Originally Posted by
rickair7777
Zoom is useful to maintain and extend ESTABLISHED relationships. It's no good for building new relationships, or dealing with relationship crises (ie troubleshooting). It will work for a while but not forever... eventually salesmen need to make calls, managers need to visit remote operations, and eventually workgroups will want their team-building retreats again.
For some business travels (the road warriors) travel is part of the grind. For many others, it's actually a reward to go to a convention, conference, or retreat.
I'd actually be more worried if I was in commercial real estate right now. I could see an evolving scenario where some business go mostly remote and maintain smaller office spaces for necessary in-person meetings, and simply rent facilities for all hands assembly type events. but that depends on the nature of the work and the nature of the employees. Data entry drudge-work vice complex project management? Low wage/low motivation staff vs. highly educated and credentialed professionals?
I think you're being a little too hopeful. Your bread and butter is not the small time mom and pop business traveler who sees a convention as a treat. Your primary business traveler has no desire to fly and sees your "jet" as public transportation.
UPS is establishing new relationships with their new hires via ZOOM. There is currently a mass exodus from large cities because companies have realized that they don't need people in the office m-f 8-5. Google, Amazon, and others have given their employees the ability to work from home on a permanent basis. The trend is so significant that it can be felt in the residential real estate market with prices in suburbs on the rise and falling in the city centers.