No handshakes, but couriers will carry on
Two weeks ago, a courier company boss was telling his contracted staff to always shake hands with every customer. At this week’s health and safety meeting, the policy had changed slightly for Nelson-based courier, furniture removal and freight company Van And A Man.
‘‘This morning I was going, ‘Take absolutely no notice of what I told you’. It’s interesting how we’ve gone from, ‘I want you to be friendly and introduce yourself’ to just looking from a distance and saying hi,’’ owner Ali Granger said.
‘‘It’s a big change, but it is good that we’re doing it.’’
Granger’s efforts to keep staff and customers out of harm’s way are no different from those of larger courier companies around the country.
However as a small, independent business employing between 10 and 14 people, he said he was fully aware of the consequences of ignoring com- mon sense and govern- ment advice.
‘‘If I lost four or five guys, my business would be booming today and absolutely screwed tomorrow – I wouldn’t know how I’d move six house loads with just me and another person.
‘‘I need my guys healthy and able to work, and they need to continue being healthy, too, because if they aren’t working, they won’t be able to make any money.’’
Granger said his company had so far adhered to measures to manage the spread of coronavirus, including supplying sanitiser and reminders to wash hands.
With jobs taking staff around the South Island and occasionally across Cook Strait, he was also taking measures to manage the workload, including no new bookings this week unless in a ‘‘super-emergency’’, and pushing some jobs out to next week where possible.
Chief executive of Aramex New Zealand, formerly Fastway Couriers, Scott Jenyns, said it was following the Ministry of Health’s advisory information, including increased hygiene measures and obeying the two-metre social distancing rule. Administration and support staff had been offered the opportunity to work from home.
Like other courier companies, such as NZ Post, New Zealand Aramex had temporarily changed its delivery procedures so that customers did not need to sign for their deliveries, Jenyns said.
For deliveries requiring an authorised signature, couriers would take a photo as proof of delivery and leave the parcel in a secure place, he said. If this was not possible, the parcel would be available for collection at a depot.
Jenyns said there were no new restrictions on items or types of packages that couriers would accept or deliver at this stage.
‘‘We haven’t seen any significant drop-off in parcel movements. Domestic delivery isn’t disrupted, but internationally, due to air transportation, there is some logistic issues, but this hasn’t had too much of an impact yet.’’
‘‘I need my guys healthy and able to work.’’ Ali Granger, Van And A Man