Assignment 2A - Bug List
1. People who say they are going to do something but then do not do it.
WHY? People have the desire to do something, but then later feel incapable of completing the task. In addition, people tend to forget, become too busy with life, or do not hold themselves accountable to their promises.
2. Lululemon workout clothes start to smell despite washing and drying them properly.
WHY? Workout clothes are worn while one sweats. Lululemon uses synthetic fabric to block water and let sweat evaporate off the body. This material absorbs body oils easily; therefore, bacteria can formulate and cause the article of clothing to smell.
3. Writing things down on my hand because I do not have paper readily available.
WHY? I think of something important I need to do but my phone or a piece of paper is not by me to write a reminder. The ink from the pen is bad for your skin and it looks unprofessional.
4. Not checking the weather app before leaving your house and get caught in the rain without an umbrella or rain jacket.
WHY? The rain the Florida is unpredictable. It seems hot and sunny, but then a monsoon strikes. The sky tricks the minds of Floridans and many leave their houses with out rain protection. Besides getting wet, rain can onset a cold for humans.
5. The Apple charger's cord breaks and the charger stops working properly.
WHY? Pressure and tension is not good for cables. Jamming things against the cord or pulling too hard can cause the cord to fray where the cable and the plug meet.
6. Ordering a customized meal and thoroughly going over what you want with waiter, but the kitchen still gets it wrong.
WHY? Menus have set meals with a protein and recommended sides. In addition, menus have their own side selection. Since you are paying for your meal, you want to order what you want. There are three mediums the instructions need to pass. You, the waiter, and then the kitchen. Communication can get lost. Also the kitchen can forget to take off the dressing because they have been trainer in a routine mindset.
7. Not being able to order coffee at a restaurant because there is a Starbucks in the same building.
WHY? Starbucks has an exclusivity clause with specific landlords to prohibits tenants of the same property to sell coffee beans, espresso, coffee based drinks, etc. The landlord does not want competition from his tenants.
8. Hurricane prohibiting one from using their rented AirBnB.
WHY? In planning a trip, one does not predict a hurricanes to ruin their get away. Hurricanes can be very dangerous, but they also can go in new paths. It is hard to be certain if it will strike your AirBnB. It is best to be safe. Host can either cancel on customers or vice versa. If a customer calls AirBnB, they will not be penalized for canceling their trip as it is considered an "extenuating circumstance."
9. Homeless people asking for money in Downtown Gainesville.
WHY? Gainesville is a safe haven for homeless. There are many shelters in the area, especially around Downtown. In Downtown Gainesville, there are many outdoor public seating areas where people study, relax, and hangout. Homeless view this as a target to panhandle for money.
10. Men not asking women out on actual dates anymore.
WHY? Men (and women) have insecurities and they fear rejection. The technological era allows men to hide behind a screen to meet girls via apps. In addition, the college environment allows one to get caught up in a different mindset in treating women differently.
11. Receiving a coupon from a CVS receipt post purchase that you could have used prior.
WHY? CVS wants their patrons to come back and purchase another product. Their paper receipt prints coupons based off the consumer's previous purchases. In addition, paper receipts are tangible and reminds customers they need to restock.
12. Uber not allowing customer to split the fair.
WHY? Even though a rider has the Uber App, if they do not have a valid payment or strong connection they will be unable to split the fair. The person who called the Uber will be charged for both portions of the ride.
13. Drivers not staying in their lanes, cutting you off, or getting to close to your car.
WHY? Main cause for poor driving is distractions and are in a hurry to get somewhere. Cellphones are a major contributor to this issue.
14. Hotel key card becomes deactivated due to it being too close to your cellphone.
WHY? Cardholders typically put their hotel card in their pocket next to their cellphone. The magnetic stripe can be altered by the magnetic fields from your phone. The can cause the encoding of the hotel key to degrade or erase the card's data.
15. Paper frills from torn out note book paper.
WHY? Paper is attached to the spiral with this design. When the paper is torn out, the frill is left and typically littered on the ground.
16. Arm pit and back sweat occurring due to backpack arms.
WHY? A backpack is designed to carry items and heavy text books. There is no airflow between your body and the bag. When walking long distances in the heat and wearing a backpack, sweat will occur in the back.
17. Getting distracted by people sniffling their noses during exams.
WHY? Students get a lack of sleep during exam season. This can lower their immune system and they become sick. A running nose is one of the first signs of a cold.
18. People not wiping their sweat off the gym equipment after using it.
WHY? Wiping gym equipment disinfects the machine. This is proper etiquette to prevent disease, bacteria growth, and to keep the machines clean and not smelling like sweat.
19. Email birthday coupons and freebies are only applicable on your specific day of birth.
WHY? The company wants to honor your patronage on your birthday. Since they do this with many customers, bigger companies have the coupon expire on the specific day of your birth. They do this because the company know the likelihood of customers using the coupon is less likely than if the offer expired in a month. Therefore, they would not be losing as much product.
20. Coffeeshop is out of your preference milk, so you will have to pay more for another nut based milk - which is not your favorite.
WHY? Coffeeshops have a limited supply of inventory. If they run out before their next shipment, the shop will not be able to provide that ingredient. A favorite type of milk is probably consumer by other customers as well. With higher demand, the milk can be priced higher. Instead of paying more for your favorite type of milk, you would be paying for a less prefer product. Thus the intrinsic reaction is perceived negative. The shop should offer no up charge for the milk.
Reflection:
This assignment's objective to look around society and see what "bugs" you can pose some challenges. After watching the lecture and assignment videos, I listen to Professor Pryor's advice and to start brainstorming early and at different points in my day/week. Most of my bugs came to me when I was walking from class to class. I would reflect on my day, the people around me, and the conversations I had. I discovered I could easily brainstorm 5-7 bugs until I hit a road block. I then created a list on my iPhone to keep track of these "isms" of society. After reading my bug list, most of these issues are first world problems dealing with products, customer service, and societal behavior. it was easier to answer "Why this bug exist" than thinking of the bug itself. More narrow defined "bugs" created a more concrete "why" than a broader statement. "Bugs" dealing with specific products has more specific "whys" with more concrete evidence to support it. I learned one can develop a more specific "why," target a specific audience, and analyze if a new product or service can help eliminate the presented issue when you think more and get specific with a opportunity identification
