How To Keep Your Entertainment Safe For Patrons

Lockdown is slowly being lifted, restrictions are easing, and people are free to venture to bars and pubs once again. We’re sure you’re excited and thankful that you can finally get your business back up and running, but you need to be considerate of safety. With track and trace in place, you need to ensure you are taking the contact details of patrons in case you get word a customer has come down with Covid-19. But, the last thing you want to do is tell your patrons they’ve been exposed to coronavirus as this will more than likely scare them away from your venue forever.

Take a look at our previous blog, how to prepare your venue for post-lockdown, for some of our top tips on what you can do to stay safe when you re-open. This reduces the likelihood of someone contracting Covid-19, and therefore less chance of you having to close for a deep clean.

In this blog, we wanted to give a more in-depth insight into how you can ensure your entertainment machines are safe for your patrons. Entertainment is a massive part of any venue as it keeps your customers happy and having fun with their friends or family. But, with so many people using the machines throughout the day, you may be worried that they could become a hotspot for Covid-19. If you take the time to clean them, you can keep your patrons safe while using them and boost your profits.

Please keep reading for vital information on what you and your team need to do to keep your entertainment machines safe for your patrons.

Hand Sanitiser

Hand sanitiser is in nearly everyone’s pocket, purse and backpack these days, with hundreds of people even starting their own business to help others access this coveted product. When lockdown first began and hoarders were clearing the shelves of supermarkets, hand sanitiser was so hard to come by. However, as we ease out of lockdown, the panic buying phase has passed us, and hand sanitiser is once again easy to come by.

For your business, you need to ensure that you have hand sanitiser available not only at the entrance of your venue but besides all entertainment machines too. By asking people to sanitise their hands before using a contactless pool table or gaming machine, you are reducing the chance of Covid-19 contaminating these machines. Make sure there is a sign that clearly states this is a ‘must’ and not a choice, with staff keeping an eye whenever someone new steps up to play.

Routine Cleaning 

A sure way to keep your machines Covid-19 free and your guests safe is to clean the machines in your venue routinely. With cinemas like Vue cinemas implementing hourly cleaning schedules and other pubs closing off their bars completely and doing table-side service, keeping things clean is clearly at the top of everyone’s list.

Assign a staff member to be on clean up duty every shift, where they keep an eye on the machines being used, whether it’s a jukebox or slot machine. After a group or person has finished using the machine, they can then go and disinfect the machines, preventing contamination. It may become a repetitive and tedious job, but it is a necessity which allows you to keep your entertainment open for use, profits rolling in and your patrons happy.

Social Distancing

Social distancing is still a thing – let’s not forget. While the rules may have been changed from 2 meters distance to ‘1m-plus’, you have to ensure that your patrons are following these guidelines. Not only does it keep themselves safe, but other households and your staff too.

Have signs posted around the venue and at the doorway to remind them of the social distancing rules. Also, take a look at the layout of your venue and move things around if necessary to make walking around the room safer for your patrons. You might think the contactless pool table is in too small of an area or the jukebox is placed so that people will always be close to one another. If so, make some changes. It’s better to do it as soon as possible rather than risk people bumping into one another.

Many establishments are also implementing a one-way system – one door in, one door out and a clear route to the toilets. This makes it easier for people to move about the venue without breaking social distancing. Take some time with your team to map out a route, test it out and make clear signs.

Clear Rules

There will be some people who won’t know how to act or behave without some rules set in place. This Covid-19 world is a confusing one, and rules and opinions are always changing, so mistakes are bound to be made. Make sure you have a set list of rules for how your patrons need to behave when in your venue to make sure they are keeping themselves and others safe.

Next to your entertainment machines, ensure you have a poster which tells them to sanitise their hands, only use the machines with the people they arrived with and to sanitise after they are done. Make sure they are aware that they are only allowed to mingle with their group, and that hovering around machines waiting for other people to finish is not allowed. If these rules are clearly stated, it should reduce arguments if a patron is upset at being told they need to move or leave.

Check out our website today to learn more about Amusement Leisure and how we can provide top-quality entertainment for your venue. Our jukeboxes for hire, contactless pool table and gaming & fruit machines will ensure your venue is the one to visit post-lockdown.

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