The All Day Hang Out Guy

[hefegrande]

Ok.... i work at a small bakery/ coffee store...

We have wireless internet for the customers to use while they eat. So this guy comes in yesterday and brings his laptop, asks me for the password, which i gladly give him.

HE STAYED FOR 9 HOURS, my entire work day....
He was totally sneaky about it too, he spreads out his one dollar purchases over 2 hours so it seems like hes spending money all day.. i dont think he spent 5 dollars all day. and it gets better..

HE'S BACK TODAY!! i don't know what to do. I just want to be able to lock the door and take a dump in peace!

[Sheldonrs]

Ok.... I just want to be able to lock the door and take a dump in peace!

Maybe if you take one that's not peaceful he'll leave. haha

[hefegrande]

hahaha i"ll tell you what, this guy has a GREAT idea... i mean he's using my store as his office basically, theres no overhead cost for him! and he thinks because he buys 3 things throughout the day that he can take business calls in my store... he's got a mouth on him too, which i don't personally care for/about but the second he curses and theres a kid in my store, this guy is OUTTA HERE

[Hawkguy]

Tell him

you need to go to the bank for change, lock the door and put a note on it. "Back in 5 minutes. Had to go to the bank." At least you will have time for a bathroom break.

[tollbaby]

Well, I'd tell him there's a 1-hour maximum and that he needs to go use the public library if he wants a place to sit around all day. Obviously can't afford internet access and is mooching it wherever he can

[hefegrande]

haha thankyou for the suggestions guys! i blew it on the one hour limit cause i didn't say something yesteday. but i'm giving him until 12 to buy something else and then i'm gonna tell him to hit the road

[AnaKhouri]

Good idea. I get really frustrated when people come into my bookstore and treat it like a library- or like their living room. There are people who literally stay from the time we open to the time we close, eating lunch and dinner in the cafe, sleeping in the chairs, reading books and never buying a thing...I saw one guy the other day with his feet propped up, shoes off, mouth wide open and snoring. But we're not allowed to do anything about it!!

...except every once in a while I will 'accidentally' stumble and bump into their chairs. "Oh, I'm sorry about that! I'm so clumsy! Did I wake you, you bastard?"

[JoitheArtist]

Good idea. I get really frustrated when people come into my bookstore and treat it like a library- or like their living room. There are people who literally stay from the time we open to the time we close, eating lunch and dinner in the cafe, sleeping in the chairs, reading books and never buying a thing...

Ugh, my sympathies! I definately have a tendency to hang out in my local bookstore for hours at a time, but I also try to make sure that I only do that on days when I'm spending money in there (not just $5 paperbooks, usually more like $20-$40 worth of books). I've seen people treat the store like a hotel, and it's really irritating!

[elysia]

Ugh. I've worked in a cafe and I'm all too familiar with these guys. At least hes not talking to YOU all day. Gah, those losers with nothing else to do except sit there all day and gab at you about their life story when you are trying to work or not work in peace.

[hefegrande]

first of all, Elysia, LOVE YOUR ICON! "Come inside! have a cuppa tea! meet the misses!"

back to hangout guy:
The spending is why i'm so mad.. he spends like 5 bucks all day but stretches it out over 9 hours... This guy is putting in a work day in my bakery... and he didn't even tip me... He's had plenty of chances to make it clear that he understands that what he's doing is potentially very annoying and could make up for it by either spending a reasonable amount of money or at least tipping me for letting him use my electricity and internet... Im fed up. NOW HE'S ON HIS SPEAKERPHONE thats it....

[Automan Empire]

Oh, now THIS is easy to fix. Just turn off the wireless router! Dunno what happened sir, too bad, how sad. Have a nice day.

I wish cell phone jammers were legal, too!

As for that bookstore chain, what are they thinking, making it THE NORM to be able to hang out all day in the store, treating the NEW merchandise as less than public library books with crumbs and coffee spills. Not only does the whole inventory wind up getting shopworn, but it makes the SCs think that EVERY retail establishment exists to be a try-but-don't-buy emporium.

[Rapscallion]

As for that bookstore chain, what are they thinking, making it THE NORM to be able to hang out all day in the store, treating the NEW merchandise as less than public library books with crumbs and coffee spills. Not only does the whole inventory wind up getting shopworn, but it makes the SCs tink that EVERY retail establishment exists to be a try-but-don't-buy emporium.

The problem is that the chain involved did their sums and worked out that more people would buy books from them than the cost of the written-off merchandise. They also knew it would make their competition look bad in comparison. The people doing the sums and making the decisions are not the ones who have to pick up after people and deal with the heartbreak of a broken book, or of people using the place as daycare, etc.

From a strategic point of view, it's a great idea (as long as it pays off, and it seems to be doing so at the moment). From a frontline worker point of view, it sucks.

Rapscallion

[Samaliel]

Good idea. I get really frustrated when people come into my bookstore and treat it like a library- or like their living room.

There's a chain that actually advertised on that very point, and that was BEFORE the trend of putting cafés and armchairs in the Books department. The ad went along these lines :
"This is Georges" (Geeky looking guy, standing by a bookshelf, obviously in store, reading a book)
"Georges knows our stuff almost as well as our employees" (Same guy, chatting with other customers and an employee)
"Georges likes our stores." (Same guy, reading another book, somewhere else, still in store)
"And we like Georges too." (Same guy, reading a comic book, sitting by a bookshelf)
"We just wish Georges would buy something from us from time to time."

And now they've put some cafés (I can't remember if they went with Starbucks and Virgin Megastore with Columbus, or if it's the other way around), armchairs and couches.

[hefegrande]

Oh, now THIS is easy to fix. Just turn off the wireless router! Dunno what happened sir, too bad, how sad. Have a nice day.

wow i feel dumb.... THANKYOU!!!!!!!!!

I had a great first day on the forums, so much great input!

[Custard Chick]

Panera offers free wi-fi also, causing MANY people to take advantage. We had the same problem of people parking, literally, ALL DAY just using out wireless. It got so bad that during the lunch rush, customers wouldn't have a place to sit because the majority of seats were filled with people using the wireless and sipping on free-refill coffee.

My managers solution was to shut down the wireless from 11am until 2pm, clearing out the place of the wi-fi junkies and giving paying customers the opportunity to sit. It seems to work fairly well.