Using covid as an excuse

[Lockdowner13]

So many local businesses are using covid as an excuse. An example being a local nursery that was Due to open in summer.

I was in waiting list. I chased and chased and chased. Finally I got the answer “it might open in 2021 but we can’t tell you exactly when”

They didn’t even have the courtesy to email us waiting parents.

Meanwhile the nursery shell is finished, it sits empty with the finishing touches (paint, carpet, furniture etc). There are no trades people working there. It’s literally stopped.

Covid is NOT an excuse for poor communication.

This is the second time this has happened to me. I’m finding that businesses are using covid as an excuse for poor service, poor communication and nobody wants to think outside the box anymore.

It's happening everywhere sadly and its infuriating. Myself and a few friends have taken to playing a light-hearted game of noting when places use covid as an excuse for not real reason.

I'm sorry for their lack of communication, it must be incredibly frustrating. Do you have another nursery option?

Yeah I do have another option. It’s incredibly frustrating. Life is moving on in terms of education and childcare. They have no excuse.

I’m starting to think some companies don’t want to get back to normal. I think some people have enjoyed the slower pace of life and government handouts. There is no incentive to get back to eat things were.

I get your frustration, but I really don't think any place is enjoying not going back to normal. For a start, I don't think nursery can survive without children attending, so, I really don't think they are happily keeping finished nursery shell empty.

Do you have any idea what goes into running a Business? I'm assuming from your post that's a big fat NO.

Yes their communication could have been better & there's no excuse for that, but COVID is a REASON, not an excuse that many businesses can't afford to be open.

Errr yes I do. My other half runs a business and has had a tough time during covid. He’s been able to adapt and always keeps client up to date with delays. It’s really not that hard.

Have you posted about this before? It seems very familiar, even the wording.

But Covid is a reason. I’ve had to delay some of my programmes this year due to Covid. We’ve also had to cancel several things due to covid. Many people have. Just because your partner has managed to adapt it doesn’t mean every organisation is the same.

If the nursery is complete apart from the finishing touches, then something has happened to stop that being completed. Likely, covid impacting the owner’s expenses. To build a nursery from scratch, requires a lot of upfront capital. Actually getting children to attend will start making in a dent in the expenses incurred so far. So not opening as a result of covid isn’t something they are likely choosing. Their lack of communication is probably due to the fact that they have no resource and working out how to open the nursery is the priority.

I’m starting to think some companies don’t want to get back to normal. I think some people have enjoyed the slower pace of life and government handouts. There is no incentive to get back to eat things were.

Oh yes, because a relatively recession proof industry (if people are working, they need childcare) not being opened is people taking the slower pace. You know the owner won’t be getting handouts for this nursery? It’s not even open, self employed people struggled to get assistance if they didn’t have enough time working self employed.

@Lockdowner13

So many local businesses are using covid as an excuse. An example being a local nursery that was Due to open in summer.

I was in waiting list. I chased and chased and chased. Finally I got the answer “it might open in 2021 but we can’t tell you exactly when”

They didn’t even have the courtesy to email us waiting parents.

Meanwhile the nursery shell is finished, it sits empty with the finishing touches (paint, carpet, furniture etc). There are no trades people working there. It’s literally stopped.

Covid is NOT an excuse for poor communication.

This is the second time this has happened to me. I’m finding that businesses are using covid as an excuse for poor service, poor communication and nobody wants to think outside the box anymore.

Covid is not an excuse for poor communication that’s true, but how can you think they are using it as an excuse to close down their livelihoods 🤦‍♀️ It’s not like many of them even have any other options but to close. An example for some private nurseries is that a lot run on private funds (children who don’t qualify for free hours) and some parents aren’t sending their babies or toddlers to nursery now so they have no option but to close, as not all can afford to fully open.

Also how do you want them to “think outside the box?” Like I said they should still email and communicate but they can’t be held responsible for the Covid situation that’s affected so many businesses

Afraid I’d have to second what the other poster said about you perhaps not understanding the ins and outs. You dp May well run a business but unless he runs that specific nursery, you’ve no idea what’s going on.
I run a small business and Covid has massively impacted me without it being in ways that are at all obvious I imagine to customers.

Many factories are having to have fewer staff per shift in order to socially distance, meaning there’s less stock available for my industry and so many supplies I need are not available to purchase. Other suppliers are slow or badly stocked or are not as prompt with responding to emails because they have staff off self isolating etc etc etc.

