60 seconds with… Rob Cook -UK Operations Manager – Namco Funscape

60 seconds with… Rob Cook -UK Operations Manager – Namco Funscape

What positives will you take from this that will benefit the business for the future? 

We feel that there is definitely a reset & the senior team are embracing being involved at the granular level again. Whilst we have been very occupied with looking at expansion opportunities in the past couple of years, we are now turning our attention back to the core business ensuring it is & will be running as efficiently as possible.

Have you used any technology to help the business during reopening? 

We are trialling order at table apps currently & if successful we will roll out. For us these are not just about tables but about facilitating orders from lanes. In addition to that QR codes for Test & Trace

What percentage of your business is opened and how has capacity been affected? 

We have 50% of locations open but they are operating at less than 40% capacity in terms of revenue. Capacities have obviously been dramatically affected

How will you continue to engage and communicate with your staff to ensure safety procedures are followed? 

Our staff have been consulted & briefed on all COVID-19 procedures & refreshed on standard licensing, H & S requirements. What we do has not changed, the core is the same we are just having to adapt to this world issue. In addition, our staff have been communicating via email/welfare calls etc with an open-door policy to the senior team should they have concerns 

How are you communicating with your customers/clients and what are their main concerns?

 As you would expect, website, social, e-mailers. 

We have had no negativity so far, more “why can’t we bowl?” etc…

What does the “new normal” look like for you, how things will change and what market trends you are expecting?

Crystal ball time here. We are going to see a business that is running below capacity for at least the balance of 2020. One of the bigger impacts for us is going to be party/corporate business, when will that return?

From what we have seen to date customers still want to be entertained & that won’t change. Assuming the stay-cation market remains strong, no further major lockdowns we will still have a business that going forward will be run leaner & more efficiently but will be there. 

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Date Published: 7th August 2020