Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Before you read the upcoming summaries of the people I interviewed, it is necessary to define a few things:

·       Opportunity: College students (who live with at least one roommate) not collaborating on cleaning or maintaining the kitchen, living room, or any common area that is shared by all the roommates.

·       Boundaries of this opportunity: (1) a minimum of one roommate and a maximum of a combined six roommates for each interviewee, as to focus on more general and universal applications of this need; (2) only undergraduate students (majority of college students); (3) customers must have lived with at least one roommate for at least one month (for legitimacy).

As you can see, I redefined who exactly my customers will be going forward with this need. For this opportunity, it has been very challenging to find people who have never had issues at any point in time with their roommates. Therefore, I will be focusing on specific conflict resolutions they used (current or in the past) to discover who is outside the “boundary” of this need; how they attempted to resolve conflicts, if it worked, etc. Overall, I understand this opportunity is too broad and affects everyone in different ways, and thus there is no single root cause of this unmet customer need.

Note: If interviewees were not currently experiencing this need, they were allowed to reflect on a past experience.

Interviews:

Customer 1: Adriana Martinez, Nova Southeastern University, Junior

1. To what extent are you experiencing this problem? Is it a daily issue or does it only come up randomly?

I have a roommate that has a cat and I am allergic to cats, so this is a daily issue for me.

2. How exactly did you discuss the problem with your roommate(s)? Did you try multiple approaches, assuming the other ones failed?

Well at first when we first moved in I told her about my allergies and she agreed to keep the cat in her room. But as she got more comfortable the cat would start coming into the living room area. So I blew up one day and told her how she had to be cleaning and vacuuming more if the cat was going to be outside because of my allergies. So this was probably the second time I told her. 

3. When you eventually made it work among your roommates, or at least partially, what do you think you did differently that helped resolve the conflict(s)?

Well I think definitely approaching her that second time and telling how it was highly affecting me was what partially resolved the issue. 

4. Do you think the approach you used would work for other students living with roommates?

I don’t think randomly blowing up on your roommate is a good idea but I think strictly enforcing it from the beginning would’ve caused less problems. 

5. Would you have used this same approach if you were living with family members?

Yes I would have because of how comfortable I am with my family members. But if it were a family member I’d be living with I wouldn’t have let them bring a cat at all. 

6. What were the limitations of discussing this problem with your roommates? Were there some things you didn’t feel like putting out in the open? Why?

Well my roommate is from Virginia and she doesn’t know anyone here, so that’s why I let her initially bring the cat. I understand that pets are friends and they may help when one is lonely. I wasn’t as strict with the idea at first mostly because I just felt bad for her. 

7. Were you ever approached by other roommates for similar issues? How did you handle that?

Not necessarily, I’ve just been told to clean up my stuff or change the toilet paper. I handled it fine just did what they told me to. 

8. Looking back, what do you think was most effective to get your roommate(s) to adhere to your requests?

I think it was enforcing her to clean up and vacuum more especially since I get really bad allergies. I showed her how I had to drink a pill everyday because of how bad my eyes would be swelling everyday. So I think it was showing her my condition and how badly it affected me that actually made her clean up more. 

Summary: Adriana’s situation is intriguing because, unlike all the others, the problem with her roommate does not relate to the kitchen area or living room but rather is animal related. For all of these interviews, I have focused on common area living spaces though never considered the presence of animals, which cannot be handled in the same manner as the kitchen, per say. After reading her responses, I realized this type of scenario must also be compensated for on top of dispute in common areas of the living space.  

Customer 2: Juvensen Jules, University of South California, Junior

1. To what extent are you experiencing this problem? Is it a daily issue or does it only come up randomly?

This a daily issue. My roommate refuses to clean up after himself in the kitchen and refuses to sweep the part of the house that belongs to him.

2. How exactly did you discuss the problem with your roommate(s)? Did you try multiple approaches, assuming the other ones failed?

