A Note on COVID-19

A Note From Our Founders

Founders' note originally published on March 15, 2020 and updated on September 9, 2020

To our BestBuddy family,

We’ve been thinking a lot about you lately — our customers, our employees, and our greater communities. Your health and safety are our top priorities and at the heart of every decision we make. We believe it’s critical to do our part to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Here are some of the steps we are taking to protect everyone in this ever-evolving situation.

We are working tirelessly to make sure that the products you love are available when you want them, delivered in the safest way possible.

• We are diligently following guidance and best practices from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

• Across all of our facilities and delivery operations, we have increased our daily cleaning routines, including more frequent handwashing, use of sanitizer, and cleaning of equipment.

• Our customer service team is available to answer any questions about your experience, work with you on the best delivery option, and provide more information on the many precautions we’re taking to protect your health and safety.

We are equally committed to taking care of our employees.

• We are providing increased pay for hourly employees in our fulfillment centers and home-delivery operations through a pay premium for their hard work and dedication in these unprecedented times.

• We are providing emergency paid time off to enable team members who are not feeling well to stay home without losing pay.

• We are asking individuals to refrain from travel unless critical, and have established quarantine procedures after travel to high-risk areas.

• We have consulted a medical expert in epidemiology and infectious disease to ensure we are taking all necessary steps to protect the safety and well-being of our people.

• We are providing resources to help employees modify how they work, including flex scheduling for caregivers and remote work wherever possible.

• We have created forums to keep employees connected and up to date with information to help them stay healthy.

While the environment around us is uncertain, we take comfort in the fact that we have a world-class team and a compassionate and loyal community of customers. We stand ready to serve, and hope that our websites, apps, and social channels can be a source of support, inspiration, and solutions for you — because sometimes we all need a break from the news.

Thank you for being a part of the BestBuddy family,

Niraj Shah and Steve Conine, BestBuddy co-founders

Taking Care of Our Team

While the majority of our employee base is successfully working from home, our fulfilment and transportation facilities are up and running as our team continues to meet customers’ needs during these challenging times. We are proud to have a world-class team that is working quickly and safely to provide our customers with the items they need for their homes. Our no-contact experience has allowed us to deliver household staples such as mattresses, bedding, sheets, and towels – as well as basic kitchen and cookware items – to ensure everyone is well equipped to spend more time at home.

Protecting the health of our team as well as our customers, partners, and community is our top priority. We are taking the following measures to enhance safety and support for our teams:

Financial Security

• We are providing increased pay for hourly employees in our fulfillment centers and home-delivery operations through a pay premium for their hard work and dedication in these unprecedented times.

• We are providing emergency paid time off to enable team members who are not feeling well to stay home without losing pay.

Healthy & Safety

• We have partnered with a group of expert epidemiologists to implement preventative measures that are in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

• We have employed additional cleaning and sanitizing procedures across all of our facilities, including regular deep cleanings, more frequent hand-washing and use of sanitizer, and cleaning all equipment between uses.

• We have taken a variety of steps to help employees maintain proper social distancing. This includes staggering shifts to reduce overlap and placing limitations on the number of people allowed in common spaces such as break rooms.

• On March 24, we introduced a no-contact delivery experience to keep our drivers and customers safe and will not be asking for signatures at drop-off. (See how customers can help us create a no-contact delivery experience below.)

Service Status Updated 11/15/20

1) Deliveries are operating on schedule (delays caused by local regulations are possible), and we’re taking extra precautions to protect our customers and employees.

2) Safety is our top priority, and we have instituted additional safety precautions across our delivery teams. You may choose to have your items delivered through a no-contact delivery experience through outdoor drop-off or inside-the-door deliveries. At some locations, a limited-contact delivery experience is available so that we can help bring large items to the room of your choice.

Across all deliveries:

• Our drivers will use hand sanitizer and / or soap between all deliveries and wear masks and gloves on the job. They will refrain from the typical BestBuddy handshake out of respect and caution for all.

• Our delivery teams will maintain a distance of six feet when possible. We ask that you support our efforts to keep everyone safe and healthy by maintaining this distance as well.

• We will not be asking for signatures at this time.

For in-home deliveries, here are are some additional steps we can take together:

• The driver will call before arriving. Please leave the door propped open for ease of delivery, remove all obstacles, and ensure pets and& children also maintain six feet of physical distance from the driver team.

• To prioritize everyone’s health and safety during this time, we request that you limit contact with our delivery team as much as possible during your appointment. To minimize face-to-face contact, please wear a face mask during your appointment and stay at least six feet apart from the delivery team at all times and wear a face mask during your appointment. If you are unable to comply with these requests, the driver may refuse the delivery.

• If you or anyone in your home is awaiting a COVID-19 test result, currently quarantining, showing any symptoms, or has had contact with someone that tested positive for COVID-19, we kindly request you reschedule your in-home delivery for a later date or downgrade to outdoor drop-off.

• Please note, our Room of Choice delivery method may be paused at any point as the situation evolves. We will continue to adapt in order to provide our customers and employees with the safest environment possible.

• All returns will need to be brought outside of your home for pickup.

3) Following state regulations, in-home assembly and installation services have resumed for select items. If you have questions about availability in your area, please contact our Customer Service team.

Assembly and installation professionals have been advised to follow CDC-recommended precautions. These precautions include frequent hand-washing, use of sanitizer before and after each delivery, and wiping down all equipment between uses and shifts. Customers may also reschedule or cancel assembly or installation by visiting My Orders.

4) Our outlet store in Florence, KY is temporarily closed.