If you have a physical store, you need to make sure your customers are safe from the moment they walk through your doors. As a business owner, you are responsible for keeping everyone safe while they browse your shop. After all, the law requires you to adopt safety policies that can minimize accidents.
Without a strong safety plan in place, you could expose your customers to preventable situations. They will also be in the position to sue you for negligence. If there’s proof that your store creates an unsafe environment for your customers as well as onsite employees, you could face hefty fines, jail time, and the revocation of your business permit.
To make sure your customers are safe within business premises, here’s a guide to help you get started:
- Be prepared for fires
Fires are at the top of every business owner’s list of hazards, more so if you happen to own a restaurant or workshop. A single spark can cause serious property damage and endanger the life of your customers, so it’s important that you have the right tools to help you manage a fire incident before it gets worse. Apart from getting fire extinguishers and installing a sprinkler system, you may also need to set specific rules for storing flammable materials and fixing electrical issues.
- Provide proper ventilation
You don’t want your business to cause breathing problems in customers or trigger asthma attacks, so you need to invest in a quality HVAC system for improving indoor air quality. In addition to controlling indoor temperature, your ventilation system must also be equipped with HEPA filters. These can keep the air free from particles like pollen and dust that can trigger an allergic reaction.
- Offer contactless processing options
Considering today’s health situation, it’s important that you provide customers with the means to pay for goods with little to no physical contact. Since last year, contactless payment systems have seen widespread use through smart cards and smart watches. You will want your business to offer payment terminals for scanning QR codes and card details. If you require customers to verify their identities, you can use an ID scanning app that instantly captures the information on a document so you won’t have to enter them manually.
- Install proper signages
The most basic way you can steer clear of a potential lawsuit is to inform your customers about certain hazards within your premises. Most slip-and-fall claims result from a failure to warn customers of risks like wet floors or fragile display glass. By issuing proper warnings, you can make your customers become more mindful of their actions in store. Even then, you still need to monitor them so you will be ready to act in case of an accident.
You can’t have a great business if you don’t give your customers a reason to feel safe. Keep these tips in mind and steer your customers away from any risk. That way, you will be able to avoid legal action and encourage repeat visits.
