Internet access for free...why?

[aeneas1]

I guess my point is that in some locations at least, there is some benefit to advertising a service!

no doubt about it! but if you advertise a service, you better be prepared to deliver!

one thing is for sure, if i thought for a second that advertising my internet service would result in average checks of $15 (per hour no less!) as was the case at the edinburgh starbuck's you mentioned, i would close my kitchen and never look back!

 

[Muddycup]

wifi will eventually be free to all someday so why not start now, it is very easy to set up and is one way an independent can compete against the big chains.

 

[ConfusedVorlon]

free can have disadvantages!

free might encourage people to sit around longer than you're happy with.

If you charge them for access at a reasonable rate, then at least you're getting some return while they hog your seat!

 

[BearBlade]

Since our coffee shop is directed towards our local college, we offer free wireless because they get free Internet at the school anyways. The wireless is actually provided by the Christian ministry that we share the building with (although one of my coworkers is rather fond of stealing the free internet from the coffe shop next door). We have easy chairs (really comfortable leather ones) and a couch in front of a fake (electric) fireplace. We usually play DVDs over the TVs inside. I've realized that not too many people use the free wireless. Most people are happy to here about our coffee and I think they are even a little impressed to hear about things like how coffee is grown and what not (really basic coffee science, history, and processing). The human factor is more based on the actual humans there not on the availability of the Internet. We are just slow enough during the day that I usually can elicit some sort of commitment ti returning. The Wireless internet is not that big a deal to us currently although we are only a couple months old). We have a sign inside the store with the access code on it.

 

[MrBox]

I think it should be free

If you notice a moocher you could kindly explain to them that the internet is for customers only (like the bathroom)

LO
jM

 

[brinkjr]

I read this same forum when I was debating on wi-fi paid or free. I chose to have my customers pay for access. I am so glad that I did. I am now making over $300 a month on wi-fi access. It goes to show you that people pay for a quality product. Nothing in this world is free and most people know that. Why else would people actually pay for bottled water?

 

[SFG75]

A coffee place i use to frequent(I moved) offered free internet to customers. They did go out of business, though that was due to other reasons such as bad location and having to survive through the summer months in a college town. I do see the value in charging, though if you have a competitor, it would set up a great way to try and undercut you. Offering free wireless service would be a must where I live. You charge me and I'm heading somewhere else.

 

[bryceelliott]

In the NorthWest it is almost a requirement for a good Coffee Shop to offer free WiFi... Given the propensity of shops and tech geeks in the NW to charge would actually result in a loss of customers. However, that is in the NW, so I cannot give you adivce of areas outside of the NW..

but Go with Free!!!!

 

[coffee4me]

For all those charging for Wifi reap the profits while you can. Your coffe would have to be so good and served in a gold cup in order to make me want to pay for it.

The coffee shops in my town serve Starbucks quality coffee so therefore I would have no incentive to pay. Heck a good modern laptop can snatch a signal almost anywhere so how are you going to stop them.

Of all the ideas presented here offering a passcode on the ticket seams like the best solution.

 

[lizzy]

we have it. it is a service that people almost expect these days. I doesn't cost much more than basic phone service! so why not?

 

[CCafe]

Lizzy, It depends on where you live. Qwest charges business twice the rate they charge residential customers.

 

[CCafe]

There is a lot I want to say but very little I feel like typing. The pay as you go model works for some business and not others.

We subsidize our wifi with paid kiosks for people who don't have a laptop. Otherwise I don't think I would be very happy for the 2 - 4 people who come in and never buy anything but feel it's their right to sit and use our wifi for free. The connection alone cost over $100 a month.

After the RIAA and the MPAA get done with their witch hunts, my feelings are most free wireless providers will be charging for a secure connection. Or worse they won’t even bother keeping wifi around.

If they succeed in suing the provider, then they will be able to hold anyone with an open wifi signal accountable for copyrighted content illegally transferred over their connection.

 

[coffee4me]

CCafe. Try Dynamic Broadband. They offer wireless broadband in Iowa and tell Qwest to jump on a downed power line.

 

[CCafe]

It would be nice but they are just another form of www.prairieinet.net. On top of that I have a 7Mb connection and any wireless providor is going to be hard pressed in offering that type of connection for less then $300.

 

[billagirly]

One shop I used to work in, before wireless internet and people with laptops were a dime a dozen, had internet access on to desktop computers. After 25 minutes, a little box would pop up and tell the user that they had 5 minutes left... and at 30 minutes, the browser would just close automatically.
I don't know how it was set up to do that, and of course plenty of people just opened it back up and kept going. But people were pretty respectful of whether or not someone else looked like they were waiting for their turn and traded out with no problems.