I know this is a strange question - and yep, I know some hate the idea of ‘snitches’ - but what if you verbally communicate with another winery about following regulations and they continue to disregard them, perhaps putting your own business at risk?
Follow the law. Do the right thing for winemakers, consumers, and taxpayers alike, as opposed to just self-interest. Report bona fide evidence to proper regulators, and let them decide on the basis of due process.
This is a situation where the owner of a winery and all of his employees refuse to wear masks in front of customers - and this is not an ‘occasional’ thing. They never wear them. This is not ignorance - they know the current regulations . . .
In my opinion, my INEXPERIENCED opinion, it is not hurting you. Let them hurt themselves. More is to be gained by having positive experiences with your fellow wineries. MY OPINION, which you asked for.
Your report would be not an unfounded dig against a competitor, but a public-health concern which anybody can observe. A report may save innocent lives, including yours. I would support blowing a loud whistle. Be sure to take time-stamped pictures.
You obviously disagree, but why do you take exception to Victor’s question? I think it’s a good one - he feels you are presupposing and outcome without really knowing it. In my case, all I want is this winery to do what they are supposed to do - what we are ALL supposed to do. I don’t want ‘punishment’ at all . . .
We have different experiences. I would assume that if you are doing tastings, you and your employees are wearing masks when you are in front of customers, right? I would also assume that you would take issue if you went out to a restaurant and the servers and cooks were not wearing masks, right?
Where would my logic or assumptions be wrong? Am I being negative or personalized?
I am only drawing logical inferences from your own affirmative statements. If you have no first-hand basis to make an apparently authoritative recommendation, you should have disclosed so.
I’m not doing tastings, and I am not policing what other wineries do. Business and life are tough enough without alienating your fellow wineries. Let a customer blow the whistle.
Even if no tastings, workers and customers may be at risk.
Incremental illnesses and deaths may make business and life even tougher. Sometimes, making an extra dollar is not worthwhile…at least, for some winemakers like Larry. Others like you might feel differently.
if a winery has an owner and employees who purposely don’t wear masks, it hurts everyone else in a couple of ways:
optics: regionally, and as an industry, not taking the most basic precautions with guests paints everyone in a bad light. we need to be united and on the same page when it comes to the health and safety of our guests, staff, and community at large. if everyone “plays by the rules” we lessen the chance of negative outcomes via infection and send a message of responsibility.
safety: literally, this winery has decided the safety of their team and guests - who may go visit other wineries in a given area - is not a priority and they can be spreading infections due to this carelessness. why should Larry, or anyone else, need to host guests who may have been exposed to C-19 via the staff of a neighbor winery? it’s selfish.