Ok, so this customer has come in everyday now for the past four days, (she has worn the same clothes everyday) she comes in, orders a sandwich, grabs the remote for the tv and proceeds to make herself at home for the next five hours, monopolizing the tv and commenting on everything she sees on the screen. Now I find out that she let her dtv coupon expire, so she comes here just to watch tv. Now normally I encourage customers to "stay and relax" but this woman is driving us crazy. We normally try to leave the tv off and play Irish music, making a soothing environment for customers. She spends the whole time laughing out loud and making rediculous comments to the tv. Now other customers are starting to look at her with "the airy eyeball". Ok so what am I supposed to do?

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Two quick solutions...

1. Tell her no ( in a polite fashion.) If she can afford one of your amazing hand crafted sandwiches every day then she can afford to pay a cable bill.

2. If you don't want to go the direct route then just get rid of the TV all together, seems as though it's caused you more trouble then good in the last few weeks.
Get rid of the TV. Or just have a endless loop of Far and Away running. The TV KILLS atmosphere for everyone except those who are glaring at it... and if they want to feel "at home" they will be at home.

Customers will be extremely happy with the awesomeness of the food and such... let them enjoy that and each others' company.
Some other options:
1. Hide the remote
2. Put tv on all news station (and hide the remote)
3. Play whatever short subjects (like cartoons) you like (and hide the remote).
4. Put up a sign "out of order" on the TV - you may loose her as a customer but save your sanity
Please, get rid of the TV! I really hate a TV in any place of business. I happen to have Aspergers Syndrome and can not have a meaningful conversation or enjoy a meal when my attention is grabbed by any bright movement. 'Sorta short circuits what remains of my mental processes.
Yup.. TV doesn't have any significant impact on your brand ("stay n relax") nor your sales (if I may assume).. so get rid of it.. and just play a great music.. and don't let your customer in "control" on your TV channel n music.. you know best what's best..

I have tried to manage this kind of customers by offering a product soon after he/she has finished the cup.. (but of course do it politely..)

-Irvan (Anomali Coffee, Jakarta)
Go with Ron's suggestion... "Out of Order -- go read a book"
woting for "aut of order", but pleas, do stay and relax ! :-)
Or you cant just wait for her in a dark alley ! Uuuuuuuhhhhhaaaaa
At The Spro, we have a large, LCD tv attached to the wall. It was placed there by the library.

However, during the rest of the week, it is tuned to either CNN or FoxNews and is 99.9% of the time set to MUTE. Even when people ask if we can turn it up, we can't. We do have closed-captioning running so the need to hear the tv is almost non-existent. We have made exceptions for volume during times of significant news or customer interest, i.e. the US Airways Hudson River Crash or Barack Obama's pre-inaugural speech in Baltimore City, but otherwise, it's silent.

My suggestion is to set hard and fast rules regarding the tv and its' usage. Leave it muted. Our TV is specifically for news and nothing else. Designate certain hours and certain channels for tv use. Do not deviate. Do not allow her to change channels to her desires.
Fox News at a coffee shop????

this is the proper way to handle an in shop TV. I can't imagine creating an environment where a customer would feel entitled to monopolize my space and intruder on others in the way you describe. You need to learn how to be a gracious host and created an environment where your customers are comfortable but have enough boundaries that you remain in control of your customers impressions and experience.

Jay Caragay said:
At The Spro, we have a large, LCD tv attached to the wall. It was placed there by the library.

However, during the rest of the week, it is tuned to either CNN or FoxNews and is 99.9% of the time set to MUTE. Even when people ask if we can turn it up, we can't. We do have closed-captioning running so the need to hear the tv is almost non-existent. We have made exceptions for volume during times of significant news or customer interest, i.e. the US Airways Hudson River Crash or Barack Obama's pre-inaugural speech in Baltimore City, but otherwise, it's silent.

My suggestion is to set hard and fast rules regarding the tv and its' usage. Leave it muted. Our TV is specifically for news and nothing else. Designate certain hours and certain channels for tv use. Do not deviate. Do not allow her to change channels to her desires.
hide the remote and unplug... hit the circuit breaker if you have to and hang an out of order on it. Give it about a week and see if it works,. If she asks... you don't know when it will be repaired.

Or the more direct approach... honesty... tell her it has been requested by customers and staff due to the recent misuse by a customer. If she asks who, tell her... You!
Chuck,

You need to get rid of that tv.
Jason Shipley said:
Fox News at a coffee shop????


Fox News?

Of course!

The library and The Spro are not partisan operations. Both entities serve the public at large.

Oddly enough, the most vehement objections we get regarding the tv programming are the supposed "liberals" who "can't believe" that anyone would "allow" Fox News to be shown. Talk about narrow-minded and prejudiced thinking - these are the people who propose that they want "freedom of speech" but rally against voices in opposition to their own. Red or Blue, it's all about the same.

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