the pandemic isn’t over

Customer Service And Mask Wearing

I continue to wear masks
as I can’t afford to be ill.

Whenever I shop or dine out
or do anything,
I prefer to deal
with mask-wearing people.

I am, for example,
much more likely
to enter a store
if I see at least one person
wearing a mask.

Yes, there are scared
and angry people
who are set off
by people wearing masks.

But there are also
plenty of people
who prefer to deal with
mask wearers.

They feel mask wearers
are safer,
more inclusive,
more accepting people.

Consider having at the very least
one mask wearer on your staff
and then protect that person.

Create COVID-Safe Spaces

I recently took a cruise.
A loved one and I
were two of very few people
on board
who masked.

(Yes, COVID ripped through the ship
and yes, many people disembarked
looking dreadfully ill.)

Early in the first day,
we approached
the maître d’
of the main restaurant
and requested a socially distanced table.

There were a few of these tables
in the restaurant.
They weren’t located
in great places.
They were tucked in corners
and against walls
and under super strong air vents.

The maître d’ had already
assigned these tables
to less ‘particular’ guests,
guests he figured
would be less likely to complain.

He DID find us
a socially distanced table
but it was a premium table
with a table left empty
beside it.

It would have been
much more efficient
and better for everyone
if he had simply saved
a couple socially distanced tables
for the COVID cautious.
I would have loved
the super strong air vents
other patrons found irritating.

COVID safe spaces
can be spaces
no other customers want.

You can make
BOTH sets of customers
happy
by providing them.

Beauty And Safety

One of my social media friends
loves the KN95 masks
offered by KAZE.

They’re absolutely beautiful,
come in a variety of colors
and…
they help protect her
from COVID, RSV,
Bird Flu
and the other sh*t
floating around.

She can be fashionable
AND safe.

KAZE is a business
that boomed
during the pandemic.

What other people
saw as a medical necessity
the founders of KAZE
saw as potential luxury good.

There are plenty
of products
we don’t yet know
we need.

Supply one of them.

Time Sensitive Tasks First

A close contact had COVID.

I knew I would soon catch it
(for the second time – sigh)
so I organized my list of
must-complete tasks
by due date
and completed them
as quickly as possible.

I was fortunate
because I knew about
the close contact catching COVID.

But we should be now
organizing our tasks
this way ALL the time.

Because this is
the f*cked up world
we’re currently living in.

Any of us
could catch COVID
tomorrow
and be horribly ill
for two weeks,
four weeks.
forever.

Organize your essential tasks
by due date
and then
get ‘er done!

Supply Masks And Testing For Employees

A loved one’s employer
has stopped supplying
masks and COVID test kits
to everyone
EXCEPT senior executives.

Their reasoning was
very few people
were using the masks
and the test kits.

Which is sh*t logic.
If not many people
were using them,
then it wouldn’t cost much
to continue the program.

And the company could continue
to say
they were supplying
the masks and test kits,
which would make
every employee
feel valued
and cared for.

If your employees
care about masks and test kits,
supplying them
makes them feel cared for
AND
it keeps everyone
a bit safer.

If your employees
don’t care about masks and test kits,
supplying them
costs very little
AND
it makes employees
feel like you care about them.

If you can afford it,
supply masks and test kits.
It will differentiate your business
to prospective employees.

COVID And Climate Change And Building A Business

I will be talking
quite a bit about the impacts
of COVID and climate change
on this blog
because
…well…
these events will eventually
impact every aspect
of the businesses
we’re building.

And not many people
are talking about
either of these events
because it upsets
the people
who don’t believe in them.

These events
don’t care
about our beliefs.
They will happen
whether we believe in them
or not.

If we want our businesses
to be successful,
if we want to survive
these events,
we should prepare
for them.

Like allowing for extra shipping times
during this upcoming holiday season.

Order products
before you desperately need them.

Send products
to customers as quickly as possible.

Urge in your marketing materials
for customers to order
your products
as soon as possible
(November instead of December).

Work on making the turnaround time
between orders and shipping
shorter.

Climate change and COVID
will impact our businesses.
Plan for that.

A Mask-Wearing Day

Many stores have slower days
in the week.
Businesses will often have
‘Senior Days’ or ‘Kids Days’
during those times
to appeal to
a specific target market.

Considered hosting
a ‘Mask-Wearing Day.’
Everyone,
staff and patrons,
have to be wearing masks.

This allows the
immune-compromised
(which now includes
anyone who had COVID)
and the careful
a safe place to shop.

And it will differentiate
your business.

If you don’t want to host this
for an entire day,
consider reducing it
to a couple of hours.

People WILL notice.
It is an easy
and considerate way
to differentiate your business.