To be sick of companies using “because of Covid” by now?!

[Hotair1234]

Ok, light hearted (ish!) but seriously??

AIBU to think that 18 months on, three lockdowns, and a highly successful vaccine program then companies who are brazenly using “because of Covid” are now just doing it because it worked out better for them?!

Example: local bank reduced opening hours to 10-3 because of Covid! So customers had a smaller window to go in and therefore would be more densely together but staff costs were reduced and the bank saw this as public safety?

My latest sighting: Finally got back to the pool which I seriously missed during all the lockdowns - people dipping themselves in bleach, what could be cleaner but hey, that’s a different thread!

Have to schedule the time to arrive, no issue. Can’t go into the building until five minutes before your booking, ok with that. Did mean you then had to pass everyone leaving the pool down a narrow corridor, ok less impressed, but the clincher was getting out of the pool and, having long hair, headed straight to the showers to find they were all taped off - no showers, “because of Covid”!!!

A) they’re cubicles so literally separated, close every other one of it’s a genuine concern but B) you don’t want people to WASH in order to avoid Covid?! How’s that?!

Come on mumsnet, I’m sure there are other businesses who can put stupid that, help me feel sane again.....examples??

I think it's become embedded culturally for a lot of people, it's annoying though, I'm wondering how much longer we're going to have to single file 2 meters apart at school pickup too.

" just doing it because it worked out better for them?! "

You say that as if running a business during COVID-19 was a breeze and it's now just a case of seizing the convenience of reduced hours to implement changes.

Do you run a business?

Some people have clung on and survived. We're not out of the woods yet. Maybe the phased re opening has passed folk by who never changed their habits in the first place.

My point is - 18 months isn't enough to magically make everything right for all businesses. Some are keeping you safe.

@Ingridla

I think it's become embedded culturally for a lot of people, it's annoying though, I'm wondering how much longer we're going to have to single file 2 meters apart at school pickup too.

Maybe we're not out of the woods yet? It's not a case of "embedded culturally"

I'm waiting with my bingo card to tick off "some people never want this to end / want lockdown to continue forever"

I expect the bank’s reduced hours are to allow for more cleaning at the start and end of the day, smooth out any staffing issues from adults, children having symptoms and positive tests.

Yes that was what it was like when I visited a council run swimming pool. Funnily enough at the private one - no booking, stay as long as you want, showers and changing rooms open as normal ...

I'm sick to death of it!
GP won't see my 7 week old baby, who's been phlegmy since birth-because of covid.
I can't go into my 13 year olds orthodontist appointment, even though she does like dentists-because if covid.
My son has his ADHD clinic tomorrow, via video all and he needs his medication adjusting. I've got to get his height, weight and blood pressure done myself, as they aren't going the clinic in person-because of covid.
My toddlers two year review is being done over the phone and I wanted them to see her-baca use it covid.
No baby weigh in clinic-because go covid.
Haven't yet been able to register baby's birth-because of covid.
Nephews counselling is still over the Phone, he's requested face to face as he opens up better, but no-because of covid.
It's really starting to piss me off now.

A lot of the cafes around here are opening shorter hours 'because of Covid' and I actually think that's fine. They have just opened up after many months, they need to start slowly, get the staff back into the swing of it etc. And there's still lots of rules surrounding social distancing and hygiene whether you like it or not.

We are majorly under head count in customer service where I work. This is because the company made a decision to freeze recruitment last year because they didn’t want to hire people then make the redundant if they business went downhill. Which you can understand. They are bid recruiting again but it takes a while to see the impact.

I think we need to give companies a bit of slack, it’s been such an unpredictable time and I think the majority of them are trying to do their best for their staff and customers.

@Hopdathelf

I expect the bank’s reduced hours are to allow for more cleaning at the start and end of the day, smooth out any staffing issues from adults, children having symptoms and positive tests.

Yes, the cleaning still goes on, that hasn't stopped yet. It all takes extra time.

I agree OP. Yeah there are a lot of companies that needed to adapt but things run by the council should be getting back to normal. My local dump started making it so that you had to book appointments. Even though it's pretty much open air and they also made it so staff couldn't help you anymore. Fair enough but why is it still appointment only? Tradespeople are struggling to get places and I have two dump runs I need to do but can't get a slot booked. Bloody ridiculous.

This is really really getting on my nerves too. Just taking advantage of covid. For chronically bad customer service basically.

Plus....Sorry for the delay .... we have staff working at home. That's why it's taken you days and days to get back to me?

