As we head into the second week of lockdown South Africans are taking the necessary precautions to ‘flatten the curve’ of COVID-19. The roads are quiet, malls are deserted and hand sanitiser can be found at the entrances of those outlets open for business. We’ve all taken extraordinary strides in little more than a week to get behind the national lockdown and adapt to a new way of life.
At Total we are open for business, and our priority is ensuring that we’re taking all the safety precautions necessary to protect our employees and customers. Our people have been educated on the new safety standards and our service stations have implemented these standards wholeheartedly. Education material is also available in -store for our customers to take home.
What can you expect from Total during the national lockdown?
- We’re still open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- While we might not be making cappuccinos and serving muffins, you can still find all the daily essentials at our Select stores including all medical provisions
- Hand sanitiser is placed at the entrance to stores and at all our till points; you’ll see our people sanitising their hands before assisting you and we’re inviting you to do the same
- Point of sale devices will not be handled by employees; you’ll be expected to swipe or insert your card and manage the transaction. Remember that card over cash is better right now as we try to stop the transfer of the virus from one person to another
- We’ve also implemented stringent standards of cleanliness in our stores, ensuring that floors and surfaces are cleaned and sanitised several times a day
What can you do to ensure your safety and the safety of others?
- Hand washing and sanitising is still one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of COVID-19. Adopt these practices at home and sanitise when you enter and leave our stores
- If you’re filling up, consider stepping inside or up to the window to make payment by card, rather than handing your card or cash to the petrol attendant
- Practice social distancing when you’re inside and maintain at least a one metre gap between yourself and others, more if you can
- Avoid handling goods unnecessarily and only take those items you intend to purchase, particularly magazines and newspapers which we’re accustomed to picking up and reviewing before purchasing
- Use your own shopping bags to double up as both a shopping basket and take home shopping bag, and handle your own packing where possible
- Keep a safe distance from cashiers in store, for your safety as well as theirs. This will also help you avoid the habit of leaning on counters, which is not advisable as we try and curb the spread of COVID-19. If you’re using the ATM’s in-store, please use the hand sanitiser before you do so. We’re disinfecting them several times a day, but the more people sanitise before using them, the better our chances are of not transferring the virus
- Be mindful; we’re being forced to create new habits and discard old ones that might not serve us well at this time. Think about everything you’re doing, and how it could affect you and others
- Once you’re in the car, don’t touch your face, nose, mouth, hair or eyes and when you return home wash your hands immediately. It should be the first thing you do. And wash your hands again once you’ve unpacked your parcels
- Disinfect your car and house keys frequently and keep shopping bags packed away until you need them again. These are just some of the practices that can protect each of us from contracting and spreading the virus.
Please give us feedback if you’ve visited a Total service station. We’d like to continually improve our service to you and are open to suggestions of how we can better do this. Contact Total Customer Care on 0860 111 111 to give us feedback.
Stay safe!