When the summertime hits, you may find that people are coming into your retail shop more often. Summertime often means breaks for teens, college students, and even parents who take a vacation with their children. There will also be tourists who will come to your store when they are on vacation in the area. One of the worst things that can happen to your visitors and the staff is the air conditioning going out. Here are three steps to take if the HVAC system suddenly goes out in your retail store during the summer. 

Set up fans in the four corners

As soon as the air conditioning goes out in the store, it is a good idea to open the shop doors. This will allow for a little bit of airflow while you are waiting for the commercial HVAC maintenance firm to come and repair your machine. Once the doors are open, get fans to sit in each of the corners of the room. With fans in each corner facing the center of the room, the total square footage will start to cool down. This will allow your customers to be comfortable as they shop and allow your staff to be comfortable as they work. Do not forget to put a fan or two in the stock room for the comfort of the staff who must go to the back. 

Ask an HVAC firm for the next step

You will need to call and have a commercial HVAC maintenance firm tell you the next steps. They may need you to turn off the system in its entirety, or they may need you to restart the machine before they get there. If you are in a retail store where your HVAC system is connected to your neighbors', you will have to give them details on the layout of the system. Ask the HVAC firm what steps to take to make the job easier for them when they arrive. 

Set up an independent thermometer

When the HVAC goes out, it is possible for the store to get too hot for the staff and customers to function. If a store is too hot, it can cause illness, such as heat stroke. If your employees are asked to work when it is too hot outside and there is no HVAC system, you could be liable for any illness that happens as a result of the heat. While the HVAC system is out, you should set up an independent thermometer in the store. If the temperature reaches the 90s and above, consider closing the store for the day until the system is repaired.