And yet on all the threads where staff want to stay at home and not go back to the office, Many posters insist they are just as productive. I think not.

Hopefully if all goes to plan it won't be too much longer. I think most places are doing what they can to keep customers safe, and more importantly their own staff safe.

@Ingridla

I think it's become embedded culturally for a lot of people, it's annoying though, I'm wondering how much longer we're going to have to single file 2 meters apart at school pickup too.

Possibly when staff aren't still ending up in hospital with Covid?

The bank thing is really irritating me.
My partner and I are moving soon, and we need to go and set up a joint bank account.. I've done the first bit of making the account but you need to go into branch to make it joint..

They're open 9-3 which is fab..Unless you work full time like my partner does..
And they've taken away the saturday opening =/

I just feel like they should either offer all of their services online or be open at least a little bit out of standard working hours (the 9-1 on Saturdays used to work fine)

We went out yesterday to a seaside town; parking in the town is limited so there are several park and ride sites. The (free) toilets at these sites have been closed for over a year now ‘because of COVID’, however the (paid) ones in the town centre are still open. I have no issues paying at all, but both sites and toilets are owned/operated by the same council, why is one safe but not the other? And as I’m paying, I’d appreciate if those toilets had soap and working hand dryers as it’s important to be able to wash hands to reduce the risk of spreading infections.

I work in a factory.

I think some people need to remember that in jobs like mine, where we cannot work from home, if we catch Covid or even just come into contact with a positive case then that's it, we are down staff members for 2 weeks. And if multiple people get Covid at once it's even worse. We had 20% of staff off at one point in January when we had an outbreak and we are still trying to catch up. It's skilled manual work too so it's not just a case of easily getting temp staff in.

And then there is the issue of getting the materials, some of which are imported and have had big delays due to the border situations.

Some businesses are taking the piss a bit but it would be nice to have a bit of understanding of the realities of the situation.

This thread is pretty goady. There are a million reasons why businesses are continuing to suffer and struggle. Fine to be annoyed like we all are, but many of us running businesses during covid, have faced genuine hardship and suffering. There’s absolutely nothing about the covid restrictions that have been convenient. We continue to have a responsibility towards our staff and our employees and life is still far from normal.

How is it goady?
Some peoples taking advantage of a situation is obvious.
I too have worked throughout. But that doesn't stop me from having the ability to see that many have taken advantage.

@Summerfun54321

This thread is pretty goady. There are a million reasons why businesses are continuing to suffer and struggle. Fine to be annoyed like we all are, but many of us running businesses during covid, have faced genuine hardship and suffering. There’s absolutely nothing about the covid restrictions that have been convenient. We continue to have a responsibility towards our staff and our employees and life is still far from normal.

Yes, I think you would have to actually work at one of the places to know why things are as they are. I mean the public loo thing, I expect the length of time needed to clean a public loo to requirements during a pandemic mean that the same staff can clean fewer loos, so some can't open. I could imagine the uproar if there were dirty loos and Covid.

But also was cleaning not a thing pre Covid? Surely we were all vulnerable to flu and other viruses (norovirus for one) so things had to be and were cleaned?

Some peoples taking advantage of a situation is obvious.

@Oblomov21 assuming you work at one of these companies. I’d love to hear a positive story first hand about how offering a reduced service to your customers and being responsible for the welfare of employees and customers during a pandemic has benefitted you?

You are right OP. And then these businesses with shitty service wonder why the internet giants are doing so well. It’s like the pandemic never happened for those businesses who actually doubled down on service during this time.
The crappy ones making excuses the start to blame efficient competitors taking market share from them.

@Summerfun54321

This thread is pretty goady. There are a million reasons why businesses are continuing to suffer and struggle. Fine to be annoyed like we all are, but many of us running businesses during covid, have faced genuine hardship and suffering. There’s absolutely nothing about the covid restrictions that have been convenient. We continue to have a responsibility towards our staff and our employees and life is still far from normal.

Yet some businesses raised their game during this time. So it’s not goady, just true.

YANBU. Yes, some businesses need to adapt which causes sometimes unwelcome changes, but there's a whole heap that are using it as an excuse to cut customer service and hide it behind a sanctimonious "It's for your own good you know".

My money goes to businesses that haven't cut their standards. Amazing how many of them can still open normal hours and operate normally with a bit of effort, which rather blows a hole in the argument of the others.

YANBU for any service provided virtually or remotely. In some cases, reasonable for face to face services being limited or restricted, but by no means all.

Banks, Ryanair, BT top my list who are just making excuses.