How to keep your customers close—at a social distance

In a May 2020 Gallup Poll, 25% of small business owners reported their mental health was worsening due to the stress, anxiety, and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey quantified what most small business owners already know: that the responsibility to keep your team and customers safe while navigating a pandemic and economic downturn is a lot to handle. 

This year has been particularly difficult for all types of merchants across the country. Mandated lockdowns, consumer fears, and the new costs of PPE (personal protective equipment) weigh on many businesses. This is why we’re here to help. Our goal is to offer tools and best practices that ease the logistical burden of running a business during a pandemic. 

Our POS system accessories and features make it easy to implement curbside pickup, online ordering, and contactless payments. New accessories like the Clover Flex Extender can help make operating your business safe and enjoyable.

Meet the Clover Flex Extender

By now, you’ve no doubt reconfigured your store layout to encourage social distancing. You’ve scheduled your staff to reduce in-person human contact. You’ve invested in PPE and hand sanitizer to keep your team and customers safe. Yet, there is still one aspect of operations you may not have addressed yet, or perhaps overlooked completely: your POS system. Contactless payment still calls for a customer and someone on your staff coming into close range to tap or swipe their card payment. 

Here’s where a point of sale accessory can help. We designed the Clover Flex Extender to make contactless payments easier on you, your team, and your customers. This tool is an ergonomically designed extension arm that holds your Clover Flex device securely while extending your reach by 21” to 30.”

The Flex Extender is a highly effective way to keep a respectful distance between customers and staff during the payment process. Use your Flex Extender to accept credit or debit cards—as well as Apple Pay® and Google Pay™—at your drive-thru, curbside pickup, or in-person checkout. 

Clover Contactless Payments

In the U.S., the use of contactless payments has risen 150% since March 2019. Globally, contactless payments have been ubiquitous for years, but in this country the pandemic has spurred widespread use of tap-to-pay and mobile wallets (like Apple Pay). 

Clover systems are all equipped to accept contactless payments. Customers simply tap their card without physically inserting or swiping the card. The secure NFC technology means the customer does not need to input their PIN or sign a receipt. Contactless payments are a fast, secure, and hygienic way to make purchases. Beyond the benefit of less physical contact, this process can help your team work more efficiently. Speedier transactions reduce the number of cashiers needed while increasing the volume of transactions per cashier.

Want less physical contact, less time spent ringing up customers, and more secure payments? Contactless is critical for customer satisfaction and keeping your team safe. Learn more here.

Clover Online Ordering

This spring, we launched Clover Online Ordering to help restaurants stay open and prosper during difficult times. And, while the pandemic is still complicating life, Clover Online Ordering offers an easy way to serve customers who are safety-minded. 

Take advantage of the benefits of online ordering for pickup and dine-in, keep your staff and guests safe, and boost sales during these complicated times. Start by sharing your menu, location, and business hours. Orders can be fired straight to the kitchen. Your device will let your front-of-house team monitor orders as they come in, so they can anticipate when to expect customers to arrive for pickup. You can also manage customer rewards, promotions, and announcements to connect with guests from a distance through the Clover app.

Clover Online Ordering isn’t just for restaurants. If you’re a retailer, you can now also set up your online store for curbside pickup, as well as delivery if you provide that service. If your goal is to stay open while minimizing direct contact, check out how simple it is to set up Clover Online Ordering and start selling online. 

There may be days when nothing feels easy as we continue to navigate this pandemic. But our systems are designed to streamline your business, and that includes finding ways to keep everyone safe. From online ordering to distance-creating POS system accessories, we’re doing our part to help you run your business, care for your customers, and pull through this time stronger than ever. 

Editorial Team

Crisis support, Payments & processing, Resources

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