At The Granite Place we put the highest value on our customers and employees. For that reason, we are approaching the Covid-19 situation with the greatest degree of caution we can without closing our doors to the outside world.
Customer Care Expectations
We are open 6 days a week, providing the best customer service in the business. Today, with the changes brought on by the deadly virus, providing excellent customer service means taking health precautions to protect the lives of our customers and employees. All of our employees wear face coverings when appropriate and in accordance with the City of Sarasota ordinance. We expect customers to wear face coverings while shopping with us, out of respect for other customers who may have underlying health issues and our employees who need to remain healthy to work and support their families.
At The Granite Place we don’t play politics. We are welcoming to everyone, regardless of their outlook on the world or political perspective. However, we feel that it is in the best interest of everyone right now to follow Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, including guidance pertaining to wearing face masks and maintaining social distance.
TGP Daily Measures
Some of the CDC recommended measures we are taking to protect the health of customers and employees include:
- We frequently wipe down and sanitize surfaces and high-touch areas throughout the day, as customers come and go. This includes frequent cleaning of restrooms and sanitizing door handles and doorknobs at least daily or between customer visits when feasible.
- We have briefed all of our employees on best practices for hand hygiene. In addition, we encourage employees to take periodic hand-washing breaks, especially after touching objects or surfaces handled or touched by customers or other employees.
- Further, we have asked employees to practice good hygiene at home as well, and to avoid touching elevator buttons, door handles, hand rails and other high-touch areas in public places. Employees also are aware of the need to frequently sanitize their mobile devices and to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer after handling money or another person’s mobile device.
- Hand sanitizer is available in several areas of the workplace for customers and employees when it is not practical to take a hand-washing break.
- Tissues and no-touch garbage bins are available in the office for customers and employees to use if needed.
- For the time-being, customers have been instructed not to initiate hand-shaking.
- Employees have been instructed to stay home and get tested for Covid-19 if they have any Covid-19 symptoms, and to self-quarantine if sick or while waiting for test results.
- Stationary work areas are placed at least 6 feet apart to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
- Our HVAC system is properly maintained in accordance with CDC guidance to maximize ventilation and air exchange with the outside. We have taken an additional step to improve our indoor air quality by installing ultraviolet (UV) lights in our HVAC system, a measure commonly used in hospital settings to eliminate mold, bacteria, and other microbes.
We are confident that employees are following the measures we have put in place because they care about the health and safety of customers and each other. We trust our employees to be honest and to care about protecting the health of the community.
In line with our new processes, if anyone is suspected to be sick or confirmed, we will clean and sanitize all equipment used by the employees, including forklifts, trucks, and any other areas where they work or take breaks. We intend to take the same steps and preventative measures to protect everyone in the workplace and our valued customers until the coronavirus is no longer a threat.
From our perspective, it makes sense to take the steps we are taking to protect the health and livelihoods of the people we work with every day, even if it costs a little extra to conduct business and even though some steps may be inconvenient or uncomfortable. It is worth it for us to know that we are doing our best to stay safe and that our customers can reliably feel safe and comfortable in our place of business.
