So I found one of those little internet cafes. On the surface, seems like a nice place. You can go in, get a cup of joe, and sit back at one of the many computers they have there.
However, what I didn't know was that they had a 20 minute time limit to your computer time.
This is not posted anywhere.
Nobody tells you this when you purchase your drinks or get on the computer.
In fact, there's NOTHING ANYWHERE that tells you there's a time limit. As far as anyone can tell, you can be there all day if you felt like it.
So I go in there, and a guy had just sat down at one of the computers. I got a cup of coffee and sat down at another one. I was on there for about half an hour when one of the cafe's managers came up to both of us (we weren't that far apart), and told us to get off the computers; there's a time limit, and we're hogging up the computers for other patrons. (Note that all the other computers were open.)
The guy on the other computer beat me to the question: How were we supposed to know there was a time limit, if they didn't tell us? We were told that the regulars know the rules, had we been regulars, we would've known about the limit. (WTF kind of logic is that? ) Guy tells the manager that he would've gotten off earlier had someone told him that rule, which I agreed with him on, and the manager told us that they can't tell us that rule "for security purposes". (Again: )
At this point, I'm logging off to leave...The staff is staring at us with that "I'm better than you and I have power over you" smirk that I usually see in customers. I'm humiliated and pissed off...A combination which, if I opened my mouth again, would've resulted in multiple F-bombs being dropped. The guy made a few more arguments that they need to state the rules if they want to enforce them, gets nowhere, and started to leave, just ahead of me.
As we're leaving, I hear one of the staff members utter "What a couple of dumbasses!", followed by several other employees giggling. It was all I could do to not turn around and drop the afore-mentioned F-bombs.
I can't help but wonder if they treat all of their guests like that, or just the ones that aren't the so-called "regulars". I never did see any of them, actually, unless you count the two people with laptops, who had been there long before us, and were still there as we left. Apparently, you can only be a regular and know the rules about the public computers if you have your own to use.
They'll get theirs, though. If they do treat everyone that way, they'll lose business fast, especially through word-of-mouth. Karma can be a bitch.
However, what I didn't know was that they had a 20 minute time limit to your computer time.
This is not posted anywhere.
Nobody tells you this when you purchase your drinks or get on the computer.
In fact, there's NOTHING ANYWHERE that tells you there's a time limit. As far as anyone can tell, you can be there all day if you felt like it.
So I go in there, and a guy had just sat down at one of the computers. I got a cup of coffee and sat down at another one. I was on there for about half an hour when one of the cafe's managers came up to both of us (we weren't that far apart), and told us to get off the computers; there's a time limit, and we're hogging up the computers for other patrons. (Note that all the other computers were open.)
The guy on the other computer beat me to the question: How were we supposed to know there was a time limit, if they didn't tell us? We were told that the regulars know the rules, had we been regulars, we would've known about the limit. (WTF kind of logic is that? ) Guy tells the manager that he would've gotten off earlier had someone told him that rule, which I agreed with him on, and the manager told us that they can't tell us that rule "for security purposes". (Again: )
At this point, I'm logging off to leave...The staff is staring at us with that "I'm better than you and I have power over you" smirk that I usually see in customers. I'm humiliated and pissed off...A combination which, if I opened my mouth again, would've resulted in multiple F-bombs being dropped. The guy made a few more arguments that they need to state the rules if they want to enforce them, gets nowhere, and started to leave, just ahead of me.
As we're leaving, I hear one of the staff members utter "What a couple of dumbasses!", followed by several other employees giggling. It was all I could do to not turn around and drop the afore-mentioned F-bombs.
I can't help but wonder if they treat all of their guests like that, or just the ones that aren't the so-called "regulars". I never did see any of them, actually, unless you count the two people with laptops, who had been there long before us, and were still there as we left. Apparently, you can only be a regular and know the rules about the public computers if you have your own to use.
They'll get theirs, though. If they do treat everyone that way, they'll lose business fast, especially through word-of-mouth. Karma can be a bitch.
Comment