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Going the extra mile with enhanced health precautions is becoming the “new normal.”
As a business leader during a pandemic, there’s likely nothing you’d like more than for conditions to return to the way they were before any virus came to town. Unfortunately, taking a time machine back to a simpler era would inevitably lead to our present day. Be that as it may, this time is your opportunity to anticipate what your future customers and employees will expect from companies like yours—vigilance.
The customers and workers of tomorrow will expect your company to do everything you can to ensure their health and well-being. If you fail to earn their trust, your competition will be more than willing to do what it takes to meet their standards.
“But I already require masks and social distancing in my business, just like my competition. How can I earn any more of a leg up to stand out?”
The answer: temperature screening for entry.
How Temperature Screening Helps Protect Customer & Worker Health
While it would be nice to be able to look into a crystal ball and instantly identify infected individuals, the technology simply isn’t here yet. Still, there is one measurable symptom that tops the list denoting a possible Coronavirus infection—a fever. Though some individuals carrying Coronavirus may never exhibit symptoms, for those who do, an elevated temperature is among one of the most common measurable indications. Elevated temperatures are such good indications of infection that many hospitals and doctors’ offices have begun screening patients and visitors for fever before they enter the building. Why? Because separating possibly-infected individuals drastically lowers the chances of viral transmission.
How Temperature Screenings Increase Consumer & Worker Confidence
“I understand the logic behind taking the temperatures of people entering healthcare facilities. But taking the temperatures of customers and workers? That sounds a bit...I don’t know...drastic?” Yep, we know it sounds a tad severe. However, there are other ways to think about the prospect of taking customer and employee temperatures at the door.
Social distancing and face masks also seemed drastic. Now they are the norm.
While this mindset may border on the “slippery slope” side of thinking, it makes a fair point. Imagine telling your former self a year ago that a single pneumonia-like virus would result in you and all of your friends needing to wear breath-filtering facemasks to buy guacamole. You would have likely considered the precaution rather drastic, right? Now, you probably know someone who has abandoned their favorite takeout spot because the line can get a tad crowded, or the cashier didn’t wear a mask that one time. There’s no reason to believe that measures considered “drastic” versus “smart” have yet been finalized.
A quick temperature screening is a small price to pay for the peace of mind associated with a pre-screened place.
We get it—the idea of getting your temperature taken before entering your favorite Mexican restaurant or your workplace seems like a hassle. However, this begs one to imagine two scenarios. The first scenario contains a restaurant of only pre-screened patrons. The second contains the same eatery, only with the possibility of the fella in the next booth running a mild fever that has nothing to do with his side of pickled jalapenos. Which environment seems less tense?
Even when the “cost of admission” of enjoying a pre-screened business is having to have your own temperature screened, this is more than worth it for the greater peace of mind. If existing precautions are any indicator of future preferences, many customers will likely go out of their way to shop with businesses that require temperature screening. In the same way, employees will be more eager to return to a workplace with a lowered likelihood of transmission—not to mention an employer that cares for their well-being.
In Summary
Though we certainly can’t predict the future of Coronavirus prevention or the comfort levels of the public, one thing is for sure: temperature screening reduces the likelihood of infected visitors within your business. The more you can minimize the risk of transmission among customers and workers, the more trust you will earn among both groups.
So, what’s the next step?
Learn about the two most popular temperature-screening options: human-conducted vs. automated.
