This archive report was first published on 24 August 2020.
On a lazy Saturday afternoon in mid-2019, the author visited a commercial building in the Yaya area of Nairobi for a routine barber appointment. However, the author's experience was marred by poor customer service, which ultimately led to a significant decline in the building's occupancy.
The author's barber, a long-time customer, was initially denied entry into the building due to a new policy implemented by the building's management, which had recently changed hands. The new owner's son had banned any vehicle that looked like it could carry furniture, including the author's pick-up truck, in an attempt to prevent tenants from leaving.
However, this policy only served to drive away more customers, including the author's barber, who had been a loyal tenant for 17 years. The building's occupancy continued to decline, and by last Monday, the parking lot was almost empty, with only two cars present.
According to a salon employee, the decline in occupancy was due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which had led to a significant reduction in foot traffic. However, further investigation revealed that the new owner's son was not maintaining the building well, was rude to tenants, and even had to be begged to fuel the generator during power outages.
As the author notes, the COVID-19 pandemic will likely hurt many businesses, especially commercial building occupancies, as companies downsize and employees opt to work from home. Businesses that were already struggling before the pandemic will likely be the first to feel the effects, particularly those that have mistreated their customers or failed to adopt newer technologies.
