People working on laptops in cafes 😡

If people using laptops in cafés is a problem I wonder why so many have multiple electric sockets scattered around? It certainly wasn't the norm years ago. I'd think those cafés that don't welcome laptop users could solve the problem quite easily by removing free wifi and electric sockets. Nobody needs wifi if they're just drinking coffee or eating lunch. Then those establishments that welcome people who will be engaging with electronic devices could advertise themselves as such along with the free wifi and electrical outlets.

I used to work as a librarian and I can assure you my library was never a silent place. It comprised one long room with no dividion of the public areas. There were a few tables at the back where the likes of students and people reading the papers used to gather. The main room was quite noisy and we also had childrens activities every week. I can remember one woman who was trying to study complaining about the noise the children were making. I told her the library is for everyone, including children, and advised her to avoid the 6-7 hour on a thursday night or use the reference library.

I have often been in cafes where people are on their laptops.
They usually sit there for a long time with just one cup of coffee and usually take up a whole table and the best seats.

I am sick of people sitting with their laptops in our local Cafe. They buy one coffee and sit their for ever while the likes of other people can't get a seat. I cant understand how these Cafe's allow it. They are losing money surely.

This thread has madd me realise how lucky we are in our town. I think the laptop people go to Costa and Starbucks and leave the lovely independents to the rest of us. The one I use has sofas, armchairs, normal tables and chairs and lots of space for NCT groups, wheelchairs, Rollators.

My local Costa has many people working on laptops in the cafe , they usually are at a large table on their own and having watched a number of them they usually buy one small drink then drink their own water once that has been consumed .

Brings a whole new meaning to "outsourcing" - ie the number of employers that seem to be "outsourcing" their work accommodation needs to local cafes....

I wonder just how many of those on laptops are employees - rather than self-employed - and that is what is happening here?

It’s a coffee shop, they are mostly regulars, and order coffee & work mostly in their break etc, and just as entitled to use the coffee shop as you, in fact many their best customers.
Why should they move? Perhaps you should go to a M&S Cafe, Tea room or go to the coffee shop for your ‘cuppa tea’ at perhaps a less busy time.

Ladyleftfieldlover

I’m assuming those people with laptops are ordering coffee and tea every now and again !

Hardly ever. And one person taking up a 4 seater table, using their internet and electricity for hours on end. Staff and not trained to ask them to vacate or purchase. It would not be so bad if it was not most of the available seating - on one recent outing I counted eight, plus a loud meeting going on and no sign of anything hot on any of the tables.

Tuliptree

This thread has madd me realise how lucky we are in our town. I think the laptop people go to Costa and Starbucks and leave the lovely independents to the rest of us. The one I use has sofas, armchairs, normal tables and chairs and lots of space for NCT groups, wheelchairs, Rollators.

Nearly all of those around me have multiple undisciplined dogs cluttering the floor or wandering around. Just as bad

One of our local cafes has a counter along one side, where there are charging outlets. They encourage laptop workers to sit there and allow the tables for groups that are interacting.

CanadianGran

One of our local cafes has a counter along one side, where there are charging outlets. They encourage laptop workers to sit there and allow the tables for groups that are interacting.

This seems sensible. Rather than have the needs of one group dictate to the other, they can help both to get the best out of their visit.

Is good to know is not just me. Thought that I must be being a bit unreasonable/mean.
Obviously everyone’s experience of this is different so others may not have come across it in the same way, or simply don’t mind. But seeing as at least one person who owns a cafe on here has spoken out about it, I think it probs is not just annoying to some customers.

Speak to the manager. You might be lucky to phone and get a reserved seat.

Perhaps there needs to be some seating designated for the disabled,

Gfplux

Speak to the manager. You might be lucky to phone and get a reserved seat.

Perhaps there needs to be some seating designated for the disabled,

Not sure if designated disabled seating would help or no.

Some people needing it would take it....others who need it would sit there and think "I'm not doing anything publicly that marks me out as disabled" (try having the mother I had and you know that fact and I gave up using one or two things that made my own life easier because I didn't want to use them). Each to their own on that - but I know some of us are certainly very self-conscious about that. I knew when I was onto an impossible task offering to buy my mother the "poshest/nicest walking stick I can find" - and she still wouldnt use one.

Add the fact that maybe there'd be empty "disabled" seats with no-one requiring them - but no-one else daring to use them whilst they were empty.

I agree with CariadAgain, I think most cafes are not big enough to incorporate disabled seating and as said seats would be empty or occupied by people who look able bodied but could have invisible disabilities who would then suffer confrontation from angry customers. I do, however, need to insist upon a priority seat on public transport and a disabled loo is essential.
Don’t think the majority of cafes will reserve seats due to the high turnover of customers, most don’t stay too long so is not an issue, except with the old lap top workers.
The first come first served rule is fine, but I imagine those working on their laptops will arrive early in order to work, so unless we set our alarm clocks that won’t work, and it takes my DH a long time to get up and washed and dressed with help from myself.
Am more than happy to share a table with those working, but not sure the feeling would be mutual, but from now on will do exactly this.

