• by John Capone , December 2, 2008

The hordes of squatters are a perennial free Wi-Fi dilemma in coffeehouses. They buy one cup of coffee and then sit for hours, scaring away new customers and taking up space. But they might have a solution - they being the Amsterdam-based agency that came up with a plan to deal with the freeloader conundrum for its client The Coffee Company, Holland's largest coffee chain. And if it works there, it might work anywhere: Imagine something that can motivate slackers who are not just lazy but also stoned, and loafing with laptops.

Hard-sell messages designed for the audience are embedded in the name of the free Wi-Fi network users sign onto, and the name changes periodically to reflect specials ("Mmmm.....YummyFreeBrownieWith-CoffeePurchase") or more, er, direct messages ("BuyAnotherCoffeeYou-Cheapskate"). Sure, it could lead to confusion when, for instance, a
customer asks for the name of the Wi-Fi network and the barista shouts back, "HaveYouTriedThe-CarrotCakeYet?" or "OrderAnother-CoffeeAlready."