A huge leap of faith was taken by Aroma Patisserie in closing for seven weeks, requiring redesigning the shop to accommodate these issues, having only recently refurbished the entire premises, incurring more costs. Upon approaching the premises, it is clear from the notices at the entrance, that this establishment is taking every precaution and to be as informative as possible to the passing public and of course to their returning customers, who must get used to only two people served at any one time. A perspex barrier has been installed to avoid close contact with customers and more rigorous cleaning and sanitising is taking place within the shop. The owners have taken on a huge task but have accepted that this is the way forward, by following Government guidelines for the safety of us all.
Once the premises had been restructured and reorganised to accommodate both a takeaway and delivery service, a signage company was commissioned to create all the necessary artwork to enforce the social distancing message, floor markings, and notices to customers showing what 2m apart looks like to encourage them to follow the new government guidelines. Andreas and Maria took a good look at the list of all their staff members to see whom they would be calling in to carry out the necessary jobs, first taking into consideration who may be at risk and secondarily, how far the employees live from the premises and whether they commute with their own car or take public transport. A decisive factor in devising this list was that the members of staff that live near, or have their own car, be the best option to resume their duties at work in order to safeguard them from travelling with public transport where they could be exposed to congestion and thus be at risk; these precautions were taken by Aroma Patisserie due to the nature of dealing with foodstuffs.
Once the list was composed, their next step was to give the newly returning staff an induction on the recently refurbished premises and how the processes deferred from pre-lockdown, especially focusing on safeguarding health and safety and the wellbeing of themselves and their customers. The ever important issue is hygiene, which has really been stepped up – hands must be washed regularly, the returning staff were provided with hand sanitisers, anti-viral hand gel, gloves and masks in ample supply, with the instructions and training briefings on their correct usage, since both can be ineffective if used inappropriately. They were also advised that even amongst each other and wherever possible, to keep two metres distance to reduce risk further. Also, it was stressed to the staff that social distancing must be kept among themselves on communal areas, canteen and kitchen.
Aroma have adopted a flexi work pattern for the returning staff; hours have been drawn up based on working hours required for each of the returning staff to complete their specific output and the three areas of the organisation can function at different times, especially now that the eat-in area is closed to the public, providing a greater distance between the staff. Thus, each staff member’s skill is allocated to a area to make use of the space previously taken by queuing customers. It is also the responsibility of each staff member to clean the area that they are allocated to and this is done on a regular basis.
The staff have been inducted to share the responsibility with customers by reminding them of the proper way to conduct themselves in their premises, making sure there is plenty of ventilation, but given the recent weather, this has been a welcomed change. Making sure customers comply with all the details set out by the government guidelines is obviously a challenge for them – having to tell customers used to a certain way of interacting is difficult, however it is helping Aroma organise and prepare themselves and ensure that customers are being served at a pace that guarantees that the procedures are followed.
They are very clear that waiting times are not the priority and although the customer may not be too happy about this short term, long term it is potentially saving their own lives or those close to them. Aroma have been following the guides to a T- we’ve witnessed them reminding customers to look at the floor signs, look ahead and not on the phone, staying two metres apart and as a further precaution, only two people in the premises to be served at any time.
The procedures have been maintained since Aroma’s re-opening and it is imperative that the management stay on top, monitoring these issues on a regular basis, and not to allow for the staff to be complacent and drop the bar so to speak. It is completely understandable just how tiring it can be, as although this pandemic has inadvertently reduced Aroma’s opening hours, the hours of work have increased, working harder to keep on top of all these measures, with staff, customers, and in keeping the quality of produce the brand is known to produce, but it is clear to see that Aroma are an example of how to prioritise safety over sales and people over profit.
