Working during a Pandemic

Photograph

For my first artifact, I chose a photo taken in April 2020 of me wearing a sign telling people to stay six feet away at Agway of Cape Cod in Dennis, MA. It is shocking to think about now, but at this time I was not required to wear a face mask while at work. I have worked at Agway for several years and am familiar with the business, products, and customers. However, the experience I had at Agway this past spring was drastically different than what I was used to. Agway had implemented a curbside pick-up only method, meaning customers were no longer allowed to shop in person. This was very difficult for a lot of people, especially considering the elderly demographic that frequented Agway. Many customers were confused or angry about the system, despite its implementation as a method of protecting the health and safety of everyone – employees and customers alike. Agway had never before offered an online shopping option, but they quickly went to work creating a website complete with thousands of products to ensure the simplest and safest means of acquiring essential items like pet supplies that Agway provides for residents of Cape Cod. As a cashier, a typical sale during early COVID-19 times included a customer calling the store, the customer waiting on hold for anywhere between 30 seconds and 15 minutes for the next available employee, the customer listing their items for cashiers to “pick,” paying with card only over the phone, and finally an employee delivering the items to numbered parking spots. Needless to say, this process was a lot to handle and grow accustomed to, and was often very frustrating and stressful as both customers and employees learned together as humans how we were to alter our lives and routines in response to an unprecedented global pandemic.

Marly Lynch

2020-04-05