By now you already know about the COVID-19 Pandemic. It does affect the society at large and even though we rarely cover such stories here, I believe sharing every bit of information can go a long way in dealing with it. The virus is spreading fast and even though we have a handful of confirmed cases in Kenya, there are some measures citizens have been advised to take to make sure it does not spread further.
The key one is social distancing. This means that human to human interaction should be limited and this is good but affects some key industries like in the hospitality, restaurant and hotel sectors just to name a few. In these sectors, there is a lot of interaction on a daily basis between the staff, clients and partners.
For the restaurant sector and delivery sector, Glovo, an on-demand delivery service is working on ways to address the issue and keep all involved parties safe while still continuing operations.
In a statement, Glovo says, “Food, groceries and pharmaceuticals are considered essential and restaurants, supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open during this period of uncertainty. This means that we will continue to remain active, offering our support and services to deliver these essentials to all citizens for as long as we can do so while operating safely and under the guidelines of the authorities.”
Glovo acknowledges that social distancing has affected most of its partners as 90% of them are independent restaurants. The company is working with all the involved parties to help navigate through these tough times.
Some of the key things it is doing include:
- Adhering to all the directives issued by the Government of Kenya
- Communicating to all users, distributors, partners and employees the advice and guidance of the World Health organization (WHO)
- Supporting the collection and delivery of basic necessities, such as over the counter pharmacy products or food and groceries
In addition to the three mentioned things, below are some of the other specific measures for users, distributors, riders and partners.
Users
- Signatureless delivery means that customers will no longer have to sign for orders upon delivery
- “No Contact” delivery drop-offs allow customers to request that orders be dropped at a particular place of their choosing
- Digital payment is recommended in order to limit direct contact between customers and couriers. Alternative payment methods you can use on Glovo include card or Mpesa. To use Mpesa: select paybill option – enter business number 510 800 – enter account number given by the courier starting with ‘N’
For riders:
- A communication channel that is monitored 24/7 for issues related to Covid-19
- Regular communication on Hygienic (“protocol”) and handling of products
- Contactless delivery
- Change of the signature screen to avoid clients being in contact with the mobile of the glover
- Temperature checks
- Recommendations for the sanitizing of delivery bags, handling procedures and placing them on designated surfaces.
Partners and employees:
- Hygiene updates sent to staff, users, couriers and partners regarding best practices and WHO updates
- Observing the WHO hygiene recommendations