Any bartenders reading today? How annoying is it when you’re working on a busy night and a patron asks you to plug in their charger to give their phone some juice? Even if it’s a regular, someone you like, someone who tips well, it’s still a bit irritating.
How about bar goers? Don’t you hate when you’re out on the town and you get the low battery warning from your smartphone? It’s the worst.
What if the bar you tended or attended had USB ports installed for customer use? You sit down at the wood, plug in your charger, and get some battery juice alongside your elixir of choice. You build electrical outlets into the bar, with cables running behind, and USB ports tucked underneath. This could work at restaurant tables as well.
For bar and restaurant owners unwilling to alter the construction of their bars, but still in search of a solution, there are other options. Some bars have purchased mobile phone chargers, such as the Mophie seen below, branded them with the name of their establishment, and then distribute them to customers in need. Some offer this as a free service, others charge a nominal fee.
Some bars have created freestanding charging stations, with each “charging cubby” protected under lock and key. Patrons swipe their credit card, open their cubby, charge their phone, and return when they’re ready.
ChargeItSpot, BrightBox, and goCharge are three companies that have done the work for you. With stations available for rent and purchase, having a place for customers to charge up isn’t all that difficult.
The Eagle Charging Station by goCharge
While part of me doesn’t exactly love this idea because I think our smartphones are already robbing of us of real human interaction, I’d be crazy not to acknowledge the opportunity. Whether we like it or not, with each passing day, and each advance in technology, we become more dependent on the tech that fits in our pockets. And thus, we need that battery life. Expect to see this trend skyrocket in the coming years.
What do you think? Have you ever asked to charge your phone at a bar? Would you use a charging station? Would you pay for one? Hit us up in the comments and let us know.