None of my customers are going to be aware of any of that. They might assume if I am shipping a day later than usual or haven’t emailed back, or I haven’t restocked my own website when they want to order (because I’m concerned about taking on orders I may not be able to fulfil without issues) I’m being lazy and using Covid as an excuse. In fact I’ve probably been up all night crying and stressing about not being able to get the right size of cardboard boxes until I pay five times my usual price and ship them over from Germany, paying custom fees and waiting for them to arrive etc etc etc.

Just pointing out that you may not know the full picture so while I’m sure a small minority of people will look for excuses to be lazy, I’m sad for you that you assume so many businesses are just gagging to use a pandemic as ‘an excuse’.

Don’t remember posting about this before. As I mentioned this has happened to me previously. That example being an after school/holiday club not opening as it was meant to in the summer holiday. It’s been delayed time and time again. There is no excuse at all. There’s nothing to build, kids are still going to school this term, if they just opened they would get an influx of money.

The nursery in question is part of a larger chain so I doubt money Is an issue in the same way as some of these independent nurseries.

You are not being unreasonable about expecting better communication.

Whenever they do manage to open, they will need paying parents. Those who need childcare before they open will go elsewhere whatever they say about the revised opening plan. But some might hang on if they understand what is happening

I can see why it could be more sensible to defer opening until a time when you can expect to remain open, rather than being stop,start when you are barely established and possibly not immediately full.

But I can't see why that is any excuse for poor communication.

Think outside the box. It's childcare. What do you want them to do, a catalogue order? A home delivery service?

It isn’t an excuse for the communication, but if you are starting a nursery now, stopping it after just building the shell makes perfect sense. It’s likely to cost less money than just carry on and opening in this climate.

It’s tough enough for established nurseries already turning a small profit to keep afloat at the moment without trying to start a completely new business.

How bad are you going to feel if you find out that your main contact at the nursery is poorly or bereaved (or dead) and hasn't been in touch for that reason?

Yup. Its all back to 1978, shirking and complaining about how the handouts for sitting on your arse aren't big enough. Not helped by Andy Burnham bleating about the money, rather than the restrictions. Bin the damn lockdowns, make contact tracing work.

they just opened they would get an influx of money.

Tbf if they could insist on payment up front and no refunds for the nursery being closed, or children being sent home with symptoms of to isolate, it might be worth opening.

I’m not sure I see that many new parents taking a chance though.

Tootletum - my phone’s predictive texting suggested Too Tory I Am for your name. Totally adequate and now I forgot what I meant to say. You sound like you need a cup of tea & a biscuit, you’re a bit worked up.

These are large companies, multiple sites in our local area. They don’t just have one contact there are multiple people involved.

By think outside the box, I do not mean change career I mean for example, the holiday club would be allowed to use the local church hall whilst setting up the school site. But they won’t, they know about it, they just chose to extend deadlines but not give a definite date for opening.

Covid is an excellent excuse for poor communication if the communication staff aren't working.
If there is no income, and employees are furloughed as a result, then no one is working.

I suppose my point is, why would they be furloughed? We are supposed to be getting back to normal. People need childcare. I’m still working 9-5.

I can understand some jobs: eg theatres are closed for now, furlough the theatre workers. As far as I know childcare and education is still going! Yes there are some people that have lost jobs etc and perhaps they don’t need childcare. I’m pretty sure demand has not gone down that much round here.

How will parents get a new job I’d there’s no one to care for kids?

You are working 9-5. Loads of people in the entertainment industry, in tourism, in catering, food, events etc have lost their jobs. Bloody hell have you been living under a rock or something?

Plus, with many parents working from home, many have decided to not use before and after school clubs, which leaves childcare provided with a big income gap.

Ime the local council is the biggest offender. I live in an extremely low-incidence Covid area (TOUCH WOOD!!) but from the council’s actions you would have thought a meteor had hit the earth and we were in the final scenes of an apocalypse. A particularly peculiar act (now revoked) was closing car parks “because of Covid”. Just why?!?

He’s been able to adapt and always keeps client up to date with delays. It’s really not that hard

Bully for him that he had it so easy

Lots of places using it as an excuse - for example there is a great difference in how cafes and restaurants have reacted. Some never opened, others removed most of their menu, one chain even removed its children's menu, some terribly rude and awful service, others have been great. You get the feeling some just don't want to run a business.