Staff at the Co-op in Leavesden went above and beyond for a pair of self-isolating customers by giving them a virtual visit.
The elderly Leavesden couple, David 89, and wife Pauline, had a big surprise when they opened their front door late last month to see some familiar faces staring up at them through an iPad screen.
The staff wanted to know how the pair were managing being confined to their home without outside contact, so they suggested that perhaps they visit them via FaceTime – except the elderly couple didn’t have an iPad.
Co-op manager Enoch Kanagaraj cleaned his own iPad, wrapped it in plastic and promptly left it on the couple’s front door in Sheepcot Lane.
Standing a safe distance away, he rang them and told them what was happening – when they opened their front door, they saw that staff were on the screen ready to have a long-awaited conversation with them.
The couple were regular customers before the coronavirus pandemic forced them to remain at home – their visits to the Co-op were described as a “social event as much as a necessity” because they got to know the staff so well.
Most of the staff have connections with India, a country where David serviced for many years during his time in the army.
In fact, both his children were born there so he always enjoyed chatting with staff about his past life there.
Co-op manager, Mr Kanagaraj, said: “They were very surprised when we did it – and David seemed thrilled when I saw him on there. We’re a diverse town and we all need to be supporting each other and helping one another.”
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