To start off, I believe that a public health opportunity that exists at gas stations. The opportunity and unmet need is the lack of sanitation near gas pumps.
The individuals that have the need are people who want to keep their hands cleaned after pumping gas into their car. I believe this need has always existed because gas stations have been around for a long time. Previously, gas stations had employees who would pump the gas for people, but this became costly and unreasonable. As a result, gas stations became a self-service and individuals had to pump their own gas. Now the year is 2018, the world is much more connected than it used to be. This means that germs and bacteria travel across the world as much as people do. So, gas stations, and more specifically gas pumps are a hub for germs and bacteria. Individuals who want to clean their hands after pumping gas, must either go inside to wash their hands or carry hand sanitizer around in their car. At this point, I would say that I am 100% sure that an opportunity cost exists.
The prototypical customer in this situation is a car-owner who adequately maintains their health and hygiene.
Interview 1: Ryan (Male in early 20’s)
1. Do you believe that gas pumps are dirty and, a hub for germs and bacteria?
a. “Yes, they never get sanitized ever. Sometimes I think about wearing a glove just so I don’t have to touch it.”
2. Do you clean your hands after pumping gas for your car?
a. “No, I’m dumb and never think to do it. I just hop back in the car and drive off.”
3. How do you currently clean your hands after pumping gas?
a. “I don’t clean my hands, not even when I get home. I just never think about doing it.”
4. Are you aware that poor sanitation can adversely affect your health?
a. “Yes, I am aware that bacteria can cling onto the body and cause you to get too sick if you do not properly sanitize.”
5. When did you become aware of the need to clean your hands after pumping gas?
a. During this interview, I now know to clean my hands after pumping gas. Thank you because I never gave it thought.
6. How often would you clean your hands if there was sanitation near the gas pumps?
a. “I would do it every single time, especially if it was right near the gas pump.”
Reflection: In this interview, I found it surprising to learn that some people may not think about cleaning their hands at all. However, if there was some sort of sanitation, even people who never think about it would still take time to clean. This is something people would take advantage of, so I still believe the opportunity cost is there.
Interview 2: Keira (Female in late teenage years)
1. Do you believe that gas pumps are dirty and, a hub for germs and bacteria?
a. “Yes, gas pumps are dirty and are a huge home for germs and bacteria. A lot of people are not conscious of the fact that thousands of other people before you have touched the same pump.”
2. Do you clean your hands after pumping gas for your car?
a. “Yes, I clean my hands after pumping gas. Each time I pump gas I clean my hands.”
3. How do you currently clean your hands after pumping gas?
a. “I use hand sanitizer. Also, usually if I stop somewhere where there is a restroom I wash my hands with soap and water.”
4. Are you aware that poor sanitation can adversely affect your health?
a. “Yes, I am aware that poor sanitation can affect my health, which is why I keep my hands clean and carry sanitary products with me at all times.”
5. When did you become aware of the need to clean your hands after pumping gas?
a. “I became aware of the need to clean my hands at a young age. It was something my mother instilled in me since I was ten years old.”
6. How often would you clean your hands if there was sanitation near the gas pumps?
a. “I would use it every time I pumped gas. In the past few months, I have seen more hand sanitizers outside the pumps at bigger gas stations such as Wawa and 7-Eleven.”
Reflection: In this interview, I learned that some people are raised to be clean and to have good hygiene from a young age. I found it surprising when I learned that bigger gas stations are slowly implementing hand sanitizers at their gas pumps.
Interview 3: Ashley (Female in early 20’s)
1. Do you believe that gas pumps are dirty and, a hub for germs and bacteria?
a. “Yes, gas pumps are dirty. They are outside and there are so many people who use the same pump throughout the day.”
2. Do you clean your hands after pumping gas for your car?
a. “I clean my hands after pumping if I have hand sanitizer near me.”
3. How do you currently clean your hands after pumping gas?
a. “I sanitize most of the time, but if I am going to the gas station bathroom I wash my hands there.”
4. Are you aware that poor sanitation can adversely affect your health?
a. “Yes, I am aware. It’s so many germs and bacteria and it’s easy to get sick from the pump.”
5. When did you become aware of the need to clean your hands after pumping gas?
a. “I have always been aware of the need to sanitize after pumping, as my mom taught me.”
6. How often would you clean your hands if there was sanitation near the gas pumps?
a. “I would clean my hands after every pump if there was sanitizer.”
Reflection: This interview taught me that most people believe that gas pumps are dirty. While some may clean their hands at all, some decide to wash their hands immediately after. Because this was my third interview I was not surprised by the comments, it was more of me confirming my assumptions about how people want to stay clean.
Summary:
1. How much of your original opportunity is still there?
Most of my opportunity is still there after conducting my interviews. I will take it down to about 90%, but that is only because bigger gas stations are implementing sanitation at their pumps. Since sanitation near gas pumps is not a nationwide thing I still believe there is a huge opportunity cost there.
2. Do you believe that your new opportunity is more accurate than when you started?
I believe my opportunity is almost in the same position that it started with. My assumptions were confirmed after conducting my interviews. Some people don’t care to clean their hands, while on the other hand some people are taught from an early age about the importance of sanitation. There is an opportunity to add sanitation near gas pumps and I believe that people fully utilize it.
3. How much do you think entrepreneurs should 'adapt' their opportunities based on customer feedback?
I think that entrepreneurs should stay somewhere in the middle between adapting and staying firm based on customer feedback. If you try to please everyone by adapting you might end up not pleasing anyone at all. However, if you stay firm and stubborn you may miss out on key feedback from customers.
Kyle,
ReplyDeleteGreat observation and opportunity belief. I have always noticed that gas pumps can be unsanitary but it was something that I never would have considered a need to go and wash my hands or at the very least use hand sanitizer. I can also see from the interviews that every single person you asked sees this as a problem and can be fixed. Very interesting opportunity belief and thank you for bring it up.