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By Nicola Hutchison on 28 Oct 2020

How we’re keeping you and G&M safe through COVID


COVID OPERATIONAL UPDATE JANUARY 2021

Locky D again eh! Gillies and Mackay will continue to operate meaning we will still be building, delivering, assembling, and conducting Home (Garden) Visits with COVID protocol in place. Read more below.

*UPDATE* Our Show Area is currently CLOSED and re-opens on week commencing 26th April. We’re following strict COVID protocol to keep you and the staff safe. You MUST book in for an appointment before visiting us.

BOOK APPOINTMENT HERE

Contact us at: info@gilliesandmackay.com

COVID! You’re sick of hearing about it. And trust us, we’re sick of talking about it. We’re all on the same page when it comes to COVID.

But, it looks like it’s going to be with us for the foreseeable, so we may as well get on with it and let you know how we’re making sure that you feel safe and confident before you visit us, or we visit you. 

If you’re from a high risk area (we’re looking at you central belters), shielding away from the world or just don’t feel quite ready to roll out of your wee bubble – dinnae worry! 

We’ll make sure you get to fulfil those #Sheddie dreams. Just let us know choose phone consultation when you book the appointment, or request a video call via email and we’ll get that set up for you.

Similarly, if guidance changes and our joiner’s do not feel confident in delivering to or attending your site visit in a high risk area we will be in touch to reschedule your date.

As always, following the government guidelines, please wear a mask and follow 2m distancing at all times. Our guidelines will be subject to change in line with government advice. If there are any drastic changes, such as we need to close Gillies and Mackay, we will personally get in touch with you to let you know what is happening and keep you updated.

Fingers crossed it doesn’t come down to that and we can all go about our sheddie business, full health in tact ♥️

We’ll cover the following areas here:

  • Attending a Gillies and Mackay appointment
  • Covid procedures on delivery day
  • Covid procedures when we do a site visit
  • Covid procedures on a Snag visit

What to expect when attending a Gillies & Mackay appointment?

We’ve set up the appointment system at Gillies and Mackay to control how many people come to the show area. 

Before all this we could have 5-6 people turn up at any one time. COVID isn’t having any of this, so we’ve changed the rules.

It takes a little more effort to organise on our part, but we think it works out better. We get more one on one time with your beautiful faces (albeit they are hidden behind a mask). And we get more time to answer all your sheddie questions.

Each appointment is 30 minutes long and you will be the only customers in the show area during your appointment. You tend to spend the first 15 minutes browsing the show area and the final 15 minutes getting answers to all your questions or placing your order.

What does the journey look like?

When you first get to the show area you’ll be met with a sign with hand sanitiser on top. Please wait there until one of our shed experts comes to greet you. In the meantime, get yourself set up with your masks on and sanitised up.

Once we’ve greeted you and had an intro chat, you’re welcome to browse the show area and enter the buildings. If you need a breather from your mask you’re welcome to whilst you are out in the show area. We’ll leave you to have a look around.

When you’re ready to discuss your sheddie needs further, head into the sales office. Please wear your mask in here and we will be wearing ours. There are seats set up at the back of the office for you, 2m distancing in place and we’ll keep the doors wide open.

COVID sales office

On leaving, there is sanitiser available outside the office. 

On your appointment, please be aware of the time as others may be waiting to get in after you. 

Masks: Check

2m distancing: Check

Sanitising: Check

If you feel unwell, have tested positive for Coronavirus or are awaiting results please cancel your appointment and reschedule when you are in the clear. Gillies and Mackay have high risk employees and we hope that you can respect that we don’t want to put them in danger.

COVID procedures on delivery day

Oh the most exciting day of the year!

It’s shed delivery day.

We know you’ll be eager to have a nosey chat with deliverer’s, offer them cups of all sorts and get right into your building when they leave.

However, we canny be doing that anymore with the COVID around. I know it’s such a spoilsport. 

