With a continued awareness of increased COVID-19 cases, it’s important for businesses to understand some best practices for proper sanitation, and how to best execute those practices. Ensuring that standard operating procedures are not only put in place but are completed is integral to providing customers with the peace of mind they need to come back to establishments. Verification of those tasks can be tracked and managed through the VirusSAFE Pro application. We sat down with our CEO, John New to discuss some common questions business owners may have along with some additional FAQs about VirusSAFE Pro to keep you up to date:
Q: “Where do I begin to find sanitary operations to put in place for my business? How can I ensure the public that these operations are actually being completed and verified?”
A: We’d always recommend following all CDC and OSHA on guidelines regarding best sanitary practices. Our Mobile application VirusSAFE Pro has a consolidated information section that broadcasts the most up to date information. This information is broadcasted to your entire team ensuring effective and timely delivery of information.
They key to any successful business is not simply to have Standard Operating Procedures but to ensure the completion of those tasks. In order to do this, you need to have a system in place that tracks completion with measurable accountability. Our VirusSAFE Pro mobile application does this with checklists, based on the latest CDC protocols, that track the geo-location of where a checklist was completed. That way, business owners AND customers are aware exactly where and when each checklist was completed. In offering access to this real-time data, anyone who wants it can have access to task completion data and see exactly what was completed and verified.
Q: “What restaurants have begun adopting the VirusSAFE Pro software? What has been the employee response to this technology? Do you feel that holding a restaurant accountable with this technology will help enhance the consumer acceptance of dining out again?”
A: We have a number of restaurants using the application and they are the early adopters that are helping us ensure the ease of use and effectiveness. Employees welcome an application that puts all of the information and daily tasks in one place. With features that remind them of the many safety protocols that they have to ensure every day, employees are able to focus on delivering an unmatchable customer experience.
We also do feel that holding restaurants accountable will help enhance acceptance of dining out again. In order for people to feel comfortable, they want to see that you are doing all that you can to make your place of operations as safe for employees and visitors as possible. To do this, we recommend businesses put all CDC recommended protocols in place. For businesses that are able to, provide temperature checks at the door to keep out those with fevers who may be more at risk to spread illnesses. Along with this, provide adequate signage, hand sanitizing stations, and physical distancing inside your business’ location (tables, spots in line, etc.) to help give more peace of mind to patrons who come in. Providing consumers with the peace of mind they need to visit restaurants is key to industry stabilization and revitalization. The VirusSAFE Pro sticker in the window tells consumers that the restaurant prioritizes their health and safety and gives them the visibility they need into cleaning procedures that make them feel comfortable about eating out.
Q: “What exactly does your VirusSAFE Pro application do, and how does it work? How does this software exactly help restaurants safely reopen? Walk us through the checklist. What sanitary touchpoints are included?”
A: Our VirusSAFE Pro mobile application uses pre-loaded checklists, based on the latest CDC protocols, to track what assigned tasks are done along with the geo-location of where each checklist was completed. In doing this, business owners and customers are aware exactly where and when each assigned task was completed. In the application that we are tailoring specifically to restaurants, we have focused on key buckets of information:
Standard operating procedures surrounding the Reopening Guidelines established by the National Restaurant Association; and food safety bedrocks governed by ServSafe Certification and the CDC as well as the standard, every day tasks needed to successfully run and operate a restaurant.
State by State regulations related to Covid-19 - regulations are ever changing and we want to bring the information to restaurant owners in a way that is easy to understand and implement.
Recommended products for restaurant use and other resource tools - For example, which sanitizers are best for cleaning.
Covid-19 educational tools put out by the NRA
By having this data captured in real-time, business owners and customers have access to task completion data where they can see exactly what was completed and verified. Data is displayed in dashboards which customers and management can see real-time trends and patterns.
Q: “How does your software adapt to constantly changing safety regulations around the country?”
A: Part of the application is an easy to use document that tells restaurant owners about the regulations in their area. The application is set to the specific state the restaurant operates in and will advise them in real time about changing regulations such as restaurant capacity. Digitizing the information and providing it in a way that allows the users to obtain it in real time has been instrumental in disseminating information across the industry.
Q: “Is your technology applicable outside the restaurant space?”
A: Yes! In addition to our VirsusSAFE Pro product, we also offer our WorkSmart and LearnSMART product lines which deliver end to end value. From training and informing your workforce, our app helps increase safety and mitigate risk, improve real time visibility and optimize workflows while reducing cost. It’s a similar concept to the sanitation space, but can be directly optimized to improve operational efficiency overall for your business. We are working in multiple verticals such as federal and state governments by helping with workforce development, health and human services by providing verification of patient care and real estate by providing verifiable checklists and learning management systems.
Q: “What are the best ways to encourage employees and guests to follow sanitary practices your business puts in place?”
A: The best way to encourage employees and guests to follow your sanitary practices begins with the top leadership in your store. Leadership needs to first institute adequate signage all around their store, provide sanitizing stations, and provide stickers on the floor to make it easier for people to stay safe. Then, they must vocalize to employees about these safety procedures and follow them themselves to encourage employees to follow suit. If the people at the top are leading by example, wearing masks, using hand sanitizer regularly, and encouraging social distancing and the following of safety procedures, then the employees below them will have a high chance of following suit. When guests see that all these safety precautions have been made and they see employees following the practices, they will be extremely likely to follow suit.
Keep these principles in mind as you look to maintain safe operations in the coming months.
For more information about VirusSAFE Pro or any of our other products, please reach out to bill@workmerk.com. To stay up to date on the latest company and industry news, follow us on all our social platforms