On July 4, pubs and restaurants across England opened their doors for the first time since March, on what was called ‘Super Saturday’. However, one hospitality association is using technology to support business owners and ensure the celebrations remain as safe as possible.
BARBIE — The Bristol Association of Restaurants, Bars and Independent Establishments — is partnering with health verification app tested.me to help hospitality venues reopen safely and responsibly.
Designed by tested.me in partnership with Whoosh and BARBIE, the Customer Registration Solution is solving the issue of collecting customers’ contact details in line with Government Regulations. As stated in government guidance, “venues should assist NHS Test and Trace by keeping a temporary record of customers and visitors for 21 days”. The intention is to help contain clusters or outbreaks, as has been successfully executed in New Zealand. Personal details are then used to contact people if one of the patrons is later hit with Covid-19.
“The Me Project has been galvanised over the last few months to provide solutions to problems caused by the pandemic. The Customer Registration Solution, provided through testedvenues.me, is our first release to help put businesses back in control,” said tested.me CEO, Simon Osman. “The intention of this solution is to help the hospitality industry register its visitors and save time, so they can focus on what’s most important to them: welcoming back their customers.
We’re thrilled to be working with BARBIE to help get over 200 venues open, safely and responsibly. Our shared belief is that what’s good for business has to be good for local communities too. In addition to the Customer Registration Solution, we’re developing an algorithmic identity symbol — the Me symbol — that will serve as a digital partner both in the pandemic and far beyond it.”
With many pub and restaurant owners reported to be feeling anxious over re-opening, the solution’s aim is to mitigate concern and help them keep track of who enters their venues and when. The process has been made as easy and stress-free as possible: they simply have to register their details on a dedicated tested.me page and they’ll then be sent their unique Me ID symbol, which their customers can scan by opening their smartphone cameras. Each venue will also have access to its own business dashboard where they can easily view the details of each one of their customers.
“It has been fantastic to work with tested.me on collection and compliant storage of customer data as we enter reopening of the hospitality sector,” said Brendon Murphy, co-founder of BARBIE Bristol. “There are a huge number of new Government restrictions and changes for venue owners to adhere to and this contactless solution has been taken up by over 200 of our member venues already. We would expect nearly all Bristol venues to use it as more of the sector reopens over the coming weeks and the solution can easily be rolled out across the country.”
Hats off to testedvenues.me for their speed of delivery and the simplicity of their solution!”
If you’re a venue who is interested in learning more about the Customer Registration Solution, visit testedvenues.me.
For Bristol and SW venues, please call 0117 2140098, email brendan@barbiebristol.com, or if you are not already in the BARBIE Group on Facebook please search BARBIE Bristol and request to join. We can then send you the appropriate invitation.
