COVID-19 Resources Temperature Screening, Barriers, Proximity Marketing and more

Reopening Safely: Asking the Right Questions About Temperature Screening

by BARRY JOHNSON, DIRECTOR, NUCTECH US, INC.

As the hospitality industry continues to bounce back and reopen, many companies are making claims about Infrared (IR) Temperature Screening Systems and what they can and cannot do. With government regulations evolving and varying by city and even zip code, asking the right questions is essential before investing in a solution that does not have the capabilities you need to operate safely. In addition, the accuracy is required to prepare for the liability that businesses face if someone is exposed to COVID or other infectious diseases on their properties. Make sure you ask:

Does your system integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and enhanced imaging technology?

Deploying an IR camera alone does not produce the accuracy, reliability and throughput needed to operate. Make sure the vendor you are working with has a system that integrates AI and machine learning to adapt to changing situations and facilitate high throughput screening. For example, systems leveraging AI can learn to focus on temperature measurement and ignore face masks and other sources of heat, including warm beverages, that could impact operations. In addition, combining IR with imaging technologies — including visible light — increases accuracy and allows systems to screen more people securely and simultaneously.

Can your system integrate multiple cameras to one monitor?

With multiple entry and exit points for employees, customers and vendors, make sure you ask if you can integrate multiple cameras to one computer. This central station capability will help you increase ROI by monitoring different locations from a single point — encouraging safe physical distancing and optimizing staff.

How do I calibrate the system?

To operate efficiently, a robust IR temperature screening system must contain automatic calibration. With several factors — including number of people and size — constantly changing the room temperature, a smart temperature screening system must routinely calibrate automatically to ensure uninterrupted throughput and continued high levels of accuracy.

What does your system do to protect data?

Having strong data security safeguards are essential to inspire confidence in your operations. Ask what the system does when someone’s temperature measurement comes back normal. Does the system delete or store the image? Ask the same questions about someone’s measurement that comes back as elevated. Make sure the systems you are researching do not store data and only briefly keeps images of individuals who have an elevated temperature to ensure proper identification and appropriate follow up.

The bottom line: Infrared Temperature Screening Systems can play an important role in temperature screening programs as the hospitality industry rebounds and guests return. However, it is critical that your system meets your operational needs — today and in the future.

A FRLA member, Nuctech manufactures the TempChecker and ThermalScan infrared screening systems. Click to learn more.

Florida Restaurant Owners Ask: Can I Take a Customer’s Temperature?

by ROGER SLADE

The world has changed dramatically in the last 90 days. Just last year, the question of whether a restaurant would even ask to take the customer’s temperature would have been unthinkable. Now, it is actually happening — all over the country.

Taking your customer’s temperature before dining may provide solace to restaurant owners and their customers. However, the practice is not without risk. Since the practice is entirely new, as is the pandemic in general, there is not a lot of legal guidance on this issue. However, there are some general rules that may help prevent problems in the future. Here is a random sampling of things to consider: 1. If you decide to test, get consent. The question of whether to take a customer’s temperature is a business decision. Will testing make your customers feel more at ease, or will it make them nervous? What about the public relations implications? These are important questions. Nonetheless, if you decide to take the temperatures of your customers, the first thing you should require is the customer’s written consent on a form prepared by a skilled lawyer. This may prevent your customers from later claiming that you have accessed their protected health information without permission or violated their privacy rights. 2. Test everyone or test no one. Restaurants, like employers, are subject to claims of discrimination. The question of whether one particular ethnic group, race or gender is more susceptible to COVID-19 has been hotly debated.

However, for restaurant owners there should be no debate.

If you are going to test, you should test every customer that comes in the door who consents — not just the ones you think may be more susceptible to the virus. 3. Avoid the appearance of medical testing. There may be an impulse on behalf of restaurant owners to expand the scope of testing to include such things as a pulse oximeter test.

