We have a collection of resources we want to share with you as we all continue to navigate the ever-changing COVID-19 pandemic.
As of Tuesday, March 24, the Kansas City metro area will be under a "stay-at-home" order until May 15, unless extended. This applies to the physical Redemption Plus office and warehouse. We are working from home Monday through Wednesday and you will be updated if this changes. We have a small staff answering emails and phone calls during operation hours/days. We are unable to ship orders so long as the stay at home order is in effect.
We are still available for design meetings and execution if you have a project you need to follow up on or would like to start.
Industry Resources to follow
IAAPA is providing member resources and support in response to COVID-19. Click here to learn more about small business assistance for FECs, risk management, legislative updates and more.
Blooloop is a daily newsletter covering the attractions and amusement industry from around the globe. Sign up to receive a daily news digest each morning covering COVID-19 updates from a large network of businesses and amusement vendors.
RePlay Magazine sends out a daily e-news email as well. This is a great way to stay up-to-date on businesses that are temporarily closing due to COVID-19. Sign up for the daily "Instant Replay" here.
Amusement Resource Connect is another daily news email recapping what's happened around the industry. This newsletter also includes editorials on business tips for the amusement industry. Subscribe here.
BPAA is a great resource for bowling centers. They are regularly adding to the BPAA resource library in light of COVID-19. Get important updates from the preferred BPAA vendors, see information about what the BPAA is doing to help small businesses and also see a collection of federal resources. Find all of this and more on their COVID-19 landing page.
Some good News ☀️
Japan is starting to open theme parks, businesses and schools after COVID-19 forced closures throughout February and March, including Legoland Japan!
Tip
If you have customer email addresses, we recommend reaching out to your customers to let them know how they can continue to support your business during its closure. Are you offering drive-thru or take out food options? Can customers buy gift cards to your business online to use at a later date?
Idea
We all need some extra brightness in our lives these days. Considering including a prize from your redemption area when customers come by for food orders. It can be something big or small, but the gesture will go a long way.
Personal Resources
Below are links we hope will help occupy your newly-found free time and add some positivity to your day.
+ Free Online Course - The Science of Well-Being - This online course is offered by Coursera in partnership with Yale. "In this course, you will engage in a series of challenges designed to increase your own happiness and build more productive habits."
+ Free Ivy League Learning - The Ivy League is offering 450 free online courses. Now might be a great time to take that small business marketing or business operations class you've had on your list.
+ 1,000 True Fans? Try 100 - Learn how to find your "high-paying super-fans" in this long-form business strategy article.
+ 7 Ways to Volunteer Remotely - Here are ways you can make a difference from the comfort of your own couch!
Guided by our purpose of "enriching lives through insights that empower" we will send you weekly updates on everything we know in regard to COVID-19. Do you have a tip or suggestion you'd like to share with other businesses on how to get through these challenging times? Let us know! We'd love to share.
Sincerely,
The Redemption Plus Team
MARCH 22
Valued Customers, Partners, and Vendors,
Johnson County KS, where we are located, is under a “stay in place” order for all non-essential businesses until April 24.
Unfortunately, this means we will be unable to ship orders placed after Sunday, March 22nd at midnight until at least April 26th.
We will be closing down during this time, but will have a small staff answering emails. We will not be in the office for calls at this time, but we will check for customer messages frequently. Feel free to email us at mtipton@redemptionplus.com.
In the meantime, we will continue to update you when information that could be helpful for you arises. We wish the very best for you, your family, friends and business.
We will see you again soon!
Sincerely,
Michael Tipton
Chief Operations Officer
MARCH 17
Valued Customer,
Serving your business to the best of our ability is at the heart of all we do. There is a lot of uncertainty regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) and I am sure you have received an influx of updates as we all continue to navigate this situation. Thank you for allowing me to update you on measures Redemption Plus has taken to place your safety and business at the top of our priorities.
Inventory Updates
We have proactively looked at our entire supply chain. Our buyers ordered deeper in our top items to ensure you are getting what you need for your business throughout the remainder of this year.
Customer Service
Our customer support will remain unwavering even if our team is working from home. Please don't hesitate to call us if you need assistance. Your calls and emails will continue to be answered.
Office Precautions
We are implementing a work from home policy for non-essential staff and for those who have recently traveled to trade shows and customer locations. Again, serving you is our priority and that aspect of our business will run as usual. We put extra cleaning precautions into effect on our physical work environment and are adhering to recommendations from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and WHO (World Health Organization). Additionally, we are working with customers to reschedule planned travel obligations.
Returned/Canceled Orders
As we all attempt to navigate these difficult times, we are all learning along the way. We have had some questions around canceled orders and shipping costs for returning orders. I want to address that so everyone has clarity. We ship orders the day after you place them. If you place an order at 11 p.m. Tuesday, we pull and ship your order on Wednesday morning.
For that reason, we will do what we can to prevent your order from being pulled or shipped if you have to cancel it. However, if your order has left our facility, we will accept the return of the shipment, but we cannot cover the shipping cost of returning your order. We will accept returns as we always have per our return policy. If your company has free shipping terms with us, our terms cover the cost of shipment to your business but do not cover the costs of shipping orders from your business to us.
We will do all we can to ensure we are providing you with the support and service you need through this challenging time. Feel free to reach out if you have questions or concerns we can help with.
Our Purpose, as a company, is to provide you with insights that can help you in your business and in life. As we collect information from you, the industry, and outside resources, we'll be sure to share them in a timely matter.
Please take care of yourself, your staff and your family.
Sincerely,
Michael Tipton
Chief Operations Officer