If you have been watching the news or following social media, you will be aware of the Coronavirus or COVID-19 world-wide outbreak.
The Global Pandemic Has Cause Widespread Disruption to Daily Life, from Schools Being Closed, Quarantines Being Enforced and Travel Bans Being Put in Place.
At PES we are committed to helping our customers and the pest control industry to move forward during these uncertain times and to help keep your daily operations running as smoothly as possible despite the current unpredictability.
Your Employees
Your company’s team of technicians and office staff are most likely to be concerned about their health and also the well being of their families. It is important to make informed decisions to protect the health of your workforce.
Communicate clearly and effectively with staff
It is vital to have a clear line of communication with your employees. Provide them with factual and up to date information about the Coronavirus and how they can stay safe, this can be implemented by using internal communications such as emails.
Create a work-from-home policy
If you are concerned that working from home will be distracting and will lower productivity, have an agreement in place that clearly defines the responsibilities and expectations of employees.
Establish strict hygiene practices and provide employees with necessary PPE
Ensure that your staff follow strict hygiene and safety precautions to minimise the risk of contracting the Coronavirus. Technicians and other staff that come into frequent contact with customers need to have the correct PPE, be mindful of social distancing and reminded that regular hand-washing and sanitising is important in the office and out in the field.
Your Customers
Your company’s team of technicians and office staff are most likely to be concerned about their health and also the well being of their families. It is important to make informed decisions to protect the health of your workforce.
Keep your customers informed
It is good practice to inform your customers of safety precautions or disruptions to their service. You could send an SMS or email to let your customers know that a technician is coming to treat their home or to let them know that their home or business was serviced, this will minimise the face-to-face interactions between customers and technicians.
Show you care
Help spread reliable resources and information about Coronavirus to your customers by creating a banner on your company website. You can also update your social media pages to show what your company is doing to protect customers and employees during the outbreak.
Your Business
Pest control is labelled as an essential service, the disruption from the Coronavirus pandemic can cause serious financial stress for your company.
Use your downtime productively
Make the most of the quieter times of your work day to think about developing new services or projects that you previously didn’t have time for.
Care for employees and customers
Put people first, it is of critical importance to value the health and safety of your employees and customers
Manage cash flow
Improve your money management skills by cutting costs, cashing in on assets, staying on top of invoicing and preparing cash flow projections to keep you updated of your company’s financial status.
Although this is a time of uncertainty and disruption to your business, it also provides an opportunity to review your business and make plans to improve it for the future.