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Jaguar Land Rover has assured that the health and safety of its staff and customers are of utmost priority. The assurance came as South African dealerships reopen under strict conditions with a number of measures already in place to safeguard visitors.
These measures have been put in place across the nation-wide Jaguar Land Rover retailer network to mitigate the risk of spreading contagious illnesses during service and sales transactions. What is traditionally a close-contact interaction between staff, customers and vehicles has been transformed into a new operational environment with minimised physical touchpoints.
All parking areas alternate available bays to maximise the distance between parked cars, and facilities where rolling reception-type service lanes are used will have the areas thoroughly cleaned after every vehicle has passed through.
Vehicle hand overs and collections for services will be managed with specifically allocated time slots and staggered booking times to ensure social distancing. All direct customer interaction areas such as reception desks and parts and service counters will make use of standing plastic screens to act as barriers between people, while flexible rope-type barricades as used in typical banking environments will be in place to maintain distances between people.
Cash will not be permitted for any transaction, and touchpads on card machines will be disinfected after every use.
Strict protocols will see all staff and visitors undergo mandatory temperature checks upon entry to dealer premises, and 2-metre distances will be maintained between all people at all times. Furniture will be strategically arranged to maintain set distancing rules.
Inside dealership workshops, technicians are separated by non-operational bays between each work station. The vacant bays are used for parts, tools and any items required for each job, and all tools and service-based machinery will also be regularly disinfected.
All vehicles entering a dealership for service or repair will be wiped with disinfecting cloths on all contact areas, and will be fitted with seat and steering wheel covers prior to work. Vehicles leaving the dealership after services, repairs or purchases will be put through an intensive cleaning process using specially-approved products for various surfaces.
All Jaguar Land Rover staff will wear face masks at all times, and uniforms will be washed daily. As per government guidelines all dealer facilities will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected daily with heavy traffic areas such as bathrooms, refreshment areas and service desks getting increased attention.
Sharnie Malan, Customer Service Director, Jaguar Land Rover South Africa, said: “It is everyone’s responsibility to see through the next phase of life after lockdown safely. We are doing our part by ensuring the environments within every Jaguar Land Rover dealership are prepped and ready for business with new levels of hygiene and cleanliness. The steps we are taking represent the highest standards possible and are in line with Government regulations to keep our staff and customers safe during this time of ‘business unusual’.”
While Jaguar Land Rover assures customers that showrooms are as safe as possible, it is also possible to browse available new and approved used Jaguars and Land Rovers, and reserve them online, from the comfort of your home via the www.findmyjaguar.co.za and www.findmylandrover.co.za websites.
Anyone who needs to visit a Jaguar Land Rover dealership for any reason, whether for scheduled services, maintenance, or vehicle or parts sales is urged to please phone ahead for bookings. All dealerships’ contact details can be found on the websites www.jaguar.co.za or www.landrover.co.za.
Jaguar Land Rover stresses that dealers are not open to the general public at this time, but looks forward to welcoming all customers with the further lift of Lockdown Alert Levels, hopefully in the not too distant future.
