Laptops banned in cafe

[Pricklylikethecactus]

A cafe in Canterbury has banned laptops after people asked staff to be quiet when they were on zoom calls, asked for the music to be turned off and generally ruined the atmosphere. They also said that these customers blocked tables, that could be used by more profitable customers as many of these people would just by a £3 coffee and keep the table for several hours.

I’ve worked from cafes from time to time, but always try to make sure I spend a some money periodically-even if it is a cake to take home or an extra coffee to pay my way, but I do see others just paying for a single drink.

Is this cafe in Canterbury right, are these people taking the piss? And do you ever do this and find somewhere to work for several hours and only spend a tiny amount-and why is that ok? These places are trying to run a business after all.

And weatherspoons tends to have lots of tables, so during the day there are always tables free.
Given that their profits have increased, they are obviously making it work.

And the chain closed/sold over 50 of its sites in 2023 so the model may not be sustainable for much longer.

And now it's opening new sites

Same.

Re. The poster who said dogs are not in “every” cafe, it probably depends on the area but they are in most cafes in my area - the only exception (that I’m aware of) being the one Costa in my town. I refuse to go to or even order from my local cafe Nero as it reeks of wet dog always.

Seeing all the recommendations for Spoons I may check mine out. TBH, I enjoy WFH four days a week in my flat , and it works for me, but if I fancy a change of scenery during the summer I may spend a couple of hours there as there’s one a 3 minute walk from me.

What I like about Spoons is you can download the app, so you don't need to move your laptop and carry everything to order food and drink, the staff are very sociable and nice, and the food is cheap, so you can get a drink and a meal and it's still economical. Spoons do vary though, ours is huge and very nice, I expect some are less so. With closing down/opening up, it's pretty obvious that he's closing down ones where the profits are low but the building value is probably extremely high, and then opening more in very profitable areas. Spoons staff are always upbeat, and in our local one, they have long-standing staff and also employ people with learning disabilities again, long-term. Whatever his business model is, and I don't like his politics, he's providing what people want, including laptop users!

I agree. I think weatherspoons have some of the best staff.

They can use some of the cash they're saving by reduced commuting costs and not needing so many "work" clothes!

And the chain closed/sold over 50 of its sites in 2023 so the model may not be sustainable for much longer.

Because the lease on the building had expired, or it was part of a site that was due for redevelopment, or there was, or was planned, another branch nearby. https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/news/2023/08/press-correction?page=3&y=0&c=%2c&i=10

I don't think I've ever been in a Wspoons, at any time of day from breakfast to late evening, that wasn't busy. To the point where the laptoppers were taking up tables and booths that were needed by newly arriving customers.

Like any sensible business, they close the unprofitable ones and open new ones in different areas that are more likely to be profitable.

Not all businesses are insane like Woolworths who kept all stores open, despite many losing money, which eventually brought the whole chain down!

There will always be customers that try to get as much from a shop or business for as little as possible. Just like people who return clothes for refunds when they have been worn say for a party.

The cafe I defend for their choice, just hope all signs are clear for the sake of the staff who work there.

I wonder how many of the Zoom calls/meetings were unnecessary or longer than needs be.

I'm with the café on this one, far too many people take up tables and barely order anything yet sit there for hours. That's without the audacity of asking staff or other customers to be quiet.

Honestly you are just showing your utter lack of knowledge.
If I go into the office I pay £4 bus return. There is no co working office spaces that cost £4 a day.
And I do not have "work" clothes. I am an office worker. I wear casual or smart tops and trousers I would wear in everyday life.

Weatherspoons have increased their profits this year. Whatever they are doing it makes money.
Cafes can ban people with laptops if they want, I do not care. But if you want a very cheap working or social space go to weatherspoons.

Yanbu. Co working spaces exist for this reason

I go to my fave cafe mostly on my own but also with my family and friends. Always recommend it to visitors and will more often than not suggest it to meet up in.

Been going there 8 years since it opened and they can't be too bothered about me as they usually give me a discount rate as I'm a regular!

Ok, you hate Tim, but love his free coffee refills, and the fact that you can sit there all morning with your friends without having to buy anything. Fair enough. This conversation seems to have veered off in a completely different direction. Earlier you were arguing that “low-paid” workers need to use cafes to write up their home visit notes, which most likely are of a confidential nature. I think that if these low paid workers can’t find a co-working hub for £4 a day then they need to return to the office to write up those notes. If their employer, the NHS or LA, is encouraging them to use public places, like cafes or pubs, to be writing up those confidential notes then the employer needs to be called out.

Bloody excellent! More power to that cafe's owner.

There's a smashing country pub near us that is totally ruined at lunchtimes because of the business people who seemingly cannot eat lunch without having a laptop open on the table.

@ThisCoolGreenTiger I am telling you this is how the NHS and some local authorities operate. As I explained they can not return to the office. They are visiting people at home and would do very few visits if they had to travel back to the office to do paperwork in between each visit.
This is jobs that are low paid and have always involved travelling around for visits. The real difference is that the paperwork has substantially increased.
If you really want all these staff to only do 2 or 3 visits a day, then you will have to pay more council tax.

In the coffee shop I regularly go in,I have witnessed people going in and using a laptop for 2 hours and not buying anything! Nothing ever gets said to them.

You could get away with that in weatherspoons.

There is co-working spaces. They can go there’s if they want quiet for zoom calls.

Wetherspoons

I’m sorry, I really don’t understand why they can’t return back to the office to complete their confidential paperwork? It is confidential, isn’t it? They could take one day to do home visits, and use the next day in the office (not at a cafe or pub) to update their case notes, complete their assessments/reports, make referrals and whatever other paperwork they need to finish up. Or conversely, they could do the home visits in the morning and their paperwork in the afternoon at the office. Isn’t this a more efficient use of their time?

Or do the paperwork in the client’s home. Or their car.

The notes need to be written up on the system that day. There are targets set by the regulatory body. The targets are to ensure the notes are as accurate as possible.
In theory they could write them up in the car and some people do, not very comfy though. Most clients would not want someone after a visit sitting in their home for half an hour not communicating but completing paperwork.