Is this a coffee shop for chatting or working?

Many people go to cafes not only to chat but also to work - Photo: AN VI

Transformed into a "strange creature"

Currently, co-working spaces (cafes that provide private workspaces) are not very common and are not cheap, so many freelancers and students looking for a place to work or study end up going to any cafe.

Although there are no specific rules, anyone who happens to be in these establishments and talks loudly is very likely to receive disapproving stares.

I vividly remember feeling like my friends and I had become "strange creatures" while talking in a cafe in District 1 (Ho Chi Minh City). Even though the staff assured us there was nothing wrong, we only dared to whisper to each other afterward to avoid being stared at.

That's fortunate, because I've witnessed many instances where people were directly told to keep quiet and let others do their work. Some apologized awkwardly after being reprimanded. However, there were also many cases where people talked back, arguing that they were there to chat and that the cafe didn't prohibit it.

Needless to say, many of my friends admit that sometimes they face discrimination when they go to a cafe without a laptop or books. It's really hard to understand! I wonder when cafes turned into libraries like that?

Talking isn't prohibited in cafes, but it's not nice if someone comes in and disrupts the shared peaceful atmosphere.

In reality, there are quite a few cases where customers make phone calls or chat loudly for the whole place to hear, letting their young children run around, treating it like a daycare center and disturbing others. Some even clink glasses and shout, just like in a regular drinking establishment.

Coffee shops are often divided into two areas: an outdoor patio and an air-conditioned indoor space. Many customers choose to sit outside to chat and laugh freely without disturbing anyone. Or, if they sit inside, they'll choose a corner away from where people are working to talk. This way, no arguments occur.

A coffee shop on Cao Thang Street (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City) has a sign stating that customers should not make noise - Photo: AN VI

Right place, right time

The truth is, going to a coffee shop doesn't automatically guarantee a productive workday. Take the case of Thu Phượng, a third-year student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City), who has repeatedly found herself in a difficult situation because she chose overly noisy cafes.

In such moments, she only blamed herself for choosing the wrong location and never showed any annoyance towards those around her.

According to Phuong, once she chooses to work outside, she has already accepted that she will be working in a shared space. Therefore, she often goes to cafes near universities or places that rent out workspace for an hourly fee to increase her work efficiency.

The young woman said that sometimes, when faced with extremely tight deadlines, she would just go to any random coffee shop to work.

"Just put on your headphones and focus intently on your work, and even if people are arguing outside, it won't affect you," Phuong said.

Ha Thu, a second-year student at the College of Radio and Television II, also acknowledged that proactively choosing a coffee shop that suits her purpose allows her to concentrate on studying while also providing extra motivation, as the surrounding environment consists of peers who are also engrossed in their studies.

However, according to her, even in cafes without rules on maintaining order, one should only speak at a moderate volume, avoiding disturbing those around them, as that is the minimum courtesy.

The shop owner was in an awkward position.

The person most embarrassed in this dispute is not the customer, but the owner of the establishment.

Ms. Truong Thi To Uyen, owner of a coffee shop on Hoang Dieu 2 Street (Thu Duc City), said that due to revenue constraints, small-scale shops find it difficult to target a specific customer base and instead serve everyone. Since the shop is located in the city center, she also cannot separate it into many different spaces.

Therefore, the never-ending arguments between clients who come for business and those who come to socialize and chat always put her in an awkward situation.

Most frequently, the complaints come from students studying at the cafe about a noisy group of customers. Each time this happens, Ms. Uyen has no choice but to plead with both groups, because if she sides with either group, she'll be the one who suffers the most.

"But it wasn't always pleasant. Once, a customer was talking quite loudly, so I invited them to the garden area of ​​the cafe to continue their conversation in a more relaxed setting, but they reacted immediately. They felt the cafe lacked respect for customers and left without a word."

"I understand that in such situations, I've lost potential customers," Uyen lamented.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/quan-ca-phe-de-noi-chuyen-hay-lam-viec-20240426091947748.htm