Positivity puts people at ease

Lockdown meant avoiding meeting other people, for most of us.

For Chris Tafili-Reid, it has become his job.

The Queenstown hiking instructor found himself locked down in Blenheim, Marlborough, having stopped off on the way to a new job in Auckland.

He’s now working at the Spring Creek Four Square, greeting customers, directing them to hand sanitiser, and outlining the social distancing rules of shopping.

‘‘I just went: ‘Well, that’s the way it is.’ Instead of viewing it as a problem, I thought: ‘Can I be part of the solution?’ ’’ he said. ‘‘I’m on the door, but deemed the health and safety officer, so that’s the primary focus.’’

Stuff is celebrating the coronavirus champions – including supermarket staff like Tafili-Reid – who have been keeping New Zealand going through the lockdown.

Tafili-Reid wipes down trolley handles and ensures customers understand the rules about social distancing while they shop. ‘‘People here are pretty sensible. Most people bring their own gloves and masks and have their own hand sanitiser if they don’t use ours. ‘‘Most people are complying, though – that’s the main thing.’’ Tafili-Reid’s role as the first face people see when they enter the shop means he has daily interactions with those passing through.

‘‘It is quite a communal sense where people are trying to help each other out.’’

He’s grateful to have stepped into a team that already had an established sense of community.

‘‘You see some of the same faces. You can have a joke, have a laugh,’’ he said.

‘‘People, they’ve really settled into this. They see it was necessary and it was a great call by our leader, and we’ve done it all together.’’

Four Square owners Tommy Glubb and Casey Hilton-Pryor said their team has improvised and adapted to overcome the challenges posed by the lockdown.

They said Tafili-Reid has been a ‘‘positive, chirpy’’ face at the front door.

‘‘It’s given all the staff and our customers a huge peace of mind that there is someone there that is greeting them, giving them instruction on any of the rules,’’ Glubb said.

‘‘He puts a smile on people’s faces, makes them feel relaxed.’’

Hilton-Pryor said they had been ‘‘really lucky’’ with the local community.

‘‘Everyone has been quite positive and respectful and keen to learn the new processes,’’ she said.

BRYA INGRAM/STUFF Chris Tafili-Reid, who usually works as a tour guide, has been guiding customers through the safety processes governing a supermarket during lockdown.