Cafes and laptops/tablets???

ScumLord · 02-05-2017 05:14PM

Beyondgone wrote: »

Why people would want to meet in a public place to discuss sales/financial matters mystifies me.

Sometimes it's just easier for everybody. Trying to avoid going into the city or a part of the city with high parking costs or no parking available. Sometimes one of the party has a ****ty office and an old jar of Maxwell house so don't want potential clients seeing that. sometimes people are meeting half way. There are loads of reasons to have a meeting in a coffeeshop and once you're having plenty of meetings in coffee shops it just becomes the norm to invite them to a coffeeshop and buy them a coffee.

joeguevara wrote: »

That's 4.50 an hour, pretty much the price of a coffee.

Is it?

I think with most coffeeshops as long as you're not taking up space during rush hour when they make most their money they won't be too upset about taking 2 hours to drink a coffee. They basically advertise the fact a coffee shop has a hipster using social media sitting somewhere. They're just part of the furniture and while not as good as a cat don't fall foul of hygiene laws.

TheDoc · 02-05-2017 05:14PM

whippet wrote: »

I often leave the office and head for a coffee shop with my laptop ... I'm far more productive when i don't have people annoying me ... also when I'm out and about visiting customers coffee shops are the only real place to get a bit of work done rather than battling traffic to get back to the office.

Mind you I don't I don't take the piss ... I'll buy coffee .. lunch ... snacks when there .. I could easily spend €20+ a day in coffee shops .. keep the receipts and it's a win win

To be honest any of my team told me they were more productive in a coffee shop then in the office or at home, I'd 100% think they were taking the piss.

I've always assumed people on laptops in coffee shops simply don't have internet at home, were workaholics or just gadget freaks or socially awkward.

I'd never in a million years consider a coffee shop a productive place of work :O

Pivot Eoin · 02-05-2017 05:22PM

I fall on both sides of the fence here.

I do go to Coffee shops with my laptop quite often, contrary to what others say, I believe them to be wonderfully productive.

However I also get awkward after being in one for longer than say 40 mins having only bought one coffee.

The medium ground (Excuse coffee pun) is to find one with good coffee and good food, I usually start with a coffee, order food about 40mins to an hour in, then after the food, I'd perhaps get a decaf if I felt need to stay longer than 15 more mins.

It aint about getting to sit somewhere for free in my eyes, 2 coffees and cafe food is what 15euro? 15euro is a great price to get 3 solid hours of work done.

Just dont be that w*nker with a €2k Macbook, sitting there looking at an open screen, or looking at Pics on Facebook... It's easier to just wear a t-shirt with "I Have a MacBook" printed on it, if you want to let everyone know you're a c*nt.

sporina · 02-05-2017 05:42PM

TheDoc wrote: »

Also presents an image to the walker by that the place is popular and packed.

There is the age of adage of seeing a restaurant or cafe empty is a bad sign.

believe me the cafe I was in yday is always packed.. probably because the food is good.. and the coffee is good and reasonably priced (2.50e for a regular americano)

The number of people who had to leave the floor i was on yday due to their being no space (mind you there was space - if you include the 3 spaces free at the numerous tables for 4 that some solo gadget users were occupying)

and some of said gadget users we writing too - I didn't check for calculators but I am telling you it was like a library..

anyway.. think I'll ask in my fav cafe next time i am in

02-05-2017 07:45PM

An easy and obvious compromise that you already see in a lot of European cities is to give a time sensitive wifi password valid for 30 minutes printed on the receipt of every purchase for a certain minimum value. The actual wi-fi itself is still free of course, it just goes to paying customers only. 30 minutes seems an adequate amount of time for anyone to finish a hot drink, so now you either buy another one or else get lost and free up the tables and chairs.

Penny Tration · 02-05-2017 08:22PM

I work in a coffee place and we (staff in my place) get on great with the regulars who come in to do some work.

Most of them stay for a number of hours, yeah, and may only buy one (sometimes two) coffees. But they're friendly, chatty, clean up after themselves, always polite, happy to move to a smaller table if we get busy, and are generally the easiest customers to deal with.

They can hog the Wi-Fi all they like, I genuinely like them all.

OldMrBrennan83 · 02-05-2017 08:24PM

This post has been deleted.

