I went to Pet Valu today during Covid-19. It’s the first time I’ve gone since the whole pandemic began. The store I normally go to is small and the aisles are narrow. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but was hoping that they at least had some safety measures in place. Part of me did not want to take an unnecessary risk but I needed to top up my cat’s food and treats. So off I went.
Pet Valu During Covid-19, Good Signage!
As I got there, immediately I noticed some signage on the door. One sign had a phone number for curb side pick up. A second one indicated that no more than two people were allowed inside. It also said that once inside that we needed to wait in the designated area to be served. I was pleased and my nerves were a bit calmer.
Pet Valu During Covid-19, Great Set-up and Service!
Once I got inside, the rest of the store was partitioned off from me except for an area that went to a part of the front counter. There was a big dot on the floor where it said that I should stand and wait to be served. The sign also indicated that I would tell the attendant what I wanted and they would get it for me from within the store. A moment later, the attendant who heard me come in (door had a bell on it to notify staff) came to the front.
He then asked me: “May I help you?” I told him that I needed a large bag of Performatrin Ultra cat food and 2 bags of dried shrimp treats. (The Milo boy necessities!) He then went and got my items within seconds. I was impressed as I realized that he would have had to memorize most of the items in that store. He then put my items on his side of counter. He told me to approach my side of the counter. In front of me was a large sheet of Plexiglas on the counter that went pretty high. At the bottom of the Plexiglas there was a small opening for the debit machine that was there. Which would, of course, be the method of payment.
A Little Extra Touch of Safety!
I paid for my items and then took my items from his side of the counter and brought them to my side of the counter near the door. I gratefully grabbed my items and said: “Thank you and be safe!” He said the same and I was out the door. One more neat thing was that as soon as I was in the car outside the store, I noticed that the attendant started spraying the inside handle of the store door. He then came outside and sprayed the outside handle as well. I was smiling, because even though I had gloves, goggles and a mask on, he was taking no chances. I respected that!
Conclusion
Going to Pet Valu during coronavirus turned out to be a great experience! They did a lot of simple and yet important things to make their store safer…and it worked! I felt pretty safe. Actually it was one of the safest places I have been in since this pandemic started. I am very relieved, as this means that I do not have to hoard supplies for Milo, as I can just keep my regular schedule. Some normalcy in an abnormal situation. What more can you ask for? Thank you Pet Valu!