This test measures oxygen saturation and pulse rate. Even if customers consent to such a test, restaurant owners are likely not trained to properly administer the test or to interpret the data that the test generates. It is better to leave this type of test to a trained physician. 4. Retesting. The temperature of normal healthy individuals can vary throughout the course of the day. Therefore, restaurant owners should make clear that, for anyone who consents to a test and the test reveals a high temperature, a retest will be available.

In other words, customers should be given a second chance.

Someday (hopefully soon) taking a restaurant customer’s temperature will be completely unnecessary. However, restaurants that decide to pursue this path while the pandemic is ongoing should proceed with caution. Exclusive Non Auditable Programs for Hotels and Restaurants.

Risk Strategies is the country’s leading specialty real estate insurance brokerage and risk management advisor.

Robert Grady | Vice President 239-405-6802 | rgrady@risk-strategies.com

Part of Insurance Council for the FRLA

PetaloUSA

What a compelling time in history we have all witnessed in these last couple of months. As we reopen, we must create spaces that respect and protect our customers and employees as we adjust to our new normal. The recent pandemic has asked us all to reimagine our workspaces, to remain productive, and in doing so we have had to flex our innovative design strategies to include social distancing while maintaining beauty and safety.

Petalo Design Solutions for business productivity systems are your answer to productivity in a COVID-19 world. Petalo Systems are lightweight, easy to assemble, versatile and easy to clean and maintain. These are physical barriers designed to retrofit into your restaurant and allow you to safely serve your guests again.

Petalo Systems are made of LisocoreTM and MDF framing with a transparent Plexiglas middle. They are designed to reduce the spread of infectious disease while conserving a stylistic approach. They are manufactured in Italy with the highest quality material and attention to detail. For more information, contact us through Victorialee Arger-Medina at (646) 269-6009.

Visit petalousa.com to learn more.

New Safety Details for Your Tripadvisor Listings by ANGELA VAUGHN, CHIA, CHDM, MARKETING & OPERATIONS MANAGER, MILES PARTNERSHIP

Restaurants and hotels are quickly reopening in a new digital landscape post COVID-19 while navigating uncharted waters to re-welcome guests at their physical locations. As travelers reemerge, one thing that will not be different is their journey to look for information online — places to eat, where to stay and things to do — whether they are locals or visitors to your destination. However, travelers are more concerned about safety and searching for the measures your property has put in place to protect them. This is a key difference from what we saw prior to local closures. Many online channels have begun to take this into consideration and are providing useful ways to highlight the actions your businesses are taking to build consumer confidence. Recently, Tripadvisor announced the release of their new “safety details” for businesses in their COVID-19 Response Center. While the 14 safety measure options slightly vary whether you are a hotel or restaurant, the result is still the same: Tripadvisor is giving consumers an opportunity to search for safety-conscious businesses. Potential guests can search and filter results on Tripadvisor by safety measures such as face masks required for guests, floors marked for social distancing, temperature checks for staff and more. In your Tripadvisor Management Center, you can update your listing to showcase to travelers what measures your business is taking — be sure to update your business listing to increase your business’s visibility in Tripadvisor searches and build guest confidence.

FRLA Hosts Dozens of Webinars!

FRLA has offered dozens of webinars to the hospitality industry since the COVID-19 crisis began in Florida. As a result of the spread of the virus, the industry was paused, and we are still not fully open as we try to get back on our feet. Thousands of restaurants, hotels and bars may close forever, and thousands of jobs have been lost as a result of the economic fallout of the outbreak.

In an effort to provide educational information to the industry, FRLA has presented webinars with industry leaders, and we have shared useful webinars from across the country. You can find upcoming webinars and pre-recorded webinars at FRLA.org/webinars.

