We’re living in a strange time right now, huh? This is the most unusual event that I have ever experienced in my life. In 2009 when the H1N1 pandemic hit, I’ll admit I was privileged enough to hear about it on the news but not really concern myself with being personally affected. This time around, things are much different. We’re all affected, and we have no choice but to concern ourselves with protecting our own health and safety as well as that of those we live, work and play alongside.
When things are so uncertain and scary for everyone, the way that brands navigate dealing with COVID-19 speaks volumes about what their values are and how much they care for their customers and employees. I’ve seen a lot of brands make a lot of choices so far regarding COVID-19 (some good, and some, uh, not so good) and it is interesting to see how responses vary across the board. I saw a tweet recently where someone expressed that in their next job interview, they’re going to ask what the company did to protect their employees during COVID-19. I’ll probably add that same question to my follow-ups; if a brand does not conduct themselves responsibly during this time, I can’t trust they’ll have my best interests as an employee in mind. I can’t find the original post, but if I do, I’ll link it here.
One brand that I think has handled the situation very responsibly is Sephora. Sephora is a multinational chain of beauty stores that sells products related to skincare, hair care, and makeup. I’ve been shopping at Sephora for years, so they’re a brand I really trust. Last week, Sephora posted a COVID-19 statement on their website that outlined the steps they’re taking to prevent the spread of the virus. Here’s the opener to the post:
They start by saying they’ve made the decision to temporarily close all of their retail stores and help corporate employees work from home until April 3. “We have always taken the responsibility to protect the well-being of our people and community seriously,” they say. “It was with that responsibility in mind that we made this decision.”
The rest of the statement details some of the other changes Sephora is making, like offering free shipping to customers for the duration of the closure, uploading more online content for consumers to watch, and adjusting their return policy to aid customers who cannot visit their local Sephora retailer. They also reiterate that their Beauty Insider Community and Customer Service team will always be available to chat. I really love the way that Sephora put the health and safety of both their employees and their customers first, and waiving shipping fees helps customers who may be financially struggling due to the virus. This is a really good example of a company flexing their corporate responsibility to protect their community in more ways than one. Well done, Sephora! Other companies should probably take notes.
GameStop is one of those brands. Although they have now decided to close their retail locations following massive backlash about their initial response, the way they handled the situation from the beginning was just bad. This article has all the details, but here’s what I pulled out:
Like, what? They felt so strongly about staying open that they wanted the police to call their headquarters if they had a problem with it? Not only was it odd that they tried to argue their products are “essential,” but the games that they buy, rent and sell come in cases that are touched by multiple people. This Buzzfeed article noted that “customers purchase plastic disc cases that employees can’t disinfect because they ran out of cleaning wipes.” Gross, but also just irresponsible. GameStop did not have the health and safety of their employees or customers in mind until people pointed out that they should. In comparison to the ways other brands are preemptively reaching out to customers, explaining their decisions and implementing changes to make this easier for everyone, GameStop fell really short.
Instead, they should have followed suit and closed their retail locations. Staying open goes against the rules of social distancing and puts multiple people at risk of contracting the virus. Not to mention they had to be bullied into acting responsibly – now, no matter what changes they made or will make, everyone already knows they originally did not care. It waters down their efforts considerably. Do better next time, GameStop.
I’m hoping everyone is practicing healthy habits and staying safe! I know this is a strange, hard time for everyone. ♡
