The Importance of Dark Store Inspections
During times of economic hardship, sometimes it makes business sense to suspend operations at your...
As we all know, very little has been "business as usual" recently. Many facilities have had to suspend operations or adapt to unusual circumstances to stay open during the COVID-19 crisis. Likewise, many customers have had to upend their typical shopping habits and forgo their favorite routines in order to stay safe.
While the end date of this crisis is still undetermined, one thing is certain: once this is over, customers and businesses will be elated to return to any sense of "normal."
If you’re in charge of your facility's maintenance services, you’ll want to make sure you have done everything you can to ensure a rapid, seamless transition to typical operations. Here are three facility maintenance tips to help you get started:
1. Think outside the box when you disinfect your store
If your store has remained open in any capacity during this process, then you’re probably disinfecting surfaces like doorknobs, counters, tables, POS systems and prep stations on a regular basis. But there’s another crucial part of your facility you don’t want to overlook during your deep clean: your HVAC system.
This vital piece of equipment has a big impact on the overall health of your facility, so you’ll want to make sure it’s free of dust, dirt, mold, bacteria and viruses when you reopen your store. For a comprehensive clean, we recommend a combination of the following facility maintenance services:
- HVAC air filter replacement to prevent any dirt, debris and contaminants trapped in your filters from circulating in your facility
- Disinfectant coil cleaning to eradicate any bacteria, mold or viruses that might be lurking in your evaporator coil
Together, these services ensure that your HVAC system is free from any airborne contaminants that may have made their way into your system’s internal components in the past few months — giving you and your customers peace of mind.
2. Communicate with your customers
Customers want to return to their old habits, but after an experience like COVID-19, it’s understandable that they might be a little weary about trusting public spaces. To put their minds at ease, you’ll need to communicate with them about your commitment to keeping your facility clean and safe.
If you’ve taken the steps outlined above to disinfect your facility, don’t be afraid to share that with customers on social media, in person or over the phone. These are uncertain times, and the lingering effects of that uncertainty will most likely stick around long after this crisis has passed. To maintain a strong relationship with your customers, it helps to show them how much you care about their health and safety.
3. Be proactive about maintenance
Finally, it pays to be proactive in situations like this. Although much of what is happening right now is beyond anyone's control, the way you respond is up to you. If your facility has taken the necessary steps to keep your staff and customers safe throughout this crisis, you’ll be in a better position to open your store again as soon as possible.
If you delay these necessary facility maintenance services, you could be caught unprepared when businesses are given the green light to resume operations again. Even worse, you could lose business to other competitors who were more proactive about maintaining their facilities during this time. To avoid these consequences, make sure you act sooner rather than later.
Keeping your facility ready for anything
Ultimately, it’s difficult to know how and when things will return to normal. For the time being, you’ll want to approach the situation with caution and do everything in your power to be prepared when operations resume as usual. In the long run, your customers will thank you for prioritizing their health and safety and being there for them in their time of need.
BFC is here to help you navigate these difficult times. Our services can keep your HVAC system safe and healthy, so you can get back to business. Get in touch with us to schedule a consultation today or download our new infographic to receive 4 HVAC Safety Tips for Reopening Your Business during COVID-19!
