Edit: If you only read one part of this post, read this: Yes, we are open.
- In the future, please feel free to look at the hours listed on the side–it’s even faster than calling!
- Not that we don’t love talking to you, we do, but we’ve moved “things we love to do” down on the priority list and moved, “expedite service” up.
- In a hurry? See the latest on our COVID-19 Dashboard.
Now, back to the news:
We think it’s fair to say that we’ve been strong on communications throughout this crisis.
So we could understand if, after a big announcement like the one we shared on Wednesday (that a staff member had tested positive for COVID-19) if our many supporters would expect some news. A hint about how it’s all going.
But that wasn’t the case.
Don’t get us wrong, We got a LOT of email through the form on our site starting on Wednesday, but no one asked about whether we’d be able to reopen.
Matthew wrote in to say:
I very much appreciated the openness, transparency, clarity and empathy with which you communicated the circumstances around the store closing. It gives me great confidence in you.
I wish you all, most importantly the team member who has tested positive, good health.
Sara said:
To you and all your employees I send positive thoughts after all the good measures & precautions you’ve taken; way beyond anywhere else I shop.
I sincerely hope this employee is an isolated case and he/she has a very mild case & an easy recovery.Thank you for updating your web site so honestly & transparently. It means a lot these days!!
SF
You won’t believe what Arielle said (so we’ll show you):
Hello Fiesta Farms Team,
I wanted to let you know how impressed I am by your response to Covid-19. I live in the neighbourhood, am a long time regular customer. I’m also a doctor, and very pregnant and due soon.
I am continually impressed by the measures you’ve put in place to protect your team and your customers. I love the new mask policy even though masks are hard on everyone. I love being able to show up in the first hour when it is less crowded to help lower the risk of either picking up covid or passing it on to others. I love being handed a cart with a freshly sanitized handle. I love hearing a security team member politely ask shoppers to come back to a section that has become overcrowded. I love speaking to the cashiers from behind our mutual masks and the Plexiglas barriers.
It’s not the shopping experience I used to love there, but it is what feels appropriate right now.
I’m especially impressed by your communication and transparency on your website.
I hope your team member who tested positive has a very mild case and feels well soon. Thank you for telling us about it, and the timeline, and your plans. Thank you for referencing medical authorities when informing the public about your policy decisions.
I’m sure these last few months have been an incredible strain, but you’ve been doing great work and I am very grateful. I feel very safe shopping at Fiesta Farms during these unprecedented times and having that extra bit of stress removed makes a big difference.
Keep up the good work and know that it is appreciated!
All the best,
Arielle
Get a tissue, because then John wrote in to say:
As a long-time happy Fiesta customer, I was so sorry to hear today about the team member who has tested positive for the corona virus, and to pass along my very best wishes to this person and to wish them well, along with their loved ones and all other Fiestans who may have been in contact with them.
I think we all deeply appreciate the attention Fiesta has been giving to the current situation, and realize that this was always a possibility, no matter how remote, in these unusual circumstances.
You have admirably managed the customer experience to make us all feel safe, and I’m confident that the sanitization steps you are currently undertaking will enable a safe re-opening, which I’m looking forward to.
Please know that all our thoughts are with you!
– John
I can’t give away names or details, but a friend across the country asked to buy a customer who’s work has been curtailed during isolation (Think physical trainer kind of thing) a gift card for her birthday.
You know what Georgia said?
Just wanted to reach out to express how sorry I am that a team member has tested positive for this diabolical virus! I hope that they have an easy and quick recovery and that the rest of you stay healthy.
I know how hard the whole Fiesta team has been working for all of us and I have been so impressed with all of your efforts.
Much gratitude, Georgia
Andrea wrote into detail her last shop on the 16th, in case we needed to trace our steps for public health.
Jacqueline, “*not* a lawyer (just a friendly patron of your store)” wrote in share to share Clauses from the Freedom of Information and Protection Act to help us stay onside of the law in what information we could share about the individual without their permission.
Wendy said:
Thanking you all and wishing a good recovery to the staff member who contracted the virus providing service to us.
Take good care of yourselves!
Ian wanted us to know:
Dear Fiesta
I was impressed with your communication around your employee with COVID-19.
Thank you.
Gregory said:
Thank you for being an inspiring leader in my neighbourhood, in the business community and the city through your amazingly thoughtful and well reasoned policies and explanations online.
I deeply appreciate your precautionary approach to masks–for every detractor you have 10 fans.
Thank you and looking forward to your reopening.
And then there was Shirley + Joe’s note:
We are sorry to learn that a member of Fiesta’s staff has tested positive for Covid. Joe and I wish him/her a speedy recovery and we hope that their family and the rest of our Fiesta team have tested negative.
Thank you for your disinfecting measures so that all of you & your customers stay safe.
We totally support you in being extra cautious right now & suspending home deliveries.
We look forward to hearing when you will be resuming home deliveries (not just because we love your products but mostly because it will mean that you are all healthy!)
Shirley & Joe
On Twitter, people said stuff like this:
And this:
This:
The list goes.
Kind words of concern from customers, neighbours, and other local entrepreneurs. Almost invariably asking about the health of our teammate, sharing sympathy for our challenges, gratitude for our efforts to date, and kudos for our reaction.
WHO raised these people?
We can’t even get into the comments on Facebook. The announcement post had 199 comments. 196 of them were of the same ilk. Read them if you need to restore your faith in humanity.
So, why not share the information about our status with this amazing community as it came out?
Because Public Health didn’t give us the go-ahead until tonight.
Then they did.
So we’ll see you tomorrow.
Here’s what you need to know:
- All employees whose results came back by end-of-day today tested negative.
- The few whose results are coming in tomorrow will stay home until their results are in too.
- The individual who tested positive is feeling okay, thanks for asking.
- The store has been through exhaustive cleanings by external sources.
- We will continue to observe all recommended preventive measures (they’ve worked so far).
- We love you. And we’re grateful for all of your support.
- We’ll be pooped tomorrow. We were in late and we’ll be back in early.
Let’s get back to feeding people.