Covid-19: Pub Customer Registration systems are failing
Covid-19: Pub Customer Registration systems are failing
Many Covid-19 customer registration systems are failing.
They are designed to help NHS TrackTrace, yet systems based on Smart Phones all have a huge problem, if you don’t have a Smart Phone, you can’t use the system.
“For many, especially those over 50, this is a key problem” says Andrew Holford of Bournemouth-based CommerceCall, “around a third of all over 50’s never use a smart phone. So, if a pub relies on apps or QR code technology, they will simply be generating queues of customers who will need to write down their details at the Bar. This is one area where yesterday’s technology is still definitely the best”
To address the problem, CommerceCall turned the clock back and developed TrackSafely, a system based solely on texting. Holford told us, “Almost everyone in the UK has a phone, some may have cost less than £20 yet all can make calls and send texts. As a text already includes the date, time and the phone’s number, all the customer has to enter is their name and size of their group. It’s easy, quick and everyone can do you it”.
Under GDPR regulations, collecting customer information means hospitality sites remain legally liable for registration, even when the data is only used to support NHS TrackTrace. According to CommerceCall, it’s red tape venues do not want. So, to help, CommerceCall decided to remove the liability from the venue by collecting the data themselves. Holford told us “At this stage we had to incorporate new technology. We’d captured the data, yet the venue still needed it in seconds. So, with TrackSafely, we copy the data and immediately send it to the venue by e-mail. As a guest approaches the Bar, or Reception, their name automatically appears on a nearby screen, meaning checking registration before service could not be easier, and costing from under £10 a month I think we’ve also made it really affordable”
Does it work? ”Our first pub-based TrackSafely system went live very early in the pandemic”, said Holford, adding “after some weeks I travelled to the venue and spoke to a few of the more elderly regulars, they said it was easy and, rewardingly, also said it increased their feelings of safety. As far as I was concerned, that made it all worthwhile”
Track Safely is a service only available from CommerceCall Ltd. www.tracksafely.co.uk
CommerceCall Ltd commenced business in 1986 and is based in Bournemouth
Previous work included successfully re-designing the NHS SWAST Out of Hours service at St Leonards, Ferndown.
Contact: Andrew Holford, Manging Director. aholford@commercecall.co.uk
01202 367 292