OK, I think a lot of us have done it before. We find a coffeehouse that has Wi-Fi and spend long hours with one coffee and surf the internet. But now there’s a backlash to laptop guy.
In today’s Los Angeles Times Business section, I found an article by Jessica Guynn about how more coffeehouses are pulling the plug on Wi-Fi and making it harder for people with laptops to plug in their power. Why? It’s hurting their bottom line. Basically, some people spend long hours using up the Wi-Fi while not spending enough on coffee or other stuff. In short, while many complain about coffeehouses pulling the plug, others praise them because they have no Wi-Fi.
As for me, I try to avoid going to my local coffeehouse for Wi-Fi for these reasons:
-Not enough space and/or sockets: It seems like almost every time I bring my laptop for the Wi-Fi, most places either don’t have enough room or sockets to give my laptop some juice.
-Slow Wi-Fi: If it’s slow, how can I do my work?
-Distractions: Honestly, I don’t get work done if I have easy access to the Internet for obvious reasons.
While I agree that Wi-Fi has the potential to attract customers to establishments, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will bring more money. Perhaps it would be best to stick to guaranteeing a good cup of coffee and maybe, just maybe, some good music.
What do you think? Is Wi-Fi a necessity in the coffeehouse or a burden to the true purpose of it? I’d really, really want to hear from you, so you better comment!
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