Coronavirus Update: #BetterTogether

Dear Valued Customer,

We are your partner in this very rapidly evolving situation. As such we realize, and hope you do as well, that our joint efforts to provide clean and healthy facilities are a critical weapon in this global war against Coronavirus. The Nichols team is doing everything we can to assist in the communities in which we serve and to flatten the typical curve of the disease escalation. We are all #bettertogether!

Here are the immediate policy modifications that all Nichols customers need to be aware of:

COMMUNICATION: Keeping a vibrant communication channel is imperative.

Inventory / Supply Chain Communications: Previously, the entire team at Nichols could step away from their primary duties to assist sales representatives and customers with inventory questions, supply chain timing questions, etc. To optimize efficiency, we ask that you start with your sales representative and they in turn now have four key points of contact who will help to answer questions quickly. This new approach frees up our purchasing team to stay on top of demand and place new orders and our customer service team to get your orders in the system.

Please understand that as a key part of the healthcare supply chain, we are prioritizing products for health care and first responders.

Policy Updates/ Educational Materials: Ongoing updates regarding the inventory replenishment, policy changes, and training/education will come from our Marketing Director and potentially also forwarded by your Account Representative. In an effort to reach as many of our customers as possible we will also post on our social media platforms. Our plan is to update you weekly, with the potential for a second communication if there is a major and immediate development.

Please READ our emails with the subject line Coronavirus Update: You and Nichols are #BetterTogether

NICHOLS FACILITY ACCESS: Effective immediately, we will no longer allow anyone but critical Nichols employees into the Nichols offices. This means no Will Call / Customer Pickup of orders until further notice. Orders can be placed for delivery via our trucks and/or FEDEX. Standard order size restrictions and fees apply. Please see the FAQs page on our website. Also warehouse visits are restricted to drivers who are delivering the products crucial to fighting this pandemic and social distancing is in place for those visits.

SOCIAL DISTANCING: We have put a number of protocols in place to protect our associates and our customers when we are in the field. Field sales will only perform critical face-to-face meetings; service techs will call first; drivers will no longer collect signatures on phones. We have cancelled/postponed our equipment shows and of course will not be participating in Trade Shows or Conferences in the near future. Our quarterly associate meetings for April have also been cancelled.

SELF-QUARANTINE/REMOTE WORK: Any associates who have recently travelled out of the country will work from home where possible in a two-week self-quarantine. Several weeks ago we launched internal training stressing the key preventative measures, especially the point of staying home when not feeling well. Also, associates with caregiver needs or who are “at-risk” have been provided options for staying home. We continue to evolve with the situation.

CUSTOMER EDUCATION: Nichols has always been your resource for Solutions for Clean and Healthy Facilities. Handwashing, disinfecting, and even social distancing are all imperative initiatives, no longer just a recommended practice. In this new reality, we are quickly evolving many of our related “in-service” training options into digital solutions. In the short run, we will host our evolving list of supplier resource downloads within our blog pages. However, NEW and targeted educational resources will be announced in the next communications update.

The Nichols team is very dedicated to continuing to deliver products and solutions that help fight this pandemic. We appreciate your trust, your business and your understanding as we adapt to our new best ways to fight this pandemic.

#H2H #BetterTogether #THWR

Be Well,

Team Nichols