Customers and clients, be considerate during re-opening process

With businesses across Kentucky preparing to open their doors once again, it may feel like black Friday at some as customers return to some of their favorite places for the first time since mid–March.

Dean Manning is a reporter at the News Journal.

Customers should take a deep breath and have some patience as the stores and restaurants, and especially their employees, work to serve them while also adhering to the COVID–19 guidelines that will be in place.

An ice cream shop in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, recently experienced this problem, resulting in a teenager who was serving up scoops quitting in frustration.

The owner told the local TV station that the girl had been subjected to language you wouldn’t even hear in a men’s locker room.

Give her credit for sticking out things until her shift ended, but it is ridiculous to think that people would do that, especially to a young lady who was likely working her first job dealing with the public.

The store has since closed again, but because of the media coverage and outpouring of support from the community, the owner reopened the doors.

Local businesses, especially the restaurants, have been trying to hang on through this.

The restaurants will again be able to offer dine-in service, but seating will be limited in order to ensure social distancing.

It will result in those restaurants having approximately one-third of their normal seating inside.

So even though customers will see empty tables, that doesn’t mean the seating is available.

Also, with limited seating, the restaurants will be looking to turn tables in order to serve waiting customers and so the wait staff can make money, which they do through tips.

While it has been two months since the family has gotten together like this, please think about the other customers, and especially the wait staff and the owners. Don’t camp out at a table.

May 25 marks the reopening of barber shops and hair salons.

Unless you have a stylist in the family or circle of friends, or you took lessons via YouTube during this ordeal, you are in dire need of their services.

To get all of their clients serviced, barbers, stylists, and nail techs are going to require some patience on the client’s part.

Don’t expect to walk right in, unless you have an appointment. Make sure to ask what the rules are. Be on time as there will likely be someone scheduled right after you, as these folks work to accommodate everyone. If you can’t make it, call and let them know. That is wasted time, and these folks are also trying to make up for two months of lost income.

Their time is especially valuable right now.

Gov. Andy Beshear repeats daily, “We will get through this. We will get through this together.”

It is going to take time to understand how this whole deal is going to work. This has been hard enough. Don’t make it even harder.