I try to lead by example. I clean all my dishes and leave his in the sink but if it were up to him they would all still remain in the sink. Next I tried to talk to him about cleaning up after himself and it worked for a little bit but not too long after he returned to his old ways.

3. When you eventually made it work among your roommates, or at least partially, what do you think you did differently that helped resolve the conflict(s)?

I guess addressing him directly instead of leading by example.

4. Do you think the approach you used would work for other students living with roommates?

Yes.

5. Would you have used this same approach if you were living with family members?

Yes.

6. What were the limitations of discussing this problem with your roommates? Were there some things you didn’t feel like putting out in the open? Why?

Some limitations include conflict of schedule, we are not home together a lot of the time.

7. Were you ever approached by other roommates for similar issues? How did you handle that?

My roommate approached me about not putting my food away after cooking and I kindly reminded him about his faults.

8. Looking back, what do you think was most effective to get your roommate(s) to adhere to your requests?

Being honest and just talking to him l.

Summary: Once again, we see an example of a roommate that is out of the boundary, specifically Juvensen’s roommate. It does not come at a surprise reading Juvensen tried to lead by example and had it not work out as he planned. This appears to be a consistent issue where taking the highroad does not result in positive conflict resolution, though rather prolongs the problem further (as people who are inside the boundary tend to do so).

Customer 3: Zach, University of Central Florida, Senior

1. To what extent are you experiencing this problem? Is it a daily issue or does it only come up randomly?

Daily.

2. How exactly did you discuss the problem with your roommate(s)? Did you try multiple approaches, assuming the other ones failed?

I approached him when he was in his room, and told him how much I dislike a dirty kitchen when I come home from class.

3. When you eventually made it work among your roommates, or at least partially, what do you think you did differently that helped resolve the conflict(s)?

I just understood my roommate's point of view.

4. Do you think the approach you used would work for other students living with roommates?

Yes, communication is key in solving issues like this.

5. Would you have used this same approach if you were living with family members?

Yes, it doesn’t matter who it is.

6. What were the limitations of discussing this problem with your roommates? Were there some things you didn’t feel like putting out in the open? Why?

Not exactly, since I confronted him before I became frustrated, the issue was resolved quickly and no one became hostile.

7. Were you ever approached by other roommates for similar issues? How did you handle that?

No, I usually keep my area very clean.

8. Looking back, what do you think was most effective to get your roommate(s) to adhere to your requests?

Simply understanding that they are people too with hectic lives that can't always clean efficiently, so I just made sure that they would put in more of an effort.

Summary: Perhaps outside of the boundary is Zach’s example because of how effectively his approach worked. Although this approach may be more interrogative, sharing his problems with his roommate without remorse or a second thought can sometimes work. His ideology was to not let the problem linger on, which I have found from past interviews to be one of the root causes of this opportunity.

Customer 4: Chris Pena, University of North Carolina, Junior

1. To what extent are you experiencing this problem? Is it a daily issue or does it only come up randomly?

I’m a type of person that likes the house to always be squeaky clean. Starting week one, my roommate got in the habit of leaving the dirty plates in the kitchen and not washing them right away. That caused me a small level of frustration, so I ended up doing them. That scenario happened for the first three weeks.

2. How exactly did you discuss the problem with your roommate(s)? Did you try multiple approaches, assuming the other ones failed?

During week 3 I told him to help me clean the plates. I developed a system that would assure that we both took part in cleaning the plates. I washed the dishes and he dried them. Now I feel like we are both doing our part.

3. When you eventually made it work among your roommates, or at least partially, what do you think you did differently that helped resolve the conflict(s)?

I strategically found a way for him to help me without actually telling him “Yo man are you ever going to do dishes?” I just wanted to find a way to tell him without making him feel bad for not helping me before. So one day during week 3 when we were done with dinner I asked him to help me dry the plates and silverware.

4. Do you think the approach you used would work for other students living with roommates?

Yes, I would recommend other students to bring the point across without being too direct. But at the same time direct enough where their roommate sees the issue.