Webinar hosts and speakers include: Heartland, Cintas with Anthony Melchiorri, Johnson Jackson, Miles Partnership, Fred LeFranc, FRLA, AHLA, TapMango, SipScience, National Restaurant Association, FRLA/ VISIT FLORIDA, Illinois Restaurant Association, Texas Restaurant Association, Targetable, Discover the Palm Beaches, My Area Network, Results Thru Strategy, The Lease Coach, CSRA, Ordermark, Dale Carnegie, Ecolab, DELL Technologies, USF Public Health, Dining Alliance, Synergi Partners, Sandman Savrann, Senator Rick Scott, Lauren Cohen, FTR Hospitality, Dana Young, Kathleen Wood, IFBTA and more. Thank you to all who have participated as speakers, moderators, hosts and sponsors.

PROTECTPROTECTPROTECTYOURYOURYOUR BUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESS • Over 14 Years in the Medical Supplies Industry • Proven Experience • Best in Class Supply Chain • Over 14 Years in the Medical Supplies Industry • Proven Experience • Best in Class Supply Chain PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS • Over 14 Years in the Medical Supplies Industry • Proven Experience • Best in Class Supply Chain • Affordable PPE Solutions• Affordable PPE Solutions • Over 14 Years in the Med • Affordable PPE Solutions ical Supplies Industry • Proven Experience Be st Quality and Pricing Be st Quality and Pricing • Best in Class Supply C Be st Quality and Pricing hain Inventory in USAInventory in USA • Affordable P Inventory in USA PE Solutions

Be st Quality and Pricing Inventory in USA GLX

GLX MiamiGLX Miam GLX Miami GLX Miamii For details: 305-586-1234 • cmc@glx-int.com To order online visit: OutPatientMD.com For details: 305-586-1234 • cmc@glx-int.com To order online visit: OutPatientMD.com For details: 305-586-1234 • cmc@glx-int.com To order online visit: OutPatientMD.com For details: 305-586-1234 • cmc@glx-int.com To order online visit: OutPatientMD.com

Beaconstac, a Proximity Marketing Leader

Beaconstac, based in New York, is a proximity marketing tech company that has been helping restaurants around the country switch to seamless QR code digital menus that comply with CDC guidelines for reopening, without the pain of printing disposable menus that cost a ton of money. Beaconstac has been recognized by Forbes as a leader in proximity marketing.

In conversation with Ravi Pratap, Co-founder and CTO, Beaconstac:

How has Beaconstac been instrumental in helping restaurants and bars reopen?

The CDC guidelines state that restaurants should use digital or disposable menus. Since disposable menus are really quite expensive, we’ve seen an uptick in restaurants and bars sign up for our service to create digital menus powered by QR codes (aka QR code menus).

Restaurants love how easy our platform is to use. You just upload a PDF of your menu or snap a quick picture and you have a QR code customized with your restaurant’s logo and branding colors in less than 5 minutes.

Restaurants can sign up for our platform for as little as $5 per month.

What about customer adoption? Are they on board with QR code menus?

Absolutely. There is no additional app required to scan QR codes. iOS and Android both have native QR code scanning capability via the camera. All you have to do is point your camera at a QR code.

Since QR codes truly deliver a contactless and safe experience, customers are more than happy to scan a QR code and view the menu on their smartphone instead.

Which of your platform’s features have restaurants been using the most?

All our QR codes are dynamic. This means restaurants can change the content of the QR code without changing the code they’ve already printed.

Apart from uploading their menus as a PDF or an image, restaurants are also leveraging our in-built landing page creator that allows them to upload multiple menus or guidelines for customers.

Our platform also includes robust analytics, integration with Google Analytics and retargeting which allows restaurants to make sure they can keep driving repeat business.

We also have ready-made COVID templates that power a visitor form that restaurants can use to filter visitors or facilitate community-driven contact tracing.

Do you see a need for this postpandemic?

The last pandemic changed consumer habits forever. It is bound to happen this time as well. Consumers will continue to be wary of touching shared surfaces. Coupled with the fact that QR codes are actually pretty versatile and the flexibility of our platform, I have no doubt that contactless marketing and engagement is bound to grow as a new segment.