Annoying neighbour / business. Suggestions

[BayrischDude 2,080]

I am merely looking for suggestions to handle an annoying matter.

Five year ago I moved my workshop into it's current location. Entry to the shop is not an entirely odd one, but a bit unusual. There is a stoop of two steps up from the street. There is a door to the left (neighbour's shop) and mine is to the right. There is perhaps 2 meters between the doors. It's a tiny walk-up, 2m by 1,5m.

Since being here, my current neighbour is the fourth renter / business. That is a story itself. The current... shop(?) is strange to have in the pedestrian zone. It's a nail studio. Since the onset, we have not gotten on well, but are respectful at present. Like me, they are foreigners. They also operate a restaurant here in town.

The door to the shop, like mine, offers 'opening hours 9-18'. It also has their handy number and oddly under states 'Mit Terminvereinbarung'. They are quite infrequently there. This business has never been open from 9-6. Perhaps an hour or two in the morning, an hour or two in the afternoon and the odd hour in the evening. I could careless about any of this. Their business.

However... it affects mine. Examples:

Someone will have an appointment at 9.30. The shop is not open, so these customers come in mine inquiring where they are.

Or they ring the owner and then sit on the stoop waiting, chatting on their handy, having conversations with a partner. Best is when they park they bicycle that leans against my sole Schaufenster. It's annoying in the summer to have the loud conversations outside my shop door.

Some will also come into my shop in need of a pen to write down the handy number.

I've talked to the shop owner and it does FA. I asked on the 'open hours' and 'Mit Terminvereinbarung', which confuses people enough that they come to me to express their confusion. She doesn't seem to understand the confusion this causes.

My landlady has spoken to her, but it too does FA. It's just my opinion, but she operates the shop more like a hobby than an actual business. Again, I don't care, but still find it strange for a business in the pedestrian zone.

Her customers sitting on the stoop side-by-side waiting for her... It sounds like I have a stick up my bum, but I don't like it. It could have the potential to keep people from coming in my shop. The stoop is blocked. Yes, in the winter when my door is shut they will lean against it. I've had to correct that a time or two.

One business should not encroach on another. There is limited space between our businesses.

There is probably nothing I can do, but I am open to suggestions.

Go ahead TT, offer suggestions or tell me to remove the stick from my bum!

[LeonG 14,850]

Who uses a pen to write down cell phone numbers anymore? Hard to find people these days that don't have a cell phone with photo capabilities.

I suggest you do the typical passive aggressive German things and put up signs. One sign on your shop window saying no bikes please, one on your shop door to say do not bother me about neighbour, I do not know when they are open, please call the number on the door.

As for the steps, keep a mop and bucket handy. Every time somebody sits on the steps, go out with your mop because you were just about to clean them. If the sitter complains, just say ok but the bums pee here at night, if you want to sit on it, go right ahead.

[fraufruit 42,493]

Reeks of money laundering. A shop that is seldom open. We have something similar downstairs. No idea how she can pay the rent with the few hours she works.

[LeonG 14,850]

A house I lived in had a tattoo shop downstairs and they were almost never there. It was a small place so I'm sure that a couple of tattoos per month would have paid his rent.

[optimista 5,925]

Neither here nor there but what is passive agressive about putting up signs ? You would be clearly setting limits. Dunno if people will read them though...

Patience is a virtue. As they are not doing a roaring trade and tennancy turnover has been high since you moved in (cause and effect ??) maybe you just need to wait for them to move on. You might then miss them, or not, depending on what rocks up next.

Is there room for a plant or ornament that will not be an inconvenience to entry but dissuade bums on the step ? Spiky cactus ?

[bramble 9,643]

I think LeonG's suggestion with putting up signs a good one. Maybe a sign "Türeingang bitte freihalten" and/or" Sitzen auf der Stufe nicht gestattet" may also help. And maybe you could suggest to her to put her opening hours sign in her shop window instead of the door which might help to prevent her customers entering the tiny space between your two doors.

[BayrischDude 2,080]

This bloody javascript thing...

@LeonG the signs are a good idea, but as little space in the Schaufenster or do, I don't want my shop to look like a lamp post cluttered with signs. I've attempted several times on the cars who park directly in front of the window. Did FA! The mop and bucket might do though, albeit we have no bums here. A smallish Bavarian town.

