Waiting in a coffee shop without purchasing anything?

[GodAtum]

As it has been very cold this week, I've been waiting 10-20 minutes inside Starbucks at Woking plat 5 as the very small waiting room is full. Staff have asked me to leave as I have not bought anything. Are they within their rights to do so?

 

[JayDee]

You are taking up space a paying customer could use, so yeah I'd say so.

Alternatively do what others do. Buy the cheapest drink or item possible and nurse it for all it's worth. Can't ask you to leave if you paid them, can they?

 

[Highlandspring]

Staff have asked me to leave as I have not bought anything. Are they within their rights to do so?

Of course they are.

 

[Bletchleyite]

As it has been very cold this week, I've been waiting 10-20 minutes inside Starbucks at Woking plat 5 as the very small waiting room is full. Staff have asked me to leave as I have not bought anything. Are they within their rights to do so?

Yes.

I sometimes sit in coffee places working. I'd take the line that the "admission charge" for using the facilities is always to have either a drink or food "on the go", at least one an hour. Same for a pub (just walking in and drinking tap water is a bit rude as you're not paying for the facilities if you do - tap water is more to ensure the health and safety of those consuming alcohol or for those having food or a designated driver in a group if they don't want anything else to drink).

 

[GodAtum]

There's no other indoor space to wait on that platform though.

 

[Highlandspring]

But stations aren’t required to have any indoor space for you to wait. It’s no different from going into a shop or pub next to the station to wait for your train, you’d get short shrift there too unless you bought something.

 

[The_Train]

There's no other indoor space to wait on that platform though.

But that isn't the concern of the coffee shop as they are running a business. Irrelevant of what other space is available, the coffee shop is well within its rights to ask you to leave

 

[GodAtum]

But stations aren’t required to have any indoor space for you to wait.

Ah ok I see.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There's no other indoor space to wait on that platform though.

Put your coat on then, or purchase a coffee, or arrive closer to the departure time of your train.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Normally I think I'd agree with others, it is only fair. But at a train station - surely that is the equivalent of a waiting room then? Certainly I have never seen anyone asked to leave a Pumpkin Cafe (for example) for not buying anything.

Although looking on NRE it does look like there is a separate waiting room on the platform, and some seats the other side of the gateline on platform 5 in the station building - though of course NRE is well known for often being out of date!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Normally I think I'd agree with others, it is only fair. But at a train station - surely that is the equivalent of a waiting room then?

No, it's a private business which is renting the space from the railway.

Certainly I have never seen anyone asked to leave a Pumpkin Cafe (for example) for not buying anything.

There is a sign in the one at Euston explicitly stating that a purchase is mandatory. FWIW, it hacks me off the way people buy something small in cafes at Euston and stay there for ages, well beyond when they've finished, as at busy times it means getting a table is difficult. I wish there would be more enforcement like this.

 

[LowLevel]

Why do you even have to ask this? If you want to wait in someone's cafe buy a bloody coffee.

 

[Llanigraham]

There's no other indoor space to wait on that platform though.

Bluntly, tough.
Dip into your pocket and buy the cheapest drink they do.
Many stations don't have any shelter or any food outlets, so count yourself lucky.

 

[DarloRich]

There's no other indoor space to wait on that platform though.

EDIT - not worth a ban. They are well within their rights to ask you to leave if you won't buy anything. Sadly the only option is to buy a drink or a good coat. It costs them to heat the cafe after all!

Why do you even have to ask this? If you want to wait in someone's cafe buy a bloody coffee.

i know!

 

[GarethW]

Bet you used their toilet as well. -)

 

[GodAtum]

Bet you used their toilet as well. -)

There's no toilet there, only the station wide one.

 

[HowardGWR]

The waiting rooms at Clapham Junction seem to double up as tea rooms as well, so I can understand pax thinking that the same might be the case at Woking. Perhaps you should write in to SWR rather than just moan about it here? You say the small waiting room was 'full'. So full you could not squeeze in?

 

[sprunt]

The waiting rooms at Clapham Junction seem to double up as tea rooms as well, so I can understand pax thinking that the same might be the case at Woking. Perhaps you should write in to SWR rather than just moan about it here? You say the small waiting room was 'full'. So full you could not squeeze in?

Why should someone have to squeeze in? Waiting rooms should have sufficient capacity for passengers to use them comfortably. I've no problem with Starbucks wanting to keep their cafes for customers only, but if there's inadequate waiting room capacity maybe the station operator should use space for that rather than renting it out to a commercial operator? (NB - I have no idea whether this is a regular occurrence at Woking, which could of course affect the calculation.)

 

[yorkie]

As it has been very cold this week, I've been waiting 10-20 minutes inside Starbucks at Woking plat 5 as the very small waiting room is full. Staff have asked me to leave as I have not bought anything. Are they within their rights to do so?

Yes they are.

I'd complain to SWR about the lack of adequate waiting facilities. Let us know SWR's response.

 

[edwin_m]

Before it became a coffee shop, was it a waiting room that anyone could use without buying something? If so, unless a replacement alternative general waiting room was created at the time, people probably have grounds to complain that the facility has been taken away.

 

[pdeaves]

I believe that they are within their rights to ask you to leave even if you have bought something. Naturally it may not make for good business.

 

[Robertj21a]

I'm struggling to believe that you even feel it necessary to ask the question. It's private property, for the use of their customers. Why on earth do you think you have any right to be on their property ?
Clearly, you could easily buy a drink !

 

[ALAN BYRNE]

Welshbluebird, agreed you should buy something if you're using their facilities, and last time I passed through Woking is was a RAILWAY Station !!!!

 

[Doctor Fegg]

I'm amazed how many people in this thread are making claims that must indicate they've read the terms of the lease.

 

[Ken H]

Station catering outlets could make it clear by putting notices on tables that they are for cafe customers only. Quite normal practice actually.
I can understand why you dont want to buy Starbucks coffee - Ugh!

 

[sprunt]

Welshbluebird, agreed you should buy something if you're using their facilities, and last time I passed through Woking is was a RAILWAY Station !!!!

Is anyone suggesting that it isn't a RAILWAY station???? Perhaps you could explain the significance of that revelation? Being a RAILWAY station, I'd have thought that the comfort of passengers waiting for trains should be a higher priority than selling coffee.

 

[Esker-pades]

Is anyone suggesting that it isn't a RAILWAY station???? Perhaps you could explain the significance of that revelation? Being a RAILWAY station, I'd have thought that the comfort of passengers waiting for trains should be a higher priority than selling coffee.

Not to Starbucks. They've rented a space to sell coffee (and other stuff) to people. If you're not in there to buy something, then you will get asked to leave (most likely).

 

[Islineclear3_1]

You don't have automatic rights I'm afraid to be there regardless of the rights or wrongs of waiting rooms being full or lack thereof.

Buy a cup of tea and drink it slowly....but give up your seat if somebody more needy requires it

 

[sprunt]

Not to Starbucks. They've rented a space to sell coffee (and other stuff) to people. If you're not in there to buy something, then you will get asked to leave (most likely).

And I've already mentioned on this thread that it's not Starbucks I have a problem with.

 

[Esker-pades]

Why should someone have to squeeze in? Waiting rooms should have sufficient capacity for passengers to use them comfortably. I've no problem with Starbucks wanting to keep their cafes for customers only, but if there's inadequate waiting room capacity maybe the station operator should use space for that rather than renting it out to a commercial operator? (NB - I have no idea whether this is a regular occurrence at Woking, which could of course affect the calculation.)

I think yorkie's idea of sending a complaint to the station operator about the lack of waiting room space is a good one.