7A - Testing the Hypothesis

New Gas Pump Design

Gas stations throughout the country still refuse to install systems that allow customers to pay for gas with cash without walking inside the store. This improvement could speed up the time customers stay at the gas pump and wouldn't reduce revenue if implemented correctly.

The who: Gas stations throughout the United States.

The what: They do not allow customer to pay for gas without entering the store and waiting in line.

The why: This could save customer time and grow demand through diversification.

Hypothesis

Gas station pumps that can use both cash and card would be a convenience for everyone who ever rides in a motor vehicle.

Testing the who: There are people that reside in other countries who also have the desire of a more convenient way of paying for gas with cash. After my interviews, I also found that various gas station employees would also benefit from having less in-store customers.

Testing the what: This situation could expand to any service that only takes cards in a convenient manner while cash customers experience a different procedure.

Testing the why: Convenience is not the only need that is satisfied by this change. Customers who wish not to engage in social situations would appreciate any avoidance into stores. This may also be convenient for those who are driving in their pajamas or without proper footwear and would not like to be far from their car.

Interviews

I interviewed five people which included three UF students and two cashiers at the Kangaroo gas station on SW 34th Street. The two cashiers, who have legitimate experience in the business, both agreed with me that it would be much more convenient for both customers and employees. This introduced a new who into the situation that I previously did not account for, the employee and the reduction of another customer interaction. The length of the line would therefore be shorter inside the store and it would also allow more cars to fuel up in a shorter amount of time as cash users do not need to leave their pump every time. The three UF students in another summer class that I am currently enrolled in brought up the lack of revenue the store may face when customers are able to not enter the store even when using cash. Two possible solutions were brought up that show that an increased fare for cash may still draw demand at a premium while more savvy buyers will still enter the store for the normal fare.

Conclusion

After these interviews, I now realize that the opportunity is riskier to implement than I had previously thought. The notion of lost revenue for a company is a big red flag when pitching any type of idea that could influence the gas industry. The collaboration of thoughts from these interviews definitely reinforces my belief that this change would be very convenient for almost any individual at some point in time. It was also mentioned that even if people do not own cars or have electric cars, there is still the possibility of a car pool situation in which they ride in a vehicle that requires gas.