Some Coffee Shops Actually Pulled the Plug on Laptop Users in 2009.

[BridgeTroll]

Here is an interesting article embracing all of the views we have discussed...

http://www.incentivemag.com/msg/content_display/marketing/e3i3eebab3a25f070800bc9308b6fc22cc7

Got Wi-Fi Leeches? Use It to Your Advantage
December 27, 2006
By Peter P. Roosen and Tatsuya Nakagawa

Road-weary traveling sales professionals are among the growing number of Wi-Fi leeches, attaching to open wireless networks often without the owner's knowledge or permission in order to access the Internet. The practice has evolved from latching onto a cafe's free wireless service from a car in the parking lot, to drive-thru circling in hotel and motel parking lots. A free no-fuss way to check e-mails, confirm travel plans, obtain business information from the net and otherwise communicate efficiently is the desired result. Great for the leech, but what does it do for the host? It depends on how the host responds.

Wirelsss Internet service is generally a nuisance to establish with significant costs involved is setting up and maintaining wireless routers, especially for a larger hotel or motel where multiple broadcast points are needed. There are special staff training issues and the need to have someone available who can troubleshoot problems as they occurâ€"frequently in most installations.

However, having Internet services available is no longer simply optional for most operators since many modern travelers are finding Internet services more important than having a telephone or television in the room. Some will base their decision of where to stay on the availability of quality Internet service, stating they require such service as a condition of booking into a room. The incremental cost associated with bandwidth lost to leeching is small or negligable in most cases.

Most places that offer Internet service present one or more of the three common types of barriers to prevent unwanted "leeching" by people not booked in as hotel guests, or buying something from one of the cafes or other retail businesses that provide Internet access. The three common barrier types are:

1. Requiring users to pay for the service.
2. Putting in a login and password system and asking users to obtain access from the proprietor.
3. Soliciting user information prior to granting access.



These barriers tend to discourage the most common types of leeching and in the cases where the systems are regional or national by chain, after a while, the people who would otherwise be leeching tend to avoid these businesses altogether.

There are some businesses that have taken an entirely different approach. In a few cases, Internet access is granted without any restrictions or fuss and users can simply attach themselves quickly and easily with no cost and go about their business as they see fit. A notable example is the Best Western hotel chain, presently the largest in the world, which has many of its properties established with no-cost and no-fuss Internet access. This reduces the administrative burden of having to help each user gain access every time they book into one of the hotels. Travelers in need of Internet access begin to look for these Best Western signs along the roadways and identify them not only with the hotel brand but as a place to normally obtain hassle- and cost-free Internet access.

Naturally, if someone is seeking Internet access in the early part of the day while driving along the roadways, they are not likely looking for a room and by pulling into the empty parking lot alongside the building are easily identified as Wi-Fi leeches by proprietors. Proprietors often have different views on the subject, with some being openly hostile to non-paying guests obtaining free access at their expense. Most proprietors ignore these unexpected visitors with some at the opposite end of the spectrum offering a free coffee and otherwise welcoming these travelersâ€"a more enlightened approach from a marketing perspective.

Experienced travelers are often creatures of habit who are looking for consistency, ease and simplicity in many aspects of their day-to-day travel activities. This is true whether or not cost is an important aspect of the travel. There is evidence that the Best Western open access policy is resulting in increased room stays from the road-weary Internet-hungry travelers. For example, the habit of checking e-mails and messages at least once a day while on the road will have these people pulling into parking lots at various times of the day or night and for various lengths of time. In some instances, such as late in the day when seeking accommodation for the night becomes a priority or when changes in travel plans become apparent from checking messages while on line, results in them needing to book a room. Sometimes reading and writing e-mails takes longer than expected, hours on occasion, and when the task is completed driving off to another location for a hotel becomes unappealing compared to getting out of the car and booking a room on the spot. Let's face it, the Internet access worked and value was derived so that has the road warrior in a positive frame of mind when walking up to the front desk. Similarly at a cafe.

What about local leeches? There are people who look for such convenient access places in their own area. Kids with laptops sneaking around to avoid parental controls or low-end hackers wanting to upload their latest trial virus across town could be among them and that is the last thing proprietors would want to be involved with. These concerns are likely exaggerated since most libraries have open access, and it has not become an insurmountable problem for them.

The savvy marketer would suggest try selling them something they are willing to pay for. The internet cafe concept was built largely on this idea. Maybe a drive-thru version is what is needed. Send people back out on roller skates like in the 1950s to offer stuff to people parked there food and beverages. Better yet, the solution could be as simple as an introduction web page that promotes the business services offered through the hotel and welcomes visitors to come in for a free cup of coffee. In any event, there are not likely to be many locals wanting or needing to hang out in hotel parking lots to gain wireless internet access. However, there is still an opportunity to incorporate a drive-thru model of the Internet cafe for locals and travelers alike.

