Essential services need essential oils to keep them operational, Reuben Thickpenny, director of Oil Intel, the appointed distributor of Total Lubricants, reminds us.
Before the Level 4 lockdown, the company acted ahead of the game and has sent office staff home with additional equipment to set up home offices, before the lockdown.
“We had to be prepared for a worst-case scenario,” says Reuben.
With its 10 branches now working remotely and warehousing being staffed minimally to adhere to the two-metre physical distancing, the business stays in touch daily through video conferencing.
“It is working exceptionally well, the staff even came together for a colleague’s birthday on Zoom – we tuned in with nearly 40 people, all singing happy birthday for her.”
While the business is keeping existing essential services customers going, he adds, there have been numerous enquiries from new customers about the oil products.
“There is no reason why we cannot supply new customers under an expedited procedure. These are times where we all have to help each other where we can, though existing customers do come first.”
Parting words from Jeremy Sole- a final column