Even after the current pandemic has passed and lockdown restrictions are eased, things are unlikely to ever return to the way they were. For good or for worse, the world has been awakened to the threat posed by rapidly spreading communicable diseases and is taking steps to prevent the recurrence of a disaster of this magnitude in the future.
The truth is that this strain of Coronavirus has found its way to infect and spread among humans and is here to stay among us for years to come.
Scientist have clearly demonstrated that in most of cases the Coronavirus can be spread through mainly three ways:
· Droplets in the air as a byproduct of tiny liquid drops a person ejects from the mouth or nose (i.e. cough, sneeze, talk or simply breathing)
· Aerosol particles infected from these droplets and then can stay in the air for hours
· Surfaces. Yes, simply touching an object or surface contaminated with a virus is also a way to get the virus on your hands and the rest we know it — you touch your face on average 23 times every hour — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25637115.
Moreover, it is scientifically proven that the virus can remain on plastics, metal, cardboard, and many other surfaces to which we are exposed on a daily basis for several hours and even up to days.
For example, someone with the virus coughs in the hand and that person touches a button to call an elevator that somebody will touch afterward. A pen, a doorknob, handrail, pin pad, touchscreen and the list can go on and on — you now get the picture — masks alone don’t protect us enough.
We still live in an offline physical world and there is no escape from touching things in our lives to carry on our normal life — until perhaps one day there will be an “Alexa”-like voice-command interface for all these things which is unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future.
Avoiding Physical Contact is Crucial
Moving forward into the new normal, it is going to be particularly important for people to limit their contact with surfaces that can easily become a focal point for virus transmissions. By adopting a measure of social distancing in all all interactions on a permanent basis, we can go a long way in containing the spread of another pandemic.
But this poses a big challenge for activities where physical contact is required. Simple routine actions like checking-in and checking-out, for example, bring customers in close contact with each other — and definitely within the 6 feet separation window recommended by the CDC — not to mention with the customer service representative and simple objects at the front desk. And such activities can be found almost everywhere, from hospitals to airports, hotels to clinics, retail stores, office buildings and financial institutions.
Several industries will have to embark upon a profound digital transformation of their check-in and check-out procedures in the new normal.
How are such establishments going to manage to keep track of a continuous stream of people checking-in and checking-out while maintaining an element of safety in human interactions that is needed to provide a helpful customer service without risking the spread of a viral disease like Covid-19?
Self-Help Kiosks Are Not The Answer — Neither Robots
Implementing a completely contact-free experience on any check-in and check-out counter is a difficult task. Simply installing a self-help kiosk is not a solution, because even without a human behind the desk, the touch screen of the kiosk becomes a point of contact. (remember the elevator example).
And this problem extends to any self-attended terminal. Whether is using a tablet to place orders at a restaurant or enter personal details at a clinic on an electronic clipboard, the repeated contact with the screen (or a keypad) can easily lead to the accumulation of a viral load that persists for a long time, potentially infecting every person who touches it afterwards. And it is unrealistic to think that these touch points will be sanitized and cleaned after each transaction as this would increase queueing and impact customer service in a negative way. In some cases, the use of detergents may damage or shorten the lifespan of the devices used for self check-ins prior to Covid-19.
Touchless Check-ins and Check-outs are the future
The good news is that there are technology solutions that already provide completely contact-free check-ins and check-outs. These systems exist today and consist of wireless presence devices that can interact with your mobile phone from just a few feet to more than a hundred, easily letting you cover an entire reception area or even more. These solutions work by transferring the interaction from a public kiosk, clipboard or touchscreen to your own private touchscreen that sits on your mobile phone.
A smartphone and a mobile app it’s all that is needed on the customer’s end and a frontdesk could become a touch-free zone. These solutions can work even without an Internet connection which makes it easier to use and deploy.
On the frontdesk’s side the technology is inexpensive and quite flexible to implement. Even the frontdesk’s aesthetics can remain unchanged as some of the solutions can be tucked away in a corner or under the counter.
A New Normal Will Call for Frictionless Experiences at the Front Desk
Ultimately, the COVID-19 crisis will pass, and the world will get back in gear. But the impact it leaves on our psyche is not going to disappear that quickly. People are going to be leery of trusting their health on a public device or countertop that is touched by hundreds every day, or a manned front desk which is visited by even more people.
To bring a certain level of normalcy in industries like retail, hospitality, travel, healthcare and others that depend on close interaction with a manned front desk for check-in and check-out procedures, the time has come to consider technology upgrades which can reduce the spread of viruses and diseases like Covid-19.
As such, businesses will need to consider alternative solutions that preserve the security of in-person transactions without actually needing physical contact with any tablet, desk or pinpad. Not only does this make your business or establishment safer for your clients, but it will also attract more customers that prioritize their safety and hygiene than those that don’t.