As a telecommuter, I recognize when I go work from a coffee shop that I am using their resources. But that's why I 1) buy stuff while I'm there, and 2) tell all of my friends what a great place it is.
If one of my local shops pulled this on me, they'd not only lose my business, but that of friends when I tell them about the experience. Perhaps this isn't a big concern (I'm not particularly important, after all). But if it happens with enough customers, it could be bad for business in a more broad sense.
I recognize when I go work from a coffee shop that I am using their resources.
You should also recognize that you're using the resource (rivalrous) of other patrons.
they'd not only lose my business, but that of friends when I tell them about the experience.
Nothing personal, but if what you're telling them is that it's a good shop because they let you hang out all the time while buying little (less than their normal sit-down turnover proportion), then it's probably better that all of you stay away. I mean, your friends probably aren't idiots and they know you're not recommending the shop because you can't stop drinking their coffee and eating their food.
What would benefit the shop the most is if you were going broke from spending so much money there, and I'm gonna guess that's not the message you're sending. Your tone is really more of the (prospective) freelance client who says the gig is going to be "good for your portfolio," so can you work for cheap this time?
Again, I don't know you so this can't be personal, and you very well may only be there for an hour a day. It would be interesting to see proponents of coffee-camping and their $/hr spend at the places they set up shop.
Don't worry, I don't take your tone personally. :-)
I usually only go for half a day (4ish hours), and I wouldn't be surprised if I pay less than the usual turnover rate over time. However, given my locale, it's not unusual for me to be one of the only people in the coffee shop for the majority of my time there. So I'm not really a rival for other patrons too often.
I guess the take-away point here is that blanket statements about laptop hobos is kind of a sensationalist sentiment. I am sure there are folks negatively effecting some coffee shops, and I am equally sure there are some positively effecting others.
Agreed. I was a telecommuter for two years and regularly worked from my local coffee shop for 2-3 hours a day, usually mid-morning or mid-afternoon when it wasn't terribly crowded. I spent around $150 a month on coffee, on average. Like you, I also brought friends regularly.
If my coffee shop had pulled something like this, they would have lost a regular, paying customer. I kind of resent the "hobo" label.
Pulled something like what? From the article, the actions taken include "limited access to wifi at peak lunch hours and turned it off on weekends" at one place and "instituted a half hour wifi policy between 11.30 and 1.30" in another cafe. How would either of these have bothered you, when it sounds like you are already working around those times as a self imposed restriction? It kind of sounds like you are self identifying with people who do things that you deliberately don't do, which is odd.
If you're ethical about it, then cool. If you're one of those that think a $3.50 coffee entitles you to 4+ hours of electricity, seat, + Internet access, then you're the problem the coffee houses need to address.
If one of my local shops pulled this on me, they'd not only lose my business, but that of friends when I tell them about the experience. Perhaps this isn't a big concern (I'm not particularly important, after all). But if it happens with enough customers, it could be bad for business in a more broad sense.