17 March 2020
Dear Valued Customer,
We would like to inform you that due to the severity and nature of the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, Aramex South Africa will be implementing additional precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of our staff, customers and the general public.
At present we are finalizing our disaster response action plan which will be shared with all staff and customers within the next 24 hours. Some of these measures will include:
• Active training and awareness, which has already commenced some weeks ago, on basic hygiene best practices.
• Instituting a travel ban on all staff domestically, as well as to any high-risk countries.
• Liquid hand sanitisers and wipes for all staff, especially couriers.
• Distribution of facial masks to reduce risk of airborne infections.
• Gloves for all couriers, and all staff handling freight.
• Change in delivery procedure to limit person to person contact and transmission.
• Regular updates to customers on anticipated service delays.
With the government declaring a state of emergency and the travel bans being imposed on all persons from high risk countries such as UK, USA, China, Italy, Iran, German and Spain we do anticipating potential service delays to and from these countries. This will be closely monitored as flight cancellations are communicated by the respective airlines. At present we have no reports of specific flight cancellation and all cargo is moving as expected. We are also monitoring air travel on the domestic front and do expect some limitations on Same Day services to major centres in the coming weeks. Our road network remains unaffected during this time.
The delivery process will be changed to ensure that couriers do not come within one meter of the receiver of the parcel. Handshakes and close contact of any kind will be limited. The receiver of the parcel will also not be required to sign the handheld device to update the proof of delivery. Instead the receiver will be required to verbally confirm their full name to the courier who will enter it on the device.All couriers will be instructed to not hand any parcel directly to a customer, but instead place it in a desired area on the floor or a desk where the customer can pick it up from.As the current situation continues to evolve, we will remain committed to delivering a world class service to you. We will ensure that relevant information and updates are shared with customers and that communication is clear and precise.
In these extraordinary times we are obligated to implement extraordinary measures to ensure that we protect the health of our incredibly dedicated workforce, not only here in South Africa, but across our global network. We are in regular contact with our global offices and as situations develop, we evaluate and adapt immediately. Our global network has already implemented similar measures in all countries.In high-risk countries more stringent measures have been implemented to ensure the safety of our staff. Our first priority is, and will always be, safety first.Should you require any additional information or require further assistance please reach out to your assigned Customer Relationship Manager.
Sincerely,
Hein Bruyns
Communication & Customer Experience Executive
Aramex South Africa (PTY) LTD
