Recently, the number of self-employed people who suffer from heartache due to ‘kagongjok’, that is, people who study at cafes, is increasing.
With heating and electricity bills going up one following another, most Kagong people order a cup of coffee worth 3,000 won and stay at the cafe with their laptops on for more than 5-6 hours.
In particular, since it is good for four people, it takes up a seat by itself, so even if four guests come, they have to turn around, raising eyebrows.
On the 11th, in the online community mainly used by self-employed people who run cafes, including ‘I’m the boss because it hurts’, there are many posts regarding stressful experiences due to the Kagong people.
Representative examples of the Kagong tribe include, “I ordered a 3,000 won coffee and have been using my laptop for six hours,” or “Two guests took their seats at a table for four and studied from morning to evening with a drink. “I’m going to do it”, “I’ve even seen cases where I was studying alone and then called in a private tutor to even tutor”, etc.
Self-employed people who have experienced a drop in sales or a surge in electricity bills due to the behavior of the Khagong tribe say, “I pay a thousand dollars inside” or “I am cautious regarding talking to customers, but it is really frustrating because I can’t say anything”, “I feel very small myself”, etc. situation in which you are reacting.
At the same time, their common concerns are focused on how to effectively respond to the Kagong tribe.
First of all, an easy way to respond is to limit the amount of time you can stay per drink. It is a formula that limits the normal usage time to 2 hours per drink. At this time, it is good to write the phrase “one person, one drink” along with it.
However, in this case, there is also a warning that customers may suffer ‘review terrorism’.
One self-employed person complained, “From the beginning, the usage time was limited to 2 hours, but I asked the customer if it was okay, and they said it was okay, so I thought it was that way, but I didn’t intend to go out following 3-4 hours, so when I politely told them, I was subjected to review terrorism.”
In some cases, outlets are blocked to prevent the Kagong people from using them. It is said that these measures are being taken to prevent people from sitting for long periods of time using laptops to work or charging their phones inside cafes.
A self-employed person who runs a small cafe said, “Since the Kagong family starts with one or two people and continues to grow, it is important to prevent the Kagong family from entering at all.” said.
In addition, in order to prevent the Khagong people from occupying a table for 4 people alone, they said that it was necessary to write down and keep a note of understanding such as “Please use 2 or 3 people at a table for 4 people” or “There may be a seat change if necessary”.