Many small business owners often find themselves caught between compassion for customers and the need to keep their businesses afloat.
This dilemma was recently shared by a small cafe owner, who revealed her experience dealing with individuals who spent hours using her shop’s internet and power outlets while placing minimal orders.
Stay for 5 hours with 1 order
In a post shared on Threads, the woman said there was a student who would wait for her food shop to open and repeatedly order the same item just to stay for long hours.
According to her, the student would arrive around 11am and remain at the shop until 4pm.
Every day, he would ask for plain water and fries,” she wrote, adding that the fries cost RM6.50 while the water was given for free.
During that time, the student would plug in his laptop and use the WiFi for hours, allegedly to complete part-time work at an office located next to the cafe.
She questioned whether it was reasonable for her business to bear the electricity, air-conditioning and internet costs for someone who spent up to five hours with such a small purchase.
Decided to speak politely to the student
Eventually, her husband decided to politely speak to the student about the situation.
It was embarrassing, but it had to be done,” she shared, stressing that her husband did not scold or raise his voice.
After the conversation, the student reportedly stopped coming to the shop.
However, the issue did not end there. The woman said a similar situation happened again when another student came with a friend. The pair stayed for about four hours, repeatedly charging their laptops and phones. This time, they ordered two drinks worth RM11 in total.
Once again, her husband gently reminded them about the situation.
After being spoken to, they were not angry and even ordered food,” she said, adding that they had been doing the same thing before the reminder.
Hope customers would be more considerate
While expressing sympathy for students who may be struggling, the woman said she hoped customers would also be more considerate towards small business owners.
We are just a normal food shop, not a cafe that provides a dedicated space to hang out with free WiFi,” she explained. “Air-conditioning, water and electricity all come with costs.”
Her post sparked discussion among netizens, many of whom supported her and her husband’s actions. Some suggested setting limits on WiFi usage, such as providing passwords on receipts or requiring new purchases after a certain time.
