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.

That still wouldn’t be enough for a cafe to turn a profit. In half a day they could have 20 or more customers, each spending a minimum of £3.40, say, for a coffee, some will will be eating too. For a full day even more loss. Just rent a space, go to the library or work from home. I’m fine with someone working for half an hour while they have a coffee, as long as they aren’t making work calls, but then they should move on.

If cafes are going to be charging for laptop people, they should really be offering food with that otherwise it's a rip off.

So, you could get food and drink and regular intervals for £20 as is already the case.

Or you could pay £20 and have nothing? And pay an extra £20 for food and drink?

If I'm going to pay, I'd use a proper venue with desks etc. bit much to charge without any refreshments.

All that's really needed is a bit of common sense. Some environments are suitable and encourage it. Others are not suitable.

Same way I wouldn't barge a pram with a toddler in to a small intimate cafe. That's for Starbucks/Costa.

I think that’s kind of the point. Cafe owners making that kind of charge don’t want you there. They’d much prefer you to use a proper venue.

I don't think so. Because they could have a policy that stipulates you can't sit without buying, so laptopers (and everyone) must buy food and drink.

If they turn laptopers away, on a dry day when there aren't customers, those people aren't coming.

I don't particularly care what a small cafe does, it's up to them, but the problem is people not buying proportionately to their stay an wasting productive floor space.

Because they could have a policy that stipulates you can't sit without buying, so laptopers (and everyone) must buy food and drink.

They could. And the fact that they don’t makes it pretty clear that they don’t want people working there, presumably because other customers don’t like it.

Ok, then complete the home visits during the day, and go back to the office at the end of the day to write up the notes on the system. Or turn “theory” into actuality and write the notes up in the car. Maybe bring a cushion and grab a free drink refill from Wetherspoons to make the task more “comfy.” In any case, stop using cafes and pubs as office space: that is not their purpose.

Not to mention the confidentially question.

When I worked at a university, we were chastised for grading essays in the Cafe Nero across the road. We were also told to turn off our computer every time we went to the bathroom, even though the only people who might see it would be our colleagues. And I would say that most information held on these computers would be a lot less sensitive than case reports written by health workers.

Just one more reason why a cafe is not a suitable environment for working.

The office is closed at the end of the day. Yes writing up in the car is what some colleagues do.

I like to write in cafes once or twice a week in my lunch break. Always buy lunch and a drink, and not there for longer than forty/five minutes usually. Good for getting me out the house. If I stay longer, I buy more.

I was in a cafe with a friend and her newborn recently and her baby began to cry - for less than 1 minute whilst my friend adjusted herself to start feeding - and a man at the next table told us to be quiet as he was trying to work.

It was a cafe in a suburban town, not a cafe in the City.

If cafes are going to be charging for laptop people, they should really be offering food with that otherwise it's a rip off.

So, you could get food and drink and regular intervals for £20 as is already the case.

Or you could pay £20 and have nothing?

A table
A chair
Heating
Lighting
Wi-Fi
A power source to plug in your laptop
Access to a toilet

You think those all come free?

I’ve found the replies here really interesting. I had mainly thought about it from the perspective of the blocking of tables and it impacting the cafe revenue from that point of view. It’s interesting to see how many people are genuinely off by the work vibe and may not choose to stay as long or pick somewhere else so the cafe is losing out there too

Do rental office spaces offer food as part of the price?

@SoupDragon The one near us offers free hot drinks and some snacks in the price. So yes.

I think each cafe can set its own rules.
If you don't like their rules go somewhere else.

I mean, Canterbury has three universities, the cafe is likely pissed off with broke students taking up tables when tourists regularly visit to see the cathedral.

Then organise and plan your day such that you have enough time after your last home visit to return to the office and input your notes into the system before the office closes for the day. Simple. Or do as your other colleagues do, and input them into the system in the car. The more salient issue for you, however, is why you’re compromising client confidentiality by using cafes to write-up sensitive case notes. Using cafes as free office space, pales in comparison to that.

Good for them

cafes are not there as an alternative to an office for people to save money

I sometimes take my laptop into a cafe to get away from WFH, but I only stay as long as the lunch lasts. It used to piss me off at one cafe, where this couple took up a four seat table for most of the day, with one cup of tea each. Lately though the thing I've noticed is people watching things on laptops (and phones) with the volume on and no headphones, I can't get that. So my experience lately is that some people on laptops can be very disturbing to other people. But on the subject of whether people should use it for that, totally depends on the venue. A village pub near me offers a flat rate inc tea/coffee as they are quiet during the week, but I wouldn't expect a city centre cafe to do the same

Absolutely right for all of the reasons you've named. The whole idea of a cafe is to have food, drink, move on for other customers. If you want to work on a laptop in peace then the library would be a better environment. They have a business to run, not to provide a home from home for the whole day. Xx

Not you! Why on earth would you have a job interview in a cafe?

I have a friend who spends about 5 hours a day, 3 times a week in her local cafe. No laptop though... she does crafts such as cross stitch, and listens to an audiobook.

People WFH in cafes are getting a lot of hate here, but they are not the only people who hog tables for ages.