5. Would you have used this same approach if you were living with family members?

I believe I would use the same approach because it doesn’t make the person feel bad for not helping before.

6. What were the limitations of discussing this problem with your roommates? Were there some things you didn’t feel like putting out in the open? Why?

Yes, I didn’t tell him straight up that he was being lazy with the dishes and that he should start doing them. I held back in order to not cause him to feel bad.

7. Were you ever approached by other roommates for similar issues? How did you handle that?

I have only had one roommate and it is my current roommate. He has not approached me with any issues.

8. Looking back, what do you think was most effective to get your roommate(s) to adhere to your requests?

Making it seem like a teamwork activity instead of a command.

Summary: Chris likes to flirt with being direct but also respectful over how his roommate might feel when bringing up his habit of not cleaning his dishes. In theory, this is exactly what a solution to this opportunity may be conceived as, since he considered both parties involved when trying to settle the dispute. Furthermore, Chris also allowed the problem to linger for three weeks, and therefore falls inside the boundary.

Customer 5: Brian Rodriguez, Boston College, Junior  

1. To what extent are you experiencing this problem? Is it a daily issue or does it only come up randomly?

I’d say issues come up at least twice a month.

2. How exactly did you discuss the problem with your roommate(s)? Did you try multiple approaches, assuming the other ones failed?

At first, we all had the issue of not properly cleaning the kitchen because we were all preoccupied with other things and let it get out of hand. After that, we basically all pitch in at random times and help clean up, nothing formal.

3. When you eventually made it work among your roommates, or at least partially, what do you think you did differently that helped resolve the conflict(s)?

I believe we are cool enough with each other to not let it become a true issue because of how busy we all are.

4. Do you think the approach you used would work for other students living with roommates?

As long as your responsible enough to do your own part and communicate with your rommates, this approach will work.

5. Would you have used this same approach if you were living with family members?

Yes.

6. What were the limitations of discussing this problem with your roommates? Were there some things you didn’t feel like putting out in the open? Why?

Obviously you never want to be too direct with your roommates, who are ultimately my friends as well. For the most part, if dishes are just sitting in the sink for a while, that person eventually recognizes that they have to clean it up (same for me).

7. Were you ever approached by other roommates for similar issues? How did you handle that?

I’ve been approached a few times about leaving my dishes in the living room, but I never made a big deal out of it.

8. Looking back, what do you think was most effective to get your roommate(s) to adhere to your requests?

Communication and being close friends.

Summary: Because Brian was already friends with all his roommates, the problem of ill communication is not present. Moreover, Brian does not have to sit down and have an open discussion with his roommates because they all understand the responsibility of living with other people and the mutual respect that comes with being good friends. Therefore, Brian and all his roommates fall inside of the boundary – even if there one or two issues per month.

Inside the Boundary	Outside the Boundary
Who: roommates (undergraduate college students) who routinely maintain, clean, and respect common areas within a shared household. Whether or not they were raised to keep up with their messes, these roommates understand that other people should not be responsible for cleaning up after them. Moreover, these students will at least keep least minimally out of respect, to keep up with	Who: roommates (undergraduate college students) who do not routinely maintain, clean, and respect common areas within a shared household. People will not keep a common area clean for a multitude of factors that are practically beyond our control (differences in personalities, background, etc.).
What the need is: Having other roommates contributing to maintaining common areas, or in the very least, picking up after themselves.	What the need is not: Not worrying about cleaning up after themselves, assumes it will be cleaned somehow eventually.
Why the need exists: Opposing personalities, backgrounds, social beliefs, personal standards of living, allowing issues to linger, laziness, differing schedules, not knowing how to clean, disregarding other roommates requests.	Alternative explanations: Not realizing they left a mess, not caring about their mess, assuming it will be cleaned eventually, or simply taking advantage of other roommates because they know they will cave in and clean it.