Proprietors can choose to become frustrated chasing road weary traveling Wi-Fi leeches from their properties or view it as a marketing opportunity. Best Western does not appear to have advertised or publicized their widespread convenient and free Internet access. This gives a market savvy competitor a chance to capture some publicity if one of these chains was to create a branded drive-in Wi-Fi zone catered to these new aged road warriors. Install it in part of the existing parking lot, perhaps marking and marketing this special space. Welcome users who may become interested in spending a night there. Turn the leeching relationship into a symbiotic one.

[Sigma]

but the Wifi is free, none the less.

Starbucks downtown lost ass loads of business, because Chamblin's has free wifi.

And the fact that there's another Starbuck's less than 200 yards away.

[Sigma]

Wifi should be universal and it should be free.  Just like any other public radio wave.

So should health insurance and public transportation.  Somebody else is always paying aren't they Stephen?  Just as long as it's not you.


Bridge Troll, thanks for the articles.  Good points.  It all depends on the markets, doesn't it?

[Lucasjj]

It will be interesting to see how the wide spread use of smart phones will affect any rules on overstaying your welcome while using the internet. Since many people in coffehouses and other businesses who are using the internet are using it to just socialize and check emails, which can be done from their cell phones, there is no need for a laptop and regulating these people would be harder than someone tying up space with a laptop.

[Sigma]

It will be interesting to see how the wide spread use of smart phones will affect any rules on overstaying your welcome while using the internet. Since many people in coffehouses and other businesses who are using the internet are using it to just socialize and check emails, which can be done from their cell phones, there is no need for a laptop and regulating these people would be harder than someone tying up space with a laptop.

Excellant point.  I think it all goes back to the etiquette thing.  If someone is just sitting there without ordering anything, or worse, snapping up free chips and peanuts and water, leaving a soiled area to be cleaned, then the management has a right to ask them to leave.  It's not all about the wi-fi IMHO.  The wi-fi issue just takes the freeloading, HVAC-sucking parasites into internet generation.

[parabellum]

Wifi should be universal and it should be free.  Just like any other public radio wave.

Who should provide it?

[Lucasjj]

Wifi should be universal and it should be free.  Just like any other public radio wave.

Who should provide it?

This thread is really going to go off topic here, but if wifi would be broadcasted free like radio it would have to paid for by advertisement. Therefore you would have to be regularly interupted with ads, or with constant banners like they used to do with Netzero and other free Internet service providers. Then I guess you could pay for service without interuption, much like satelite radio.

[Sigma]

There is no free lunch.   

[Alva]

Five points Coffee and Spice Co, in, you guessed it, 5 points, has free wifi and is open til 3 am every night. You're welcome for the free lunch, I'm paying your wifi tab.

[Sigma]

   See you there Alva!

[downtownparks]

Wifi should be universal and it should be free.  Just like any other public radio wave.

Who should provide it?

Some think the tax payer should pay for it.

[NotNow]

Wifi should be universal and it should be free.  Just like any other public radio wave.

Who should provide it?

Some think the tax payer should pay for it.

And the laptop too!  And free cell phones for everyone to go with their new cars!  Boy, I hope we don't run out of other people's money anytime soon.  Maybe we should just use the power of government to make every food and drink establishment offer WiFi and comfy seating.  Those owners have lots of money left after paying for mandatory health insurance and paying the new, fairer minimum wage.

[David]

hah I feel like a dick because prior to reading this thread I've been sitting at a local bar & grill in Miramar for 2 hours hogging up valuable space apparently. I'm doing my part though, so far my tab is at 25 bucks.

I'm not one of those "go-to-the-coffee-shop-just-so-other-people-can-see-me-typing" kinda people.  I'm in school for 40 hours a week lately and flat broke ( except I made good tips last night hence the current 25 dollar bar tab) I have no internet at home so I actually need the free wifi to do simple task like check email, apply for jobs and of course, read MJ and update facebook.

I'm not knocking the coffee-shop web surfers either, it's just when I go to three layers/starbucks or any other coffee shop in town and try to browse the web, the caffeine kicks in and makes me wanna get up and bounce around.

[NotNow]

I'm just impressed that you can do your homework and complete your resume with $25 worth of booze down.  Your gonna have a great political career.

[Ocklawaha]

Wifi should be universal and it should be free.  Just like any other public radio wave.

Who should provide it?

Some think the tax payer should pay for it.

There IS another train of thought on this and our city has been a leader in that it is doing, or has done a study on providing wi-fi throughout the downtown urbanized areas. Yes it would cost taxpayer money for the investment, however, in a way strangely like the experience cities have had with streetcars, it could be a red hot development tool. It might be worth a small scale try and let the Chamber of Commerce Industrial Development Board dangle it in front of some company longing for a lot in Cecil, or the Port. Who knows maybe they can all sit at a local coffee house and discuss the Billion dollar relocation?

I'm just impressed that you can do your homework and complete your resume with $25 worth of booze down.  Your gonna have a great political career.

$25 dollars? YOU ARE KIDDING are you not? At $8.00 a shot that won't even cover three shots of anything worth drinking, when the tax is factored in. I miss the bar service at 9Th and Main, damn now THAT was a shot! (OR A HALF PINT).

OCKLAWAHA