@FrauFruit, we joke on that exact topic here in the street. We all sarcastically state it's a Geldwäscherei.

@Optimista, sadly too little room. A plant would be more in the way than the stoop sitters.

I will find a solution...no doubts.

At least no one is telling me to remove the 'Stock im Arsch'! :D

[optimista 5,925]

Keep it there, it may encourage them to move on.

[snowingagain 5,441]

Put a couple of old chairs outside the nail bar?

[maxie 629]

I sounds annoying as f***.
I have seen signs that that placed under the shop window: Keine Fahrräder anlehnen. Or just a crossed out bicycle.
You could put one directly on the steps: Eingang / Stufen freihalten
I don't think there is anything you can do about the people coming into your shop to ask, other than send them away again and again. The return customers will learn.
Maybe keep the address of one or two regular nail salons handy. You know, the ones that are actually open during business hours that then point out that a friend etc. goes there and is happy.

[LeonG 14,850]

Excellent idea maxie. Check out a nail salon that is open, get their business cards and keep them on your counter. If somebody comes in to ask, just say that neighbour is hardly ever open but offer them a card for someone who is.

[dstanners 1,555]

To stop the punters sitting on the steps, you could also buy some sort of rubberised mat with dimples/studs which I imagine would make them far less comfortable.
https://www.otto.de/p/stufenmatte-stufenmatte-aus-gummi-wetterfest-rutschhemmend-karat-S074V0D0/#variationId=S074V0D0IVNP

Also, as they are to prevent slipping, and waterproof, you could sprinkle them with a little water each day, to ensure no-one would sit there too long.

[dstanners 1,555]

Metal step covers along the following lines would be another option (no idea why the link is so long):
https://www.ebay.de/itm/325249508775?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20201210111314%26meid%3De508ff40ccc14f91a1512b69d9a92268%26pid%3D101195%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D394201961477%26itm%3D325249508775%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv11WebTrimmedV3MskuWithLambda85KnnRecallV1V4ItemNrtInQueryAndCassiniVisualRankerAndBertRecall%26brand%3DMarkenlos&_trksid=p2047675.c101195.m1851&amdata=cksum%3A325249508775e508ff40ccc14f91a1512b69d9a92268%7Cenc%3AAQAIAAABQNaJCFP3eaFlNU%252FMPxRY0TCMczVKEUB5MsBytoCwPnd71M08lfrVO4PuTCchnU42KC4W4fZqxBROE%252BM7tSL%252BgZgL1kWiIUBRsEpydVTA61DhOJDUizwNgM7HKYQEqSaBlHlxWtkitfio8FMQEwv5DzcJtyG7CRESXwsiqE0hI1ci0WFAIyP0fPd%252F9Xx3j5MzRikI15NLmphKk%252FdlB72kbwQUzTgLONXGjeXkSQ7BpJyZ2pJ9ICVhcK7PmVY6E%252BjMvNrbW8Z%252FChoKOkptuOkUrKI3ErnffQVaHtjaQ8BJoNAzUaXmZqHkJ8dSlrWoc6LPFWHOHB3vOC0fnzzwmBidrLVk3dNqoWWsP5MPl5WxetWvcmj7rJJDopBttOjgiGRL7uivbRc%252Bjf7AN2UaEoMbcS9CcU4uL1sifWgs9MjpO%252BFQ%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A2047675

[Janx Spirit 11,331]

Here's the image from your link

[optimista 5,925]

Yeah, things with knobs on. Knobs for knobs.
A prickly coconut mat would also do it.

How about a joke turd ?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/joke-turd/s?k=joke+turd

[BayrischDude 2,080]

Perhaps... Vogel Abwehr like what they install at the Bahnhof. The spikey thingies.

[optimista 5,925]

Pricks in bums. Sorry, that one s been brewing.

[catjones 1,702]

If the town is that small and this place has competitors, how bad can it really be?
I was walking down a Berlin street and noticed my shoe was untied, so I sat down on the closest stoop. Glad the place doesn't have owners like ^^^^^.

[optimista 5,925]

Did you stay there for ever having a long, loud chat on your phone ?

[catjones 1,702]

"for ever" is a long time. "Long, loud" are subjective. Go live on a farm. Town-life is not for you.

"Get off my lawn!"