What should you do on delivery day?

On delivery day, please avoid contact with the deliverer to keep you ALL safe. The deliverer’s will pop you a call on the day of your delivery to let you know when they will be with you and the COVID procedures.

When the deliverer’s are on site:

  • Do not go out to chat to them
  • Do not enter the building
  • If you need to show them where you’d like your building positioned – please do so outside, 2m distancing, with a mask on.

If there is anything the deliverer’s need to know prior to your delivery, please pop us an email with the details and we will pass it on to them. You can also let them know when they call you.

Things such as:

  • Where it’s best for them to park
  • Any site access information they might need to know
  • Position of your building 

Once your building is completed, the guys will wipe down and sanitise all surfaces they have handled and be on their way. 

Please leave your building for 24 Hours before getting stuck in. If you need to ask us any questions about your building, pop us an email and we’ll be happy to help you 🙂

The next day, you can start living out your full shed life.

shed delivery

COVID procedures on a home visit…

Sometimes we’ll need to organise a home visit in order to get a better understanding of your site/garden or to discuss options. We may need to show and explain things and you may also have to point us in the right direction too so we’re all on the same page.

We’d prefer to grab as much information as we can before the home visits so the joiner’s can pop in and know exactly what they are looking for and what to note and they are in and out.  But sometimes that isn’t possible.

Before the joiner’s head to you they will:

  • Make sure they have masks available for your visit
  • Have wipes and sanitiser available
  • Wipe down and sanitise communal tools and their van
  • Will call you and ask:
    • If you or your household are symptomatic
    • Let you know t when they arrive rather than go to your door

On arrival the joiners will:

  • Put a new mask on
  • Sanitise
  • Call you to let you know of their arrival

On site procedures

If you feel you need to chat with the joiner’s to discuss your project and map out and show them what it is you are looking for, please follow these procedures:

  • Only chat to the joiner’s outside
  • Please remain 2m’s apart
  • Please wear a mask
  • The joiner’s will take any relevant images they will need to help communicate this back to the sales team.

On leaving:

  • The joiner’s will wipe down and sanitise any surfaces they have touched – such as gate handles.

COVID procedures on a Repair Visit…

The same procedures apply if we’re visiting you for a Repair. If you can email us as much info as possible and send us images, we’ll organise to come visit you to rectify the issue.

You do not need to be around to chat with the joiner.

Before the joiner’s head to you they will:

  • Make sure they have masks available for your visit
  • Have wipes and sanitiser available
  • Wipe down and sanitise communal tools and their van
  • Will call you and ask:
    • If you or your household are symptomatic
    • Let you know when they arrive rather than go to your door
    • Please make sure they have access to your building prior to their arrival

On arrival the joiners will:

  • Put a new mask on
  • Sanitise
  • Call you to let you know of their arrival

On Site procedures:

You do not need to go out to speak to the joiner’s. They will call you whilst there if they need any issues clarified.

Please do not go into the building whilst they are working.

On Leaving:

  • The Joiner’s will wipe down all touchpoints in your building
  • They will wipe down any external touchpoints such as gate handles
  • They will call you to let you know they are leaving
  • DO NOT touch or enter your building for at least 24hrs after the joiner’s depart

Please note: If you are in a high risk area and the joiner’s do not feel comfortable coming out, we will have to re-arrange your site visit. Equally, if you do not feel comfortable with the joiner coming to you, please let us know and we’ll continue communicating with you to work something out.

Thanks for helping us keep everybody safe…

We hope that puts you more at ease at how we operate with COVID but if you do have concerns, please get in touch.

There are plenty of ways to communicate with us: over phone, by email (preferably), video calls, sending photos, sending videos. We’re up for anything if it makes things easier and safer for you.
Thank you for your patience and following the guidelines when you are with us and let’s hope we’re out of this sooner rather than later! By god do we miss REAL HUGS but for now, here’s a virtual hug from us.

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