Many businesses, especially restaurants and coffee shops, have free wireless these days. However, many have really crappy free wireless (it’s slow or it cuts out, etc.) and that is costing them business.
Do it Well or Don’t Do it
If you’re going to have free wireless, you probably advertise it. It’s an enticement to come to your shop. It’s a reason why people have meetings or work there. If your free wireless isn’t that good, they’re not going to return when they want somewhere to meet or work and that’s lost business.
Cost to Customers
Let’s say you have free wireless and someone decides to meet a client at your shop, but your slow wireless makes their online product seem slow. You’ve cost your customer a sale. Do you think they’re ever going to return? I don’t think so.
Affects Your Reputation
Every service you provide, even free wireless, affects your reputation. When you have free wireless and it’s not so good, people wonder what else isn’t so good about what you do. You won’t get as many recommendations either.
Your Free Wireless Isn’t Free
Even though you advertise free wireless, customers don’t consider it to be free. They feel like they’re paying for a little bit of it when they come into your store and buy your coffee or whatever. Now that they consider it paid instead of free, they expect it to be decent. They probably don’t expect it to be as fast as at home, but they still expect it to be reasonable.
Consider it a Cost of Doing Business
Want to compete with the place down the street? Having good free wireless may be a differentiator. Even if it’s not, consider it a cost of doing business. Do it right and don’t think of it as a free service (even if you market it that way).
People Remember
Yes, I’m a tech person, but I do work out of my home office, so having good wireless when I go to meet clients is important. I remember the places that have good wireless (it helps if they also have good coffee or food). I take clients to those places. I go out of my way to work there when I need a break from the home office. I tell others about them. I spread the word. People remember your wireless service just like any other service you provide.
(photo by Jan Tik @ Flickr CC )
Technorati tags: wireless, reputation, customer service, brand, business
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{ 3 comments }
I'm glad to see someone raise this point. I probably drop close to $40 a week at Panera, not so much because I love their food (it's decent), but because of the free wifi and the environment.
If there was another restaurant that had better wifi and a better environment, even if the food was a little worse, they could be earning a pretty significant reward.
Sean, I agree. I spend quite a bit of time and money at places that have wireless meeting clients and working. Unfortunately I've had really bad luck with the Panera wireless lately – it's been very slow. However, Biggby's wireless has been great (and they have awesome smooties). So, I'm much more likely to suggest meeting at Biggby's rather than Panera for this reason.
Thanks for reading and for your comment.
Sean, I agree. I spend quite a bit of time and money at places that have wireless meeting clients and working. Unfortunately I've had really bad luck with the Panera wireless lately – it's been very slow. However, Biggby's wireless has been great (and they have awesome smooties). So, I'm much more likely to suggest meeting at Biggby's rather than Panera for this reason.
Thanks for reading and for your comment.
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