Good Morning and Happy Monday!
It seems that we are indeed living in interesting times. I donāt know that this time last year anyone would have guessed what 2020 would bring in to our lives. I cannot begin to imagine what your professional lives must be like right now however I am confident and encouraged each time I visit a school to see your positive attitudes and innovative ideas to get your band programs through this crisis. It is my sincere hope that in the end we will all come out of this more knowledgeable, adaptable and versatile in the way we approach our jobs.
I honestly didnāt know what to expect with the start of the new and very strange school year. I am truly grateful for so many of you welcoming me back in to your band rooms and entrusting us with the care of your instruments. We donāt take this lightly and are continually committed to providing the best service and instrument repair in the greater Atlanta area.
WITH ALL THAT SAID, HERE IS OUR PLAN MOVING FORWARDā¦
Along with most everyone else on the planet COVID-19 has changed our business. The very nature of the way the virus lives and spreads makes working on instruments a unique challenge that we havenāt faced before. Sure, weāve had instruments that we have taken out of the case and immediately wanted to put on a mask and gloves before handling however now this is a necessity for our health! There has been so much research in our industry, both from within NAPBIRT and externally with excellent studies performed by multiple institutions.
As you remember our business model has typically been based on a 2-3 day turnaround. While there may be certain circumstances where this is still possible, in general and out of an abundance of caution the turnaround is generally going to be more like a week for the foreseeable future.
Here is what weāre thinking to start out with:
– I will keep my regular areas the same as in the past – Monday and Wednesday will be north Fulton, Forsyth and the Norcross area Gwinnett schools. Tuesday and Thursday will be the rest of Gwinnett and the Hall county schools- With that said I will no longer be making regular stops. ALL pickups will be on an āon-callā basis, essentially meaning that if you need a pickup on one of your regular days please TEXT or CALL me and Iāll put you on the list for the next day Iām in your area. Iāll do my best to check in with everyone from time to time.
– ALL instruments that have been played recently (within the last week) will need to be quarantined in our shop for 3 days prior to inspection, estimates or any work being performed. The only exception to this will be instruments that have been stored in your school unused since last school year.
– We will still be happy to take care of your studentās personally-owned instruments as well. Just have them fill out the pick-up form and leave it in their case. I will pick it up next time I’m in your area. Let me know if you need more forms and Iāll drop them off or I can email it to you and you can print your own – whatever you prefer! This is a great option as we will pick up the instrument, call the parent with an estimate, take payment by phone and deliver the instrument back to you on our next delivery day.
– We will need to determine a safe area for me to pick up and deliver your instruments. Many schools and school systems are not allowing visitors in the buildings at all. Others will allow front office or reception access only and only with a screening. If your school is currently virtual-only Iāll be happy to come to your band room if allowed however at this time for those that are in a hybrid / face-to-face model I would prefer not to enter band rooms with students present. We can work together to find the best pickup / drop-off point (front office, band room hallway, outside exterior doors, etc.). We can coordinate via text message to make this happen as efficiently as possible.
– At this time on-site repairs will be VERY minimal and discouraged.
Ultimately I want to continue providing the great service youāve grown accustomed to with North Georgia Band while also keeping everyone safe. We will likely need to adjust the policies as we move forward and of course as always we will work with you however we can to get you what you need.At this point I am planning to start a āregularā schedule next Monday however I will be out-and-about this week should you need anything. Simply call or text me at and Iāll be happy to set up a time to stop by and take care of whatever you need.
Again, many thanks to all of you and if I can help in ANY way please let me know.
