A souvenir store on Unter den Linden in Berlin offers 15 minutes of “free” internet usage. To log in, you go to the counter, get an entry code, and are free to use a PC. Moreover, you can use the code to get 10% off the purchase price of any souvenir in the shop. But unlike some “free” deals that come with tie-in purchases, this is a voluntary tie-in: you don’t have to purchase anything. Since nearby internet shops charge for usage, this seems like a very good deal if you just want to do a quick email check. Although I felt a bit guilty about not buying any of the shop’s tchotchkes, I was happy to use the internet for free and walk out. Why don’t more people go here to use the web? Do they have even greater guilt feelings than I and don’t want to pay the price of the cheesy souvenirs? Are they ignorant of the good deal?
Would You Like a Tchotchke With Your Internet?
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I would be worried about the security of the system. Even if the shop itself did not rig the machine to get your email account password or other info I would worry that it was not managed properly to protect if from malicious “customers” attaching eavesdropping malware or hardware to the system surreptitiously.
Any modern business needs internet access for its employees in order to be profitable. After a very small investment in a extra PC and setting up the 15-minute passcode system, the marginal cost of giving away free access is virtually nil.
Creating new foot traffic into the store creates a non-zero amount of sales, since even apart from feelings of guilt, some people will simply happen to see something that they want.
at least something > virtually nothing
The time limit, and fact that surfing the web is safer, more convenient, and probably more comfortable at home or at an internet cafe easily explains why people don’t overuse it.
All of the above is so blindingly obvious, you should be embarrassed that you have to ask why they give away free access, and why it isn’t abused.