Not your normal Corona Virus letter
I wanted to share with you how we, at Mobelli, are tackling the Corona pandemic currently gripping the world.
In the past few days we have been in contact with our colleagues in China and Italy and have amassed a wealth of knowledge of what may come our way. We have shared it with our staff and would like to share it with you too.
Our aim is to protect our staff and our customers and guide our business through these tough times.
We continually educate all of our staff how to behave in this new era of social etiquette and in the benefits of social distancing. We must also spread the message in the wider community.
We truly believe in social distancing as a way to limit the spread of the virus and as such we have instituted for a policy of remote working for most of our staff members. All of our marketing, accounts, admin and outbound sales people will be able to work from home starting tomorrow.
We realise that you may also practice social distancing and so we made shopping from home easy. Please use one of these methods:
1. Call your account manager. Our VOIP technology will ensure they will answer their phone wherever they are.
2. Use a WhatsApp video call to see products and be taken on a virtual tour of the showroom.
3. Visit our website. We have extended our live chat functionality and when you use it you will find a real human is there to help you.
To make sure that you are 100% comfortable with your online purchase, we now offer free returns if you find that the product is not to your liking. Please look at the T&C’s for more information.
Clearly, as a retail operation, not all of our staff can work remotely and we are keeping our stores open with strict hygiene guidelines, whether at work or at home, which are detailed below.
We have asked our staff to limit physical contact with other humans. Our greeting is now in “Wi-Fi” mode which means that no one touches anyone. We do not encourage the presidential elbow greeting.
Hand sanitisers are placed around the showrooms for use by all. If the last few days are any indication, all customers embrace sterilizing their hands at any opportunity
I’m happy to see that our staff are getting in the habit of washing their hands hourly as well as each time they interact with objects out of their environment. All in the hope of not contaminating themselves, our customers and the environment.
We discourage our staff from touching their mouth, eyes and nose and have provided tissues in case the need should arise. Staff are encouraged to only cough into tissue paper, dispose of it and then wash their hands. We ask them to not cough into their elbows
All surfaces where we work and interact with people are wiped down with disinfectant at least hourly and after a client has been tended to, this includes credit card terminals. Hand sanitizers are available for you to clean your hands after interacting with our products and staff.
The few staff who use public transport are requested to bring non travel clothing to change into when they arrive at work. They are also given latex examination gloves for their public transport trips which they dispose of when arriving at work
We believe that even behind the scenes our commitment for safety must be 100%. We amended the assembly and delivery process for extra precaution. Each time a staff member touches your furniture he does so with a fresh pair of gloves. You can also request that the delivery team leave your furniture outside if you would prefer them not to enter your home.
If you regularly wipe down your furniture, I’d like to remind you that that wicker and illuminated furniture DO NOT LIKE ammonia based cleaner (such as Handy Andy). Ammonia based products will age this furniture prematurely.
On the other hand, most of our outdoor items with fabric upholstery are made from acrylic which is even resistant to bleach – in line with our philosophy of hassle-free living. Please check with us if you are unsure of the material your Mobelli outdoor cushions are made of.
I once asked my then 92-year-old grandpa how he dealt with disease when my mother was a baby. This was in 1942 and modern medication was unavailable. He calmly said – “When she was sick, we placed her outside in the fresh air and let her get some sun. This usually did the trick”.
It is widely reported in the media that the virus does not survive long in high UV conditions which means the safest place in the home is outdoors. As a Mobelli customer you probably already have outdoor furniture and we encourage you to spend more time outside with your family.
We strongly believe that social distancing is the best course of action for our society. It will help prevent an imposed quarantine by the government and save the economy. Grab the opportunity and spend time with your family. Get some board and card games. Make up new rituals and connect with each other. Breathe deeply and laugh loudly. The past few days at my home showed this is possible.
Making the most of your previous Mobelli purchase means that you can experience social distancing at home in a comfortable and pleasant manner.
It is important to support all of our local businesses. We need to keep people employed so they can eat. With that in mind we have accelerated our development and production of local products.
I know that together as a society we will overcome this disaster and my hope is that South Africans will learn from the mistakes of the Italians, Americans and Spanish and heed the warning to stay home for a while.
Stay positive, Remain negative.
Alon Sachs
Co-Founder Mobelli.
Watch what we are physically doing to make our showroom clean and safe spaces.
