that allow at least 6 feet of social distance between participants; no small, enclosed meeting spaces. 

• Wear face masks, use hand sanitizer, and frequently wash hands. 

• Check CDC travel health notices, and stay flexible. Plans may have to change to keep sales reps and customers safe.  

• Establish policies to follow if a sales rep or technician becomes ill while traveling. 

• Stay camera-ready for people who prefer to meet that way. 

For Employees

People may have mixed feelings about returning to the office – if they’ve been somewhat isolated, they’re probably more than ready to see their colleagues again, but they may not be confident that their work environment is safe. Build their confidence by creating and enforcing a workplace safety plan outlining best practices, including:

• If a space has been closed for an extended period, evaluate it to ensure it’s ready for occupancy, checking for mold growth, water damage, adequate ventilation, and other issues that can impact health.

• Limit shared items, such as pens, keyboards, mobile devices, and desk space. 

• Evaluate office and break room space to enable social distancing. Adjust the floor plan as needed. 

• Limit the number of people who can use common areas at a given time; stagger break times and lunches. 

• Develop a disinfection plan, and print and post schedules as a reminder. 

• Remain flexible. Some people may not be able to work a traditional shift due to health or family issues. Work with your team through the remainder of the pandemic. 

• Create a communication plan to keep employees aware of COVID-19’s status in your area and local regulations they must comply with. 

• Establish policies for employees who are sick or who have been exposed to COVID 19. CDC recommends quarantining for 7-10 days after close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19. For those who have been sick, CDC recommends waiting 10 days from the onset of symptoms, 24 hours without fever, and other symptoms improving.   

• Conduct health checks, including questionnaires and temperature screenings and establish policies if someone becomes sick or has symptoms at the workplace. 

For Your Clients

Retailers and restaurateurs have put up barriers, established mask policies and marked their floors for 6-foot social distancing, but just as they turned to you for help to focus on e-commerce, they’ll also need solutions to ramp up in-store operations. 

Be ready to provide them with: 

• Omnichannel payments: An omnichannel payments platform gives your clients the flexibility to accept all payment types in-store, online, via app, at a kiosk, or through a link on social media. Additionally, an omnichannel solution will give your clients the ability to manage payments from all channels through one platform, making their back-office processes more efficient.  

• Support for new processes: Many merchants launched new services in 2020, such as online ordering, curbside pickup, buy online pickup in store (BOPIS), buy online return in store (BORIS), and delivery. After the initial rush to put new processes in place, merchants are now refining those operations to make them more efficient and optimize customer experiences. Consider adding new features or forming new partnerships to provide your clients with the functionality they need. 

• Touchless payment options: Even though COVID-19 numbers are on the decline, there are still risks, and people are conscious about touching common devices. They may prefer using contactless cards or mobile wallets. If a merchant doesn’t have the technology to accept them, they can still create touchless payment experiences with QR code payments or text to pay. Talk to your payments partner to ensure your clients have those options. 

Move into the Next Phase Reopening Your Business

Ensuring your business and your clients’ businesses are opening responsibly and most efficiently will contribute to greater consumer comfort with brick-and-mortar businesses, rebuilding the economy – and revenue growth for your business. 

For more information, see the CDC’s guidance for office buildings. And, for information on omnichannel payments, contact Datacap Systems.