To eliminate customer concerns as much as possible
The first week of June is almost over. Although there were times when customers were concentrated in the morning and during coffee time, overall the pace of business was relatively relaxed. I wonder if this will continue for the time being for dine-in customers.
Tomorrow is our day off, so I plan to start making ham for gratin toast in the morning.
How can we address our customers' concerns rather than relying on our own position or scientific evidence?
Since reopening our dining area, we have been taking measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We are doing our best to comply with the guidelines set out by the national and prefectural governments. We ask our customers to comply with the Osaka Prefecture COVID-19 Tracking System, the number of people in the store, and the length of time they spend in the store. This may be inconvenient, but we appreciate your cooperation.
Even during our business this week, we had to operate differently from previous years, such as being unable to serve customers at available tables due to congestion and distance issues between customers, and asking groups of three or more adults to refrain from entering the restaurant due to environmental concerns.
Personally, I am following the guidelines, but seeing a situation that is different from what I've seen before, I am operating with doubts about whether my response is the right one and whether it is really necessary to go that far.
I'm not sure yet whether this is scientifically correct or not.
However, when I hear from a customer who regularly purchases coffee beans that "I'm at high risk of developing severe symptoms," it is true that there are quite a few people other than this customer who are worried about going out or eating out (there are many things that cannot be seen, but our store may have a higher proportion of people with disabilities or a history of illness than other stores).
As a shop run by a husband and wife team that has one foot in the welfare industry, I think it's important to set aside various ideas and scientific evidence and focus on the concerns that our customers are currently feeling and to be there for them. After all, people can't just act on logic alone.
As someone in business, I feel the anxiety about the current situation, where 70% of the economy is said to be economic, the uncertainty about the future, and the difficulty of facing new things, but I would like to first focus on the concerns that my customers currently have and try to alleviate them, even if only little by little.I am basically a kind-hearted person, so that's what I think.
Although my emotions waver every day as I continue to search for the right answers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, I want to be able to properly reflect on what we value as a store when forced to make a decision.
