Originally Posted by
ghostrider
If you think $7 is too much, go have your group meetings somewhere else...your house maybe. No one is forcing you to meet at the shop. The shop owner is well within the bounds of 'acceptable' by any standards of business and, as an employee, you were way out of line to openly criticize her business decisions with customers.
Customers don't negotiate the prices of merchandise, why should they think they can negotiate the price of services? And space rental is a service, make no mistake about that. The rate here (NH) for using the shop's workroom...no food, no drinks, no supplies, no advice, just the room...is $5 per hour. It is paid with great gratitude in the heat of summer by many of us who don't have A/C and have to get something done on deadline.
I'm guessing the owner provided food to avoid having large amounts of messier things brought in (e.g., crock pots, etc.). If she ceases supply food, as she really should, don't be surprised if there are limits put on what users can bring in themselves. Quilt shops are not restaurants and food can do major damage to her inventory.
Boy. I could not disagree more! I'm sure glad I don't live in your area or frequent your local shops. no one around here would look at this as a "space rental "just a welcome opportunity for local quilters to meet and share good times and for the shop owner to increase their goodwill and sales and they are all happy to do it . Most LQS around here don't supply food if they do it is not a big meal and most people just bring fast food or a sandwich not a crockpot. I could see a small fee for an extended day ie 12 hours to cover electricity and heat if the store is open longer than usual but if it is during their regular hours no fee should be charged. At any rate 7.00 is way over the top. I think the friend was doing her shop owner a favor by telling her she was nuts!Perceptions are certainly different depending on what part of the country you live in!!