Customers who hog tables

That's a good idea, I think.
It's a shame for people who have something other than work to do online, but it is a pain to try and fit in around mobile offices.

I haven’t come across people in cafes plonking down and buying little or nothing. I think here they would be asked to leave. It is also not that common that you see people with laptops,either. Thank goodness.

Totally agree. Last year I was in New York and one of the Starbucks had the coffee shop over 3 floors, with the top floor as a lounge area. Thought we would go up to that. Nearly every table, Sofa and bucket chair had someone with a Laptop, and a cup that had probably sat there for a while. Hardly anyone who called in for a drink had anywhere to sit. There were 6 of us, we muscled in took over a table, bit noisy and the looks we got, very funny. We probably spent more than most of those glued to their Laptop all day. Me, I too would put a time limit on it per person, in a small local set up that's lost revenue.

Customers who hog tables

They are incredibly annoying, and actually rather rude.

There was a lovely cafe near us which we really liked. Gradually, it became obvious that students/the laptop brigade were taking over and hogging all the tables on one cup of coffee while we, who had been planning a nice lunch with wine, had to go elsewhere. Needless to say that cafe has now closed down.

Something will need to be done, because the advantages of working from home in a café will become more apparent with the rising fuel prices.
If WFHITK increases, the café owners will suffer financially and other customers will eventually go elsewhere.

If there is no space left in a cafe when I'm occupying a table I would usually offer somebody who is waiting a seat at mine,

Franski

There's a cafe i go to where customers seem to sit on their laptops for ages with just a coffee or water. It's really annoying when you can't find anywhere to sit or watch other customers come in and leave because there are no tables free. I know it's not my business but i feel as though the staff should do something. Its a chain cafe so it's not an independently owned so it feels like nobody cares that much. Grr.

Wouldn't it be absolute FUN to squish yourself in beside them and say 'Ooh what's that you're doing?' (While pushing your head right up to their screen) Then saying things like 'Is that to a friend or a workmate ? Ooh You need a capital letter to start a sentence.Ooh you don't spell 'Annoyance' with one 'N'

My goodness I bet they'd not get their screen shut fast enough .
Go in the next week at the same time 'Cooeee, hello again, Mind if I sit here, oh good'

Brilliant Franski!

rocketstop I mean!

Yes rocketstop

I believe it is only in Great Britain that people feel obliged to swallow whatever they have ordered of food and drink as quickly as possible then scram so other customers can have the table!

On the continent of Europe, you are at liberty to sit as long as you like, if you have ordered something and are consuming it, and unless there is a sign asking patrons not to use the café as their office, no-one would dream of being annoyed about this.

How long can one coffee last?

RosiesMaw2

Some cafes are beginning to restrict WFCS (Working From the Coffee Shop) aka table hogging at busy times
Two coffee shops have introduced policies aimed at stopping remote workers from "hogging" tables and limiting turnover.
The Collective, in Caversham, no longer allows the use of laptops between 11:30 and 13:30 BST on weekdays - with the devices completely banned at weekends.
Manager Alex Middleton said the policy was about finding a "balance", where it "doesn't compromise us losing money".
Newbury-based coffee shop Milk and Bean has also implemented similar policies in hope of boosting turnover.
The cafe recently introduced measures capping laptop use to an hour on weekdays, and completely banning their use on weekends.

Good for them, more cafes should do the same.

Mollygo

Something will need to be done, because the advantages of working from home in a café will become more apparent with the rising fuel prices.
If WFHITK increases, the café owners will suffer financially and other customers will eventually go elsewhere.

Good point.

grandtanteJE65 these cafes are in business. They have high rents, rates, utilities and staff costs to cover. They're not charities. It's not fair on them to hog tables endlessly on one cup of coffee.

I have never hesitated to add myself to a table occupied by someone else if there are no other seats. I have also moved peoples bags from a seat in order to sit down. No one has ever argued back. But then I am 5 ft 8 ins and told I have an "air of authority".

If I ran a cafe I would offer a deal whereby you pay £X for a meal/snack and that entitles you to Y time at a table using my wifi.

I was involved in an incident in a cafe a few weeks ago. I was with my daughter and six month year old grandson. Daughter went to the counter while I found a table carrying my grandson. I passed a young man on his laptop but didn’t notice a cable from his laptop to the plug on the wall. My foot got caught in the cable and I stumbled, luckily a lady jumped up and steadied me.
I was absolutely incensed, the young man didn’t even apologise. Myself and daughter complained at the counter and staff totally uninterested.
It’s a chain and my daughter has written to the head office and as yet not received a reply.

Oh dear! I feel us Gransnetters could be accused of hogging tables when we have a meet up but we do go to restaurants that are big enough to contain us so there is always space for others. We did reject a lovely little one down a side street in Reading a while back for exactly that reason that it wasn’t fair to others.

Greenfinch splash out. Buy lunch, platefuls of scones or cakes make it worth the cafés while to welcome your business

Sounds tempting Aveline. Will take that on board!

I would just ask if anyone was using the empty seats knowing no-one is and sit down especially with a friend and start chatting, loudly!

DD used to work for a London orchestra and I sometimes went in to see a concert. We would meet up in the cafe at the theatre but it was often very busy before a performance so I often had to ask if I could join someone at a table. People on their own often didn't mind but some were keeping seats for someone who hadn't yet arrived which was frustrating. DD often didn't join me until the last minute as she was working backstage and I had to wait for her as she had our tickets. Fortunately it wasn't usually a location for laptop table hoggers but it could be difficult to get a seat and saving seats for people who haven't yet arrived seems pretty unfair if one is left standing!

grandtanteJE65

I believe it is only in Great Britain that people feel obliged to swallow whatever they have ordered of food and drink as quickly as possible then scram so other customers can have the table!

On the continent of Europe, you are at liberty to sit as long as you like, if you have ordered something and are consuming it, and unless there is a sign asking patrons not to use the café as their office, no-one would dream of being annoyed about this.

I was just going to write similar Grandtante. In fact our Garden centre cafe encourages customers with laptops, as do a lot of cafes by having their Wi-fi password openly displayed for everyone to use for log in. It is the done thing now. People also advertise Warm places and even get LA grants for this to cover the potential loss of income. We have table cards that states I am happy to share, as we have bench cards saying the same. We are encouraged to socialise, which is one of the most important things to avoid depression and loneliness. I go out for coffee with friends and we sit for hours chatting, that is what we go out for. Not to rush down a cuppa and a slice of cake then leave again. We could do that at home. How many of you have not sat in a cafe for more than 90 minutes with a cuppa chatting to friends? I certainly have, almost weekly these days.