26th March 2020
Following the government statement on stricter lockdown measures, we have been working hard to clarify the level of service we need to provide in order to support keyworkers and essential industries, whilst keeping the safety of our staff and customers as our top priority.
For the next three weeks, or until otherwise advised by the Government, our service will only be provided to identified key workers and those needing their vehicle for essential or critical travel as permitted by the UK government.
We have our part to play and need to ensure that these vital services are kept on the road for the benefit of everyone.
Appointments for keyworkers / essential travel
As we continue to operate, the safety and wellbeing of our staff and customers is paramount and will always remain our highest priority.
To ensure customers meet the government criteria for work to be undertaken on their vehicle, we have suspended online booking during this period and are only taking telephone bookings. This will allow us to talk to customers individually about their status prior to making an appointment.
We will ask all customers additional questions related to Coronavirus symptoms and exposure, to ensure we safeguard customers and our technicians.
- We will ask if the customer is a key worker as set out in the latest government statement. If they are not a key worker the appointment will not be made for at least 4 weeks in advance, and may be subject to subsequent postponement in line with any change in government guidance.
- If anyone is self-isolating at the customer household or location of the job, we will rearrange the appointment for after the self-isolation has ended.
- If an appointment is made at one of our fitting centres, the customer will be asked to drop off and collect their vehicle and they will not be permitted to wait in our fitting centre.
Our staff will telephone people with existing appointments to clarify their keyworker / essential travel status. Appointments with people that do not meet the keyworker / essential travel criteria will be rescheduled for 4 weeks’ time and the customer will be informed that further postponement may be necessary if government requirements change over the coming weeks.
The above information has been published on our website, together with the following confirmation of the robust precautionary measure we have put in place to keep our staff and customers safe:
- Glass repairs will not be carried out until further notice.
- Technicians will stay at least two metres away from customers at all times and will ask customers to respect this social distancing.
- Customers will be requested to put the keys to their vehicle down and then retreat by at least 2 metres before they retrieve the keys. This process is reversed when the work is completed.
- Customers will not be required to sign for the work.
- Where the job requires 2 technicians we will send them in separate vehicles to complete the work.
- Until further notice, customers will be required to call the fitting centre to pay by credit card over the telephone.
- Dynamic calibration of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) cameras will not be undertaken until further notice. If calibration is required on any vehicle, the technician will leave an advisory note to this effect in the vehicle. We will call the customer once the lockdown has been lifted in order to arrange the calibration. Static calibrations may be carried out within government guidelines for keeping safe.
- All of our technicians will wear new disposable gloves at the start of each appointment and dispose of them when the work is complete. They will also clean their hands thoroughly before and after every appointment.
- Technicians will not accept any refreshments from customers.
- The Government yesterday announced a 6 month exemption for MOT's expiring after 30th March. Accordingly we will not undertake work required for an MOT unless it falls under the Government guidelines for essential working.
We will keep you updated of developments as the situation continues to develop but if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your account manager.
Nigel Paling
Commercial and Service Director, National Windscreens