Corona Virus: How Are We Doing?

[Joey Shabadoo]

There is a pretty good write up from MD in this fortnight's Private Eye. MD does also point out that there are positives.

Indeed, I've spent time chatting with my wife this past week. She seems nice.

 

[winjim]

We've not hidden the baskets in our store (yet)... but i suspect it's an attempt to stop the spread. We have antibacterial wipes and hand sanitiser next to the stack of baskets so customers can clean the handle and their hands before they shop.

Plenty of customers do what you do (use their own bag instead of a basket). As a member of floor staff, I'll mention it (you) to the checkouts to double check your bag for life . But I wouldn't worry about it, it's not uncommon to use your bag instead of basket, and as things are, it's probably more sensible

I've always done it like that and nobody's ever challenged me or given me so much as a funny look.

 

[screenman]

I work in Aldi and a few weeks back, we started closing the store at 8pm instead of 10pm. However from next week, we're going back to 10pm closing. Apparently other supermarkets are doing the same thing, to spread to opening hours and aid social distancing.

Just thought I'd mention it

From the front line, what are your thoughts on people shopping daily and those that just meander around? I can uderstand the longer hours but I am sure you will still get peak times. My point on peopel not going out after 8pm was from personal observations of my local area, which seems to shut down in the evening.

 

[MontyVeda]

Yeah but surely trolley handles do too and then there's the putting (contaminated) pound coins into trollies as well.

Yesterday morning at work, all the trolleys and the entire car park was pressure washed with bleach before opening. I was thinking that whilst every trolley is now clinically clean, they're only clean until the first contaminated hand touches them. As with the baskets, we're trying to wipe the trolley handles or get the customers to do it.

 

[MontyVeda]

From the front line, what are your thoughts on people shopping daily and those that just meander around? I can understand the longer hours but I am sure you will still get peak times. ...

Yes, mornings are a peak time and whilst we're limiting the numbers in the store at any one time, the shoppers do tend to all bulk together on aisle three or four... much like traffic does naturally. There's only so much we can do. The shoppers have to sort themselves out really. Some just don't get it. We also have the problem of not being able to open up all the tills as we can't have till staff sitting back to back, which means a long queue on aisle four (2m apart, of course), which means i can't do any work on that aisle until the queue's gone down. It's a balancing act which is working or not in variable degrees.

 

[screenman]

I take a sprayer full of Hibiscrub with me and spray/soak the handle prior to touching, I was suprised at Tesco as they were sanitising trolley handles after they had been pushed around by the shoppers for a good while.

 

[screenman]

Yes, mornings are a peak time and whilst we're limiting the numbers in the store at anyone time, the shoppers do tend to all bulk together on aisle three or four... much like traffic does naturally. There's only so much we can do. The shoppers have to sort themselves out really. Some just don't get it. We also have the problem of not being able to open up all the tills as we can't have till staff sitting back to back, which means a long queue on aisle four (2m apart, of course), which means i can't do any work on that aisle until the queue's gone down. It's a balancing act which is working or not in variable degrees.

Out of interest, what time would you consider best for us to shop?

 

[Accy cyclist]

I'll mention it (you) to the checkouts to double check your bag for life .

I always make a point of tipping the bag up after emptying it,to show the check out staff i haven't nicked anything,by leaving an item or two in the bag.

 

[MontyVeda]

I take a sprayer full of Hibiscrub with me and spray/soak the handle prior to touching, I was suprised at Tesco as they were sanitising trolley handles after they had been pushed around by the shoppers for a good while.

We're trying to do that too... but with stock needing to be worked, shoppers needing to be served and not having the luxury of a full team in the store... it's not always possible to clean every handle after every use. But as said, wipes are available for customers to clean their own.

 

[MontyVeda]

Out of interest, what time would you consider best for us to shop?

I only work in the morning (6am - noon) and there's a queue outside all morning. It might get quieter in the mid/late afternoon, but I'm not there so i really don't know. However my local Iceland and Tesco are very quiet mid-late afternoon when i pop in to grab a few bits.

 

[vickster]

Inside sources say we have 3 more weeks of this then people's works will be phoning them all back in.

Not sure where your 3 weeks comes from given the financial measures for furlough and support for self employed last 3 months
We're all still working from home - as is everyone else I know pretty much (other than my SiL who works in a West End theatre and is now doing picking for online orders at Sainsbury's)

 

[screenman]

Tesco had 4 people on handle wiping, it just seemed to be in the wrong place.

Please be assured I am extremely grateful to the front line people like yourself MontyVeda, I cannot even start to imagine the stress you are under and if there is anything as shoppers you think we could do better please let us all know.

 

[Poacher]

Maybe use of trolleys is being preferred as a means of maintaining distance between shoppers?

 

[winjim]

I am glad you agree that the fewer times people venture out the less chance of this killer spreading. Even the very poor can lessen the need to go out, some people with mental problems maybe not so.

For information, that's now covered in the guidance.

Useful to know as I do use a nice walk or bike ride in the countryside to decompress as a coping mechanism for my autism, but we're lucky enough to live in a suburb on the edge of the city so really I only need to walk to the end of my road. Others may not be so fortunate so it's nice to see them taken into consideration.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

I've been to the supermarket twice in the last three weeks and found it quite stressful. At home I can control things and keep my wife shielded - I've moved a bed into the living room, we have separate bathrooms and everything coming into the house is disinfected by spraying or wiping down. At the supermarket I put nitrile gloves on when I go in (disposing of them in the bin by the door when I come out) and pull my cycling buff over my mouth and nose but it's other people who are the hazard. People who have no idea about keeping their distance, people who stop to chat with friends in the aisles and block them. I got snippy with one woman and her son at the cakes section because she was picking them all up, checking the date, then putting them back. I may have called her a farking muppet but it didn't stop her.

Back home it's a case of wiping down the shopping then sticking my clothes in the wash and showering.

How anyone can just nip out to the shops every day bewilders me.

OK, I might be going over the top but I'm not going to kill my wife by being careless.