Nannan2

Book groups,knitting groups,mum& baby groups etc can all be organised with church halls or librarys etc so no need to sit in cafés.

It’s all about choice! None of us really should prevent choice from ALL customers, those just wanting a cuppa, cake and a chat right across the spectrum of being doing other things on cafes.

It’s always going to annoy someone somewhere whatever happens, I get quite annoyed (unreasonably) when I cannot get a seat in my fav places straight away or cannot park at my fav garden centres etc.

It’s all just part of life.

It’s good to be able to comment, rant, moan and debate in here, it should be a “safe” place.

When it comes to “real life”, imo, it would be awful to start asking people to leave cafes, using a laptop, being on their tablet or phone, even reading a book or magazine, might prompt this and I just think these little frustrations are just part of life, be annoyed and give a big sigh and then find another option for that day.

Robin202

As a coffee shop owner and one which served food, I can speak from experience.
When you’re running a very busy establishment and a laptop user comes in and takes over a table for 4 and proceeds to stay there for 2-4hrs, with maybe a couple of purchases during that time, it is extremely frustrating for the owner as they are potentially losing business and customers walk out as they cannot find a table.
When you think how many times that table could be used during a 2-4hr period and the likely spend from breakfasts through to lunch and afternoon teas, the losses can be quite high.
On a couple of occasions we had someone use our coffee shop to hold interviews! The ‘applicants’ didn't purchase anything and the interviewer, a couple of coffees. A blatant disregard for what a coffee shop should be used for.
Another couple came in, both on their laptops, which were plugged in to charge and alongside their phones and a satnav (Im going back a few years now). They stayed around 4 hrs, had breakfast, a couple of coffees and took up a large table.
Staff enquired if they’d like anything else, whilst they sat there with empty cups. No, they were quite happy, using our space, heating, facilities, oblivious to us needing the table as people wanted to eat.
So, I took great delight in switching off the wi-fi. The lady came shrieking round the corner that the wifi had gone off and she was charging her satnav!!
I just smiled and said. “Yes, that does happen sometimes”.

They packed up and left.

So my thoughts are, an hour is OK with coffee/food. Anything over with no purchase is taking a liberty.

Thanks for sharing your real life lived experience. Does put a different slant on things.

Would you ask your laptop users to leave? Or someone reading a book for ages?

I think ALL of us need to be a little more tolerant and I’d had no issues sharing my table if I’d sat there alone on a four person table and people had no where else to seat, whether I was using an electronic device, reading a book or stating aimlessly into space (I do this a lot, I call it thinking!)

They're paying customers so have as much right to be there as you or anyone else. And you think they should be punished for it? Libraries don't allow people to sit and drink coffee, they expect silence and aren't really the best place for working... Plus if you visited the library and they had taken the comfy seats you'd have the exact same issues about it.

Unfortunately you nor anyone else can dictate who sits where in a cafe and for how long, nor do you know the reason why they're there.

I used to sit in my local cafe with my laptop for hours, I bought coffee frequently but I wasn't working... I was avoiding my abusive partner who was at home.
I had as much right as any other person to be there, regardless of the reasons.

What a great story Robin202 !
Interesting to hear the views on this from someone who actually loses out financially from those selfish people we have been discussing.

Turning off the wifi was an inspired idea!

Most people hit spot off of their work phones, no need to use anyone else’s WiFi.

This is what we do with GC.

As an owner of a cafe it is really annoying as they are taking up space and can make one coffee last an hour so loss of revenue. But what can you do.

seasider

I am surprised so many people are able to work in coffee shops . We are not allowed due to security of the information we use. I do agree “home “ workers should be considerate and not take up a big table . A lady in Nero’s flounced off when I sat down in an empty seat at the table ( she had one of four seats and I did ask) as she wanted to spread the free paper on the table !

Oh dear, how terrible for you.

I tend to feel edgy if I've sat for a while in a café if it's busy.
I mentioned this when I was in one with my son, once, not on laptops just talking, but he thought there was nothing to worry about.

Dreadwitch

They're paying customers so have as much right to be there as you or anyone else. And you think they should be punished for it? Libraries don't allow people to sit and drink coffee, they expect silence and aren't really the best place for working... Plus if you visited the library and they had taken the comfy seats you'd have the exact same issues about it.

Unfortunately you nor anyone else can dictate who sits where in a cafe and for how long, nor do you know the reason why they're there.

I used to sit in my local cafe with my laptop for hours, I bought coffee frequently but I wasn't working... I was avoiding my abusive partner who was at home.
I had as much right as any other person to be there, regardless of the reasons.

Now that - ie avoiding abusive partner - is a valid reason imo for staying put there.

Wondering how that would have mixed with the fact I'm a bit of a people-watcher - and I've long since lost count of how many people I land up chatting with (at least in this part of the country - where they are often chattier than I'm used to). If anyone in the place was going to realise = there's a good chance it would have been me...