Many people come to coffee shops not only to talk but also to work - Photo: AN VI
Turned into "strange creatures"
Nowadays, there are not many co-working models (cafes that provide private working spaces) and the cost is not cheap, so many freelancers or students looking for a place to work or study have to go to any coffee shop.
Although there are no specific rules, if anyone accidentally enters these shops and talks loudly, they will easily receive "bullet-shaped" looks.
I still remember clearly the feeling that my group of friends and I turned into "strange creatures" when talking in a coffee shop in District 1 (HCMC). Although the staff confirmed that there was no problem, we only dared to whisper to each other afterwards to avoid being watched.
Fortunately, I have seen many people being told to keep quiet so others can work. Some people were embarrassed and apologized after being told. However, there were also many cases where they "talked back" because they thought they came here to chat and the shop did not prohibit this.
Needless to say, many of my friends admit that sometimes going to a coffee shop without a laptop or books is also discriminated against. It’s so confusing! I wonder since when did coffee shops turn into libraries like this?
Talking is not prohibited in coffee shops, but if one person comes in and disrupts the common quiet space, it's not good.
In fact, there are many cases where customers come in to make phone calls, talk to the whole restaurant, let their children run around, and act like a kindergarten, affecting others. Some people even clink glasses and shout like they are at a bar.
Coffee shops are usually divided into two spaces: garden and air-conditioned. Many customers choose to sit outside so they can laugh and talk freely without disturbing anyone. Or if they sit inside, they will choose a corner far away from where people are working to talk. So no arguments happen.
A coffee shop on Cao Thang Street (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City) has a sign asking customers not to make noise - Photo: AN VI
Right place right time
The truth is that going to a coffee shop does not automatically mean you will do good work. Like the case of Thu Phuong, a third-year student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh City National University), who "cried silently" many times because she chose a shop that was too noisy.
At times like these, she only blamed herself for choosing the wrong place and did not show any discomfort towards the people around her.
According to Phuong, once she chose to bring her computer to work outside, she had already determined that she would have to live in a shared space. Therefore, she often went to cafes near universities or places that rent workspaces with hourly pay to increase work efficiency.
The young girl said that many times when she had to meet a tight deadline, she had to go to any random coffee shop to work.
"Just wear headphones and focus on your work, then people arguing outside won't affect you," Phuong said.
Ha Thu, a second-year student at the College of Radio and Television II, also admitted that proactively choosing a coffee shop that suits her purpose allows her to both focus on studying and gain more motivation when surrounded by friends of the same age who are engrossed in their studies.
However, according to her, even if you go to a coffee shop that doesn't have a rule about keeping order, you should only talk loud enough to avoid disturbing the people around you, because that is the minimum courtesy.
The owner is in a dilemma.
The most embarrassed person in this argument is not the customer but the owner.
Ms. Truong Thi To Uyen, owner of a coffee shop on Hoang Dieu 2 Street (Thu Duc City), said that due to revenue, small-scale shops find it difficult to set a specific customer base and only serve everyone. The shop is located in the central area, so she is not allowed to separate it into many separate spaces.
Therefore, the endless arguments between customers who come to work and customers who come to socialize and talk always put her in an awkward situation.
The most common stories are of students coming to study and complaining to the staff about a group of noisy customers in the shop. At times like that, Ms. Uyen has no choice but to plead with both groups of customers because if she favors either group, she will be the one who suffers the most.
"But people are not always easy-going. One time, a customer was talking quite loudly, so I invited him to the restaurant's garden space to continue the conversation more comfortably, but he immediately reacted. They thought the restaurant was disrespecting the customer and went straight home.
I myself understand that at times like that I have lost potential customers," Ms. Uyen lamented.
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