Switch4Profit May Reopening Checklist

ARE YOU READY?

Boris Johnson has excitingly announced the next stage of lockdown easing from May 17^th.

This is fantastic news for many business owners, especially hospitality who have been unable to reopen. The lifting of restrictions means that pubs and restaurants will be able to serve groups of six or 2 households inside for the first time since December.

There is already a lot of activity getting venues ready to welcome customers back through the doors, but based on our experience, taking payments is sometimes at the bottom of a very long to do list.

PLEASE DON’T LEAVE IT TILL FRIDAY 14^th.

Last time restrictions were eased we were inundated with calls and emails with a multitude of last-minute requests needing urgent action. So much so that we dubbed it ‘Black Friday’! This was a repeat of the week before re-openings in July and the beginning of August for ‘Eat Out To Help Out’ last year.

Here are some of the most common questions we were asked:

1.Why isn’t my terminal working?

The number 1 reason is that the battery has fully depleted. Try plugging it in and charging it for at least a few hours. If it’s still not working, then make sure your account is up to date. You may well have been charged for your terminals over lockdown and if you haven’t been paying your bills then your account may have been suspended.

2. Why can’t I take payments outside or in blackspots?

Your communications coverage doesn’t reach and your terminal may not be GPRS enabled.

3. Why does my connection always drop when we are busy?

The main reason for this is your terminals are WIFI enabled, and you are sharing a domestic WIFI connection as Free WIFI for your customers. As all compete for the same data feed then it slows down and transactions time-out.

4.How do I integrate my terminal with my Tills / EPOS?

If you have the right card terminals, they can easily be connected to your EPOS (subject to provider and software version) which will reduce keying errors and help serve your customers faster because there’s no need to enter the transaction amount twice. Just type the amount into your EPOS and it will automatically push it through to your terminal. Pay at Table mode also means printing and splitting the bill and adding gratuity can all be done on your card machine.

5. Can I change, upgrade or get an additional terminal?

Yes! Introduction of table service and new outdoor spaces and ways of working was an eye opener for many pubs when they opened as their card terminals just weren’t up to the job. Make sure you test your current card machines now so that you’ve got time to make improvements or order more terminals before 17^th May.

6. Can I have an app for my customers to order and pay through?

Apps are great for use outdoors and indoors. They reduce face to face contact and speed up service in line with social distancing guidelines.

7. Why is my current app so expensive?

Apps exploded onto the scene last year and many operators were pushed to a particular platform by their pub group, social network groups or snapped up in the panic to get one. The majority of operators who we have dealt with have ended up with 2 different solutions and none of them linked to their main payment service provider (for credit card machines) which has resulted in expensive and onerous contracts which provide a poor experience for ‘the customer’.

8. Can you help me get out of my current contract?

Yes – we cover up to £3k in cancellation costs and handle the whole process for you.

In short be prepared – You’ve only got 6 days to test your card machines and make changes!

We at Switch4Profit take pleasure in finding operators solutions for no extra cost and usually find that we save you money in the process. We are ex operators who, listen to your needs, understand your problems and provide a no-nonsense solution that works! Happy customers, happy you and happy us – a win-win solution for all!

Please don’t leave it till the last minute – Get in touch as soon as possible by clicking HERE.

This is a guest blog written by Switch4Profit.