Things seem to be getting back to normal, but it’s not normal just yet. In order to make your jewelry store a safe space for everyone, some conscious efforts must be taken towards pandemic precautions so that customers can shop worry-free. These precautions needs to be taken perpetually, as the vaccination drives can take years.
2020 started with the closure of many retail stores and businesses. Now with the year coming to an end, the businesses that have survived must now learn how to adapt to this post-pandemic world. If you’re looking to know how, here are some guidelines to help you out:
Maintain Social Distancing
This is a protocol being followed by the world. Social distancing decreases the chances of transmission of the virus greatly, and must be adhered wherever there is a gathering present. Staff and customers must constantly be reminded to maintain social distancing between each other.
You can do this by training your staff of being consciously aware of social distancing, as well as putting down stickers or markers on the floor for people to stand on.
Provide Protective Masks To Staff And Customers
Masks have proven to be effective to the virus, and is mandatory to be worn everywhere. So it’s important to make sure that all staff members and customers inside the store are wearing a face mask.
As the owner of the jewelry store, it is your responsibility to provide your staff with face masks if they don’t have their own, as well as keep extras for customers that are entering the store.
Hand Sanitizers
It’s not possible to make your staff or customers wash their hands in your store all the time, so keeping hand sanitizers around is the best and most efficient way to make sure of everyone’s safety.
You can do this by strategically placing hand sanitizer stations at certain points of the store, such as the entrance, cash counter, jewelry display counter, bathroom etc.
Policy For Trying On Jewelry
Owning a jewelry store at a time like this can be tricky. Hospitality and service go a long way with a potential customer, and that has definitely taken a hit since Covid.
Simple gestures like serving a cup of coffee to a customer, or agreeing to put on a necklace on them may be possible depending on your location under the covid era, however, these increase the risk of exposure. In order to maintain hospitality, while also looking after safety, it’s crucial to prepare your team with ready responses for when someone asks them to help them with a jewelry item. It’s also important to advise your staff to immediately sanitize a piece of jewelry before putting it back once it has been tried on by a customer. Politely asking the customer to sanitize their hand before and after putting on jewelry is also a good precautionary measure to follow.
Disinfect And Sanitize Your Jewelry
In the process of trying to make your jewelry store feel as normal as possible, you have to be aware of certain things in the background, such as sanitizing your jewelry. This is an important step, and forgetting it can increase the risk of exposure drastically.
Every time a jewelry piece has been picked up and tried on, make sure to immediately disinfect it before putting it back on display or letting another customer try it on next. You can do this by putting the jewelry in UV boxes before it is placed back to its position. Or simply wiping it with a soft disinfectant.
Once you’ve disinfected and dried the jewelry, make sure to wash your own hands with soap and water, or disinfect them with a good hand sanitizer.
Contactless Payment Gateways
Contactless payment is the trend, and as a jewelry store owner, you must make sure that you have it in place at the store. Train your staff in accepting payments through credit or debit cards, touch cards, UPI, PayTM, AmazonPay, GooglePay etc.
Having such services in places shows you as a conscious brand that is taking steps to ensure everybody’s safety, while also being convenient and current.
Re-opening your store doesn’t have to be as intimidating as you think. By following these simple precautionary guidelines, not only do you keep a peace of mind yourself, but so does your staff and customers who are looking forward to shopping without any worry.
