I observed from a table where I was eating lunch in Tresidder Union for thirty minutes. In my frame of view here, there were a few fast-food restaurants in view, including Starbucks Coffee, Panda Express, a pizza shop, and Curry Up Now!
Over these 30 minutes I sat here, I prioritized keeping my eyes fixed on a select few people. I keenly kept track of their actions throughout the 30 minutes as they came in here to eat lunch. Most of the people entering went to Panda Express, where there was a long line of about fifteen people. After waiting in line for about 7 minutes, they got their food, paid, and found a table to sit at. Most of the people I observed at their lunch by themselves. Here are a list of issues I noticed:
- Many of the tables were dirty, with bits of leftover food or stains from spilled drinks. This meant that some people had to wipe down their table before eating there.
- There were only a few trash cans scattered around the area, making people get up and walk for quite a while to throw their trash away.
- Many of the napkins people got were unused, leading them to go to waste.
- The lines (At least for Panda Express) were very long, about 15 people worsening the general lunch experience.
- Many overhead lights were used, but each singular light did not shine very bright (not efficient for electricity usage).
- Similar to the napkins, many items like sauces also went unused. This is not only the case here, but at other fast food restaurants as well (like ketchup packets).
- Many people did not bother completely cleaning up after themselves, leaving bits of leftover food and not wiping any drink stains.
- One person in particular was hunched over looking at his phone while eating, which was bad for his posture and made him have no spatial awareness. Homework PART A:
Project Ideas:
- Implement a better ordering system utilizing online ordering and pick-up, reducing wait times. To order online, many companies force one to download their app, which is a hassle, leading to most people ordering in person. If only there was a universal online ordering app…
- Have a small trash can at the end of every table, so it is more convenient for people to clean up after themselves, leading to more clean tables.
- Instead of having napkin dispensers only at the site of ordering, place some at each table so people do not overestimate how many napkins they need when grabbing it.
- Implement a better, more efficient lighting system. Because of the bright sun here, skylights are definitely an option for Tresidder Union. Using many “lamp-like” lights also doesn’t help much with the actual lighting. Preliminary Problem Statement:
There is always a line at popular fast food restaurants, like Panda Express, especially at mealtimes. Often times, it lowers customer satisfaction, rendering them frustrated. It may even discourage many from entering the line to order. This makes both the potential customer and the business lose, as there will be less people ordering from there, causing people to lose out on food and the business to lose out on profit.