Fed up with drinking coffee in other people’s offices.

[canyouseemyhousefromhere]

That’s what it feels like lately. I popped in for a coffee in a local coffee shop and was surrounded by four separate people working with laptops, headphones and piles of paperwork talking loudly to ‘clients’ . No food or drink in sight. I have just heard one of them invite 2 people to a meeting in this cafe, he’s busy arranging chairs (carrying them across the cafe) as I type.
I have no particular problem to people working in coffee shops but some are really taking the p now.
They often take the best tables and are now frequently causing a nuisance. I have seen two groups of shoppers change their minds whilst in the queue not sure if it’s because of the office people or just coincidence.
Is there also a confidentiality issue here perhaps? A list with personal information was clearly in view on the table.
Does anyone else feel fed up with this or am I just being a misery? 🤷‍♀️

Bet they weren't all shouting at the bloke sitting opposite them

I would have just said it’s a public place, not your conference room. And then deliberately talked louder

What a CF!

Christ alive, you’re taking obtuse (and pedantic) to a whole new level, even for Mumsnet. I’m pretty sure JKR wasn’t yelling down a phone at the top of her voice about the plot of HP while she was writing it in coffee shops. But you know that. Just as you know there’s a difference between a philosophical in-person conversation and a top-volume zoom work call.

Is there also a confidentiality issue here perhaps?

A few years ago I found out a client of ours was speaking with a competitor because I overheard someone who was picking up lunch after the meeting on the phone to her boss mentioning our clients name, what she spoke to them about, and how well the meeting went.

I won’t let anyone in my team have Teams meeting in a public space because of this.

A friend once commuted home next to woman who clearly worked in HR having a loud work call about a member of staff on the train. She said it was fascinating but was also 😮 at the complete lack of professionalism.

I think the rise of working elsewhere than the office has made some people forget about confidentiality.

More generally, one major psychological effect of lockdown is that some people have lost the ability to put up with the low level of irritation that can arise from being in public with others. You know the sort of thing: people on phones, chatting with each other, working. It's an important part of socialisation, but it's a learned skill, not innate. It's very possible to lose it after months or years of social isolation.

Loud mobile phone conversations in public places were deemed to be a nuisance long before Covid.

The people who want to spend all day in a coffee shop should go to a co working space instead.

Well said. I think those who insist on policing others' behaviour to conform to their idea of a "leisure space" are quite entitled. They don't seem to understand that other people can use coffee shops for whatever purposes suit them. Complaining about the volume, tone or nature of other people's conversations in a public space - or at least a commercial space which you don't own - is ridiculous behaviour.

Also it's a rammed Pret? It's hardly the sanctity of a luxury spa. Who on earth goes to a Pret expecting enjoyable vibes.

Of course they can use the space as they like. And other people can think they’re inconsiderate dicks, as well as possibly unprofessional (regarding confidentiality and unsecured WiFi) and vote with their feet.

But we live in a world where the self-centred and inconsiderate rule the roost, and that usually reaches a point where legislation has to come into play because people can’t be trusted to behave considerately. So just be careful of what you wish for.

Or shout “Bye Gloria (insert name of person they are calling) lovely to meet you!” as he is saying his goodbyes on the call 😁

Do you think parents with loud children in coffee shops are inconsiderate dicks?

Loud groups of friends? People who swear?

Welcome to the outside world where people are sometimes annoying. Get over it.

You're spot on. This happened before actually. I sat (or was seated) on a two seater table. On arrival I said "somewhere to work for a couple of hours" expecting a seat at the breakfast bar thing. They sat me at a two seater table and once I'd finished by breakfast I made it clear when they collected my plate if they need to move me then please say.

They did about 40 mins later. Absolutely no problem at all. Sat at the breakfast bar thing with another chap who said and did the same.

Considerate workers are about! We're not all entitled arseholes at six seater tables bellowing into our zoom calls for hours on end nursing a cold single espresso.

I do think groups of mums who take up huge amounts of space with their buggies and make it hard for others to access the counter/tables/toilets are inconsiderate.

Yup, all inconsiderate.

Imagine a world where people weee mindful of the impact they have on others, instead of being completely self-absorbed as has become not just normal but encouraged in the western world. Bliss.

I am 100% sure that at some point in your life you've been less than mindful of people around you and annoyed them.

This 100%

How does she know?

Because she can hear them.

Oh god yes. I was in a cafe the other day and some bloke was having a very loud Teams meeting. He was spouting such David Brent style crap, if you work for Windsor Galleries you have my sympathy as your manager is a twat.

You're right about cafes in Wales being shut, I was on holiday in Llanberis & by 3pm the cafes were shut. I remember one day, walking up the high street along with other 2 coach loads, so 60 people, all gasping for a cuppa. Not one cafe was open, they all opened at 9am & shut at 2 - 3pm.

This was in peak summer n in August where they could have made an absolute killing. It made no business sense to me at all why they would close so early.

Because your meeting should be private and a coffee shop is a public space

It's up to you if coffee shop to decide it's own policy. The cafe near my place of work has imposed a max 1.5 hour table limit limit and silent working only, because of people hogging the tables and taking long calls or having video meetings.

I have sometimes cancelled an order at the counter if there is no table service where there is no obvious suitable free table to to go elsewhere.

I'm surprised that the cafe industry can afford to lose paying customers when the seats and tables are occupied for 3 hours or so by someone who may only order one drink, but it's largely down to the coffee shop to manage this post COVID trend..

I think much of these issues is that people can't handle any confrontation or conflict, or simply don't care. I'm finding service levels have really dropped since covid, in terms of people not clearing tables or coming to ask if you want another coffee etc which all brings in more money, so they might not even be aware of the effect.

What’s wrong with working from home? I am not allowed to take my laptop outside of my home for confidentiality reasons - I have my own coffee on tap - can be in my comfy clothes etc

Another person deliberately misinterpreting the OP. It wasn’t a rammed Pret, it was an independent coffee shop in a bookshop. For fear of repeating myself; Many conversations going on, personal phone conversations and children chatting I have absolutely no problem with.

Tarquin/Melissa/Boris/Mary organising the space to facilitate a zoom/teams meeting, using multiple tables & chairs and speaking in a loud affected voice is quite different. I certainly wouldn’t be happy if I knew my business (and personal details) were being shared in a public space.

In fact I may start asking what their policy on this is next time I speak to someone at a company I’m dealing with.

They are often using unsecured WiFi networks remember too.

This is actually true of many rural/tourist areas. I notice it in Scotland as well when we are on holiday there.