Interviewing Customers: Third Time's The Charm!

*My phone died mid first interview, so I just wrote everything they said down, sorry.

My index card contained the following paragraph:

As you may know Gainesville has horrible parking. This small city was not meant to hold such a huge population. We suffer from horrible traffic and parking restrictions because of it. Towing companies are huge here, as well as the bus system and most students prefer to buy/use mopeds instead of cars because of their size. But many students have cars, most who barely use them because they are just simply unable to find parking. Students who don’t have mopeds are forced to either walk, ride their bikes or use the bus system to get to class, which can all be an inconvenience when you factor in time. students are forced to catch a bus 30-40 minutes before their class even starts just to get their on time, even when their home or apartment could only 10-15 minutes away. To solve this dilemma I have come up with the idea for underground parking. These would be underground parking garages that would be located in populated areas around Gainesville. This will allow students to use their cars for transportation at a low rate and in a timely manner. To cover cost and make a profit we will charge for the first couple of years they start to implement a decal system. And I know what you’re thinking how could this be possible in a place like Florida? Most of Florida is sadly and below sea level. Well nothing is impossible with modern technology. Thankfully for us Gainesville is in the heart of Florida where the land is a little higher. And the key to my company is not digging thousands of feet underground. We would dig underground for only one level and then expand to the sides. This will help with the geographical problem as well as the environmental concerns. Any thought?

Interview 1:

“You claim it’s possible but I’m not so sure. Yeah sounds great and it would help a lot but I just don’t know. Plus I feel like that would cause so economical damage. Like would RTS do if less people are ridding the bug, lay off workers? And there’s lots of moped business in town too.”

Interview 2:

I wake up late all the time so this would actually help. I’m always late because I gate on the ‘late bus’. And yeah I have a car, which I don’t drive to school. But I don’t know how this would make traffic better. Like traffic get worse if more people are using their car?”

Interview 3:

“Yes please! I wish I could drive to school. You know how many meetings I have after 5’oclock when parking at school is open to everyone, and I still can’t find parking!?”

Interview 4:

“Sounds like a good idea, and if U.F keeps it up they will be making every parking a new building soon (*awkwardly laughs). But yeah they should totally do if they can, and this way people can also drive to mid if they want instead of taking an Uber or the later gator. Although maybe not if they are gonna to get drunk.”

Interview 5:

“I would use the underground parking garages, especially if I was late. I think it’s a good idea. Although not sure how they would build it, especially build on land, if that makes any sense. Like I would think they would need to build underground with nothing on top and there’s barely any clear land next to campus so I’m not sure if this would work.”

I liked this interviewing method a lot better because I didn’t really have to talk to them. The only down side is that everyone just answered without really explaining why they either disagreed or agreed. I think maybe I should have put less on the card to give the interviewees room for thought. But after all the previous assignment I’ve collected all the potential questions they might have asked me and answered it for them.