The forced closure of restaurants all around the world has had serious consequences and led to a general sense of uncertainty, added to which are now all the new regulations that mean establishments have to adapt (at their own expense). The safety and cleanliness of the cutlery and crockery used and of the dining rooms themselves is now of paramount importance and companies that produce washing machinery and equipment now suddenly find themselves in the front line.
It should also be mentioned that relations between a company and its clients are now more crucial than ever: the value of choosing the right equipment has increased and the consultancy service offered has become increasingly important. “The post Covid-19 period is going to be a delicate moment for the catering industry, in which it is necessary to address both the question of reopening safely and that of cleaning the equipment needed after such a long period of forced closure,” says Manuel Petrucci, head of marketing and communication at Krupps. “In order to deal with this new situation we have created a re-start kit that includes an extra-sanitising acid specifically intended for periodically disinfecting crockery. There is a strict protocol to adhere to, and clients are given two extremely useful labels, to show bar and restaurant patrons how safe the establishment is, this giving an additional guarantee of hygiene. Finally, along with the kits, useful spare parts are also supplied – the ones that needed most after such a long, unplanned period of non-use, so that all our clients always get the very best washing results.”
What other initiatives are there? “As well as online commercial and technical training sessions – which are proving very successful, especially abroad – in order to stay more closely in contact with our clients, we have over the last few weeks developed an app with content that is useful for retailers and restaurateurs. It gives access to special promotions. There are videos to watch and manuals explaining everything you need to know about those all-important spare parts.”
What sort of feedback are you getting from your clients? “Today there is a much greater attention to hygiene, and also in the professional washing sector a basic dishwasher for crockery and glassware is no longer enough: demand has shifted to Elitech washing systems, which sanitise crockery and eliminate bacteria. This is why we are carrying out specific, ever more accurate tests to offer our clients more safety.”
To support clients in the post-Covid world, MEIKO has put in place not only anti Covid19 certification for the whole product range, but also a promotional campaign on products for the Ho.re.ca. sector with special discounts and long-term interest-free payment plans continuing to the end of 2020.
But customer experience also involves picking up on the most genuine, deepest needs of customers, in order to find the best response for the future, as Valbona Elezi, sales office manager for MEIKO Italy explains: “We are conducting a telemarketing survey across the Ho.re.ca. sector to get a sense of where the market is and how restaurateurs and the food industry generally are reacting. We want to understand what the actual requirements and difficulties are and how people are gearing up to get going again. This operation is very important for our marketing and commercial strategy, because we want to act as partners and help everyone reopen their activities as smoothly as possible.”
What requests do you get from your clients? “At the moment the main request is for detailed information on hygiene and clarification on government rulings, which alas are not always very clear. However, many are still very reluctant to have direct contact or fix a face-to-face appointment. Out of a customer base of around 300 contacts, one third is not interested in having information of any kind, and is simply waiting for better times.”
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