As the hospitality industry looks ahead to the lifting of lockdown restrictions, ceda Partner Mechline Developments has released two free guides containing a wealth of practical advice to help operators bounce back and generate sales opportunities for dealers. The guides offer six steps to help increase restaurant covers and footfall, plus a comparison of air sterilisers and air purifiers so operators can choose the best solution to keep their customers and staff safe.

Commenting on the launch of the guides, Kristian Roberts, Marketing Manager at Mechline said:

“After three lockdowns hospitality operators will understandably be eager to finally welcome back diners so they can start rebuilding their businesses. However a recent study has shown that 53% of consumers are not confident or unsure about visiting restaurants, pubs and hotels when they reopen – so operators face a challenge to reassure returning diners that hygiene measures are in place to protect them.

“As a specialist manufacturer of innovative hygiene focused equipment for the foodservice and hospitality industry we are keen to support operators with the insights, advice and strategy shared in these free guides. In turn, we hope our dealer partners will benefit from sales enquiries as operators look to install advanced technologies like HyGenikx to make their premises as safe as possible ready for reopening.”

Mechline’s guide to increasing covers and footfall includes six strategic steps encompassing: Providing a customer loyalty scheme; Building customer confidence with improved service and experience; Marketing to target local customers; How to leverage the potential of social media; Reducing ‘no shows’ and how to change and adapt your offering with the seasons. Insights shared in the guide include how loyal customers tend to spend 36% more and that 67% of customers would stay longer and spend more money if they enjoy your customer service.

One of the biggest challenges operators face in the year ahead will be customer confidence. Patrons will want to relax, safe in the knowledge that the hospitality business has taken all the necessary precautions to protect them from infection. With this in mind the second Mechline guide explains the differences between air purifiers and air sanitiser/sterilisers, examining how the various technologies work and their respective benefits so operators can make informed decisions about the best solution to protect and reassure customers and staff.

The free guides can be downloaded at:

• ·       https://info.mechline.com/guide-to-increasing-restaurant-covers-and-footfall and
• ·       https://info.mechline.com/air-steriliser-sanitiser-vs-air-purifier