Bailey of Bristol implements the first phase of its COVID-secure return to work programme

The company’s operations have been suspended since 24^th March in response to the Government directive relating to the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 virus. However, following the announcement that Caravan and Motorhome Retailers in England can open their doors again this week, Bailey will also be opening up parts of its business to provide essential support to these Retailers and their Customers.

This will be part of a phased return to work programme which, based upon the latest guidance, will ensure Bailey staff will stay as safe as possible at all times. The company has undertaken detailed risk assessments across all three of its sites and has introduced new working practices covering hygiene, social distancing and the use of personal protective equipment to ensure the working environment is and will remain fully COVID-secure.

Bailey Risk Assessment 

First and foremost this decision will mean Bailey is able to begin dispatching completed caravans and motorhomes on site from Tuesday 2nd June onwards, which will be great news for the many customers who have been waiting patiently to take delivery of their new vehicles that hopefully they will now get the chance to enjoy this summer.

Prior to the start of the shutdown period Bailey was in the fortunate position of having an extended retail order book and there remain a significant number of caravans and motorhomes built at the factory to satisfy these outstanding customer orders. Feedback from the Retailer Network received during the lockdown period has confirmed that customers remain keen to collect and begin enjoy using these vehicles as soon as it is deemed safe to do so.

Please note that the date individual outlets in England actually re-open for business will be determined by the Retailers themselves, whilst Dealerships in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will however continue to remain closed until advised by their respective authorities.

The retail landscape is likely to look very different upon the re-opening of the Retailer Network, with product viewing likely to be by appointment only in many cases. To assist in this process and help potential customers decide which Bailey leisure vehicle is right for them we have created two new ‘virtual showrooms’, one for caravans and one for motorhomes, on the company web site.

These showrooms display all our current vehicles in a single place with a 3-D enabled 360 degree interior tour of every model. An in-depth search function will assist with finding the right model and prospective customers can also complete an on-line enquiry form to send to their local Bailey Retailer to arrange a product viewing.

Throughout the lockdown period the Finance, Sales, Marketing and Customer Services Departments have been working remotely to ensure that we maintain contact with our Customers, Retailers and Supplier Partners. They will continue to do so and will be staffed accordingly in order that they can provide the appropriate levels of support. PRIMA Leisure will also be re-opening this week to recommence the supply of leisure vehicle parts and accessories.

For everyone’s safety the company sites will remain closed to visitors and communication with staff working on the premises will be restricted to e-mail at present. Please use the following contacts for enquiries to the relevant departments:

• General enquiries: [email protected]
• Finance enquiries: [email protected]
• Sales enquiries: [email protected]
• Marketing enquiries: [email protected]
• Parts and Accessories enquiries: [email protected]

Commenting on the situation Bailey Managing Director Nick Howard said;

“Following the decision to allow the re-opening of a significant proportion of our Retailer Network, we believe that the time is now right for Bailey to begin a gradual and controlled return to work”

“Throughout these unprecedented times, the health and safety of our employees has and will continue to be, paramount. Consequently we make this decision only after the implementation of a series of new working practices that ensure Bailey will remain a safe place to work”.

 On the future he stated “Life after lockdown will be difficult to predict, however with international travel restrictions likely to remain in place for some time it is predicted that there will be a boom in UK-based ‘Staycation’ holidays. This would undoubtedly be a boost for the UK leisure vehicle industry, as well as domestic tourism as a whole, and we need to be in a position as business to satisfy any future growth in demand”.

 Finally he added “We would like to thank all our Customers, Retailers and Supplier Partners for their on-going support and understanding in the face of this unprecedented challenge”.