Penny Tration · 02-05-2017 08:26PM

Patww79 wrote: »

I don't think it's the WiFi people care about them hogging, it's the tables. Though if it's a quiet place then it wouldn't really matter.

Place I work is very busy, but the people who use the Wi-Fi for hours on end are sound about it. They'll come in early when it's quiet, charge up the laptop, and move to a small table as soon as it starts to get busy, to make room for the groups needing 4/6 seaters. They know our busy times of the day, and move to make space when we're having our busy periods

Maybe my customers are nicer than others, though.

OldMrBrennan83 · 02-05-2017 08:32PM

This post has been deleted.

pilly · 02-05-2017 09:20PM

Deleted User wrote:

An easy and obvious compromise that you already see in a lot of European cities is to give a time sensitive wifi password valid for 30 minutes printed on the receipt of every purchase for a certain minimum value. The actual wi-fi itself is still free of course, it just goes to paying customers only. 30 minutes seems an adequate amount of time for anyone to finish a hot drink, so now you either buy another one or else get lost and free up the tables and chairs.

I don't know, that just smacks of money grabbing to be honest.

Jesus Wept · 02-05-2017 09:37PM

TheDoc wrote: »

To be honest any of my team told me they were more productive in a coffee shop then in the office or at home, I'd 100% think they were taking the piss.

I've always assumed people on laptops in coffee shops simply don't have internet at home, were workaholics or just gadget freaks or socially awkward.

I'd never in a million years consider a coffee shop a productive place of work :O

You sound delightful to work for m8

Erik Shin · 02-05-2017 09:39PM

Je suis Mario wrote: »

You sound delightful to work for m8

What a weird reply....

Jesus Wept · 02-05-2017 10:11PM

Why?

whippet · 02-05-2017 10:19PM

TheDoc wrote: »

To be honest any of my team told me they were more productive in a coffee shop then in the office or at home, I'd 100% think they were taking the piss.

I've always assumed people on laptops in coffee shops simply don't have internet at home, were workaholics or just gadget freaks or socially awkward.

I'd never in a million years consider a coffee shop a productive place of work :O

Trust ... it a great part of being in a team. I'm in a sales based role so if the numbers stack up at the end of a quarter I'm being productive.

02-05-2017 10:26PM

pilly wrote: »

I don't know, that just smacks of money grabbing to be honest.

But why? These are commercial businesses who need to be profitable in order to cover wages, rates, utilities, rent, etc etc. I would imagine making money is very much to the forefront of priorities for both small family cafes to massive global chains. We're not talking about subsidised council run libraries here where you can sit around all day with your feet up.

pilly · 02-05-2017 10:34PM

Deleted User wrote:

But why? These are commercial businesses who need to be profitable in order to cover wages, rates, utilities, rent, etc etc. I would imagine making money is very much to the forefront of priorities for both small family cafes to massive global chains. We're not talking about subsidised council run libraries here where you can sit around all day with your feet up.

Yeah but very few cafes are full all day, just no need for it.

02-05-2017 10:46PM

pilly wrote: »

Yeah but very few cafes are full all day, just no need for it.

I know that but you said it was "money grabbing" when they're not actually charging people anything. The drinks are still the same price, the wifi is still free, they're giving you everything you paid them for, and they are not actually throwing you out on the stroke of 30 mins because a wifi password you may not have even wanted has expired.

prinzeugen · 02-05-2017 10:56PM

Most of the people on laptops in coffee shops are to tight to by internet or want to pose (think Brian Griffin "writing his novel" in the coffee shop in Family Guy).

Now we have the good weather, watch for the big increase in posers outside cafes either reading or " writing" novels all the while looking round to see who is looking at them.

Bit like the people that did similar things with mobiles in the mid to late 90's..

Its all "oooh look at me"..

sporina · 02-05-2017 11:15PM

Deleted User wrote: »

An easy and obvious compromise that you already see in a lot of European cities is to give a time sensitive wifi password valid for 30 minutes printed on the receipt of every purchase for a certain minimum value. The actual wi-fi itself is still free of course, it just goes to paying customers only. 30 minutes seems an adequate amount of time for anyone to finish a hot drink, so now you either buy another one or else get lost and free up the tables and chairs.

this sounds clever and economical and fair

and yes the wifi is not the issue - as regards to hogging it - its the tables I am talking about..

