There’s no other way of saying it – we are all heading towards a new normal. An era which will see significant changes in how companies catering to various sectors practice hygiene, run decontamination processes and expand their presence online. That last one meets the following necessity – maintaining physical distance wherever possible. The Indian arm of the American carmaker Ford has revealed the gameplan once the lockdown eases. And here’s what it entails.

A new service called “Dial-A-Ford” will come into play. Whether you are an existing or a prospective customer, all you need to do is dial a centralised helpline number. Once connected, Ford’s frontline officers would cater to demands such as booking a new car, enrolling for a test drive and even doorstep delivery of the new vehicle. Existing customers would take advantage of services such as pick-up and drop-off of their cars, along with online consultations. And as was the case before, they will stay updated on what’s happening at what time and will also get the option of paying online.

So, “Dial-A-Ford” covers two out of the four areas – enhanced online experience and enabling social distancing. What about disinfecting cars and overall hygiene? The former category consists of all vehicles going through a sanitisation process at the time of delivery, pick-up or drop-off, and all Ford dealerships getting disinfected thrice daily. As for keeping all personnel safe, temperature checks using infrared thermometers, mandatory use of face masks and gloves and changed dealership floor layouts, including customer waiting areas, will be implemented.

It isn’t just about stopping the spread of COVID-19 here. These measures will also forcibly inject a straightforward fact in everyone’s head – our health is in our hands. Up until now, everyone took it for granted. But by witnessing how easily a deadly disease can become a pandemic, people will be a lot more watchful than ever before.