What's the ROI on the bathroom?
Computerworld has a good article on how many businesses are starting to offer wireless Internet access for free, as a competetive tactic to attract customers. Seems likely that this will be a growing trend, eventually leading towards ubiquitous wireless access around many cities and towns. Thanks to Cory Doctorow for pointing this out in Boing Boing.
"Panera Bread Co., based in Richmond Heights, Mo., has also embraced free Wi-Fi as a marketing tool and plans to offer the service in 130 of its 600 bakery cafes by year's end, eventually extending the service chainwide. Ron Shaich, the company's chairman and CEO, says he views free Wi-Fi as an amenity that has already started to attract and retain customers at what he calls a "minimal cost."
In fact, Shaich considers free Wi-Fi to be such an essential marketing tool that he dismisses any discussion of ROI. "What is the ROI on a bathroom?" asked Shaich, pointing out that the day of pay restrooms in restaurants has long since passed. "
WiFi might attract customers now, but it can only do so as long as its presence (for free) is what keeps customers coming back. That is, once WiFi access becomes sufficiently saturated it will stop being an added bonus - it'll be what people expect. This is why there isn't a ROI for having bathrooms in your restaurant. For now though, there still is an enticing ROI for offering free WiFi.