TBH I would feel cheeky if I sat in a cafe with a laptop and proceeded to do college work or work or what ever, for hours having only perhaps bought a coffee - and especially if I thought that potential paying customers who wanted food or what ever had to leave due to lack of a table

ProudDUB · 02-05-2017 11:46PM

pilly wrote: »

Yeah but very few cafes are full all day, just no need for it.

Yeah, but cafes make the bulk of their profits at peak breakfast and lunch times. They need to turn the tables over as quickly and as often as possible. They can't do that, if everyone comes in at 11am, orders one coffee and stays there untill 2pm on their laptop. To make a profit, the cafe need to have several sets of customers coming in, sitting at that table, eating their food and leaving within a reasonable time frame, leaving the table free for someone else to take their place. (I'm talking about cafes that serve proper, hot food, not just somewhere that serves coffee and muffins.) The industrial estate that I work in has only offices. The entire place shuts down at 5, so the cafe that services it, only as a finute number of hours in the day to turn a profit. Cafes that stay open later in the evening have a wider window of opportunity, but the ones that serve the 9-5 crowd really don't. I don't blame them if they turn off/limit the wifi to deter table hoggers.

wakka12 · 03-05-2017 12:04AM

Deleted User wrote: »

An easy and obvious compromise that you already see in a lot of European cities is to give a time sensitive wifi password valid for 30 minutes printed on the receipt of every purchase for a certain minimum value. The actual wi-fi itself is still free of course, it just goes to paying customers only. 30 minutes seems an adequate amount of time for anyone to finish a hot drink, so now you either buy another one or else get lost and free up the tables and chairs.

/thread

JupiterKid · 03-05-2017 12:10AM

Most fast food joints operate the opposite model - get in, eat fast and get out.

I like the idea of mooching.

reason vs religion · 03-05-2017 03:19AM

ED E wrote: »

You were there today, but might not be back for a fortnight. The macbooks are there every day. May buy infrequently but they're consistent custom. Try to dissuade them and you'll soon be closing up.

Really, you actually think macbookers are sustaining coffee shops?!

suicide_circus · 03-05-2017 05:41AM

reason vs religion wrote: »

Really, you actually think macbookers are sustaining coffee shops?!

Yes, theyre too cheap to pay for their own Internet but are somehow keeping businesses afloat. I guess by their presence they are attracting other macbook tossers in to buy another cinnamon chai latte with almond milk and maybe even a gluten free muffin.

LordSutch · 03-05-2017 06:08AM

Don't know if its already bee mentioned but whatever happened to 'Cyber Cafés' / internet cafés? A dedicated café for using the internet while having a nibble a a cuppa!

pilly · 03-05-2017 06:52AM

LordSutch wrote:

Don't know if its already bee mentioned but whatever happened to 'Cyber CafÃ©s' / internet cafÃ©s? A dedicated cafÃ© for using the internet while having a nibble a a cuppa!

There's still kinds of these in big shopping centres.

gramar · 03-05-2017 07:38AM

I was in one in Stansted once. Had a few hours to kill.
I don't drink coffee so just sat down plugged in the mobile to charge
and surfed away. They when the fella beside me left I took his empty cup
and put it in front of me to make it look like it was mine.

TrustedApple · 03-05-2017 08:34AM

I said this before when i was a student i used to bring my own macbook to the coffee shop for a 1 or 2 to do some college work i done this to get out of the apartment for some fresh air and a change of everment to do my work.

I had 200MB WIFI in the apartment and its not with been cheap useing some one elses. I would get a coffee and a cake and do my college work.

Quite a few times in my last job when i was working from home i would do 2 or 3 hours in the coffee shop that i lived next to with coffee and cake again for the change in whats around me for a few hours i find i got way more work done buy working in a public place.

Pelvis · 03-05-2017 08:46AM

It is kind of strange how so many of those in coffee shops are Mac users, especially if you're in close proximity to a college. Was in Starbucks by DIT the other day and literally I saw table after table of Macbooks, like really expensive dominoes.

Now, I would assume the majority of laptop owners aren't Macbook users, but the majority in coffee shops are. Why is that?

OldMrBrennan83 · 03-05-2017 08:52AM

This post has been deleted.

Cafes and laptops/tablets???

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