For this assignment, I was to choose a public location to observe and record people’s behaviors in. I decided to go with a friend to the Subway. We chose the Subway because it is a popular lunchtime spot, and also because it is one of those places that attracts everyone – not just a specific group which we thought might be interesting to observe how different cultures interact with each other.
As Jackie and I found a table to sit at, a group of school children came in to the Subway. They were very smartly dressed, with blue blazers and ties. They walked in very straight, head held high as if looking down at everyone else. (This could also have been because they were very tall!) As they approached the queue, they huddled together in a group, separating themselves from others in the queue. I think that because the children are in school uniform and they are of a young age, they may have felt superior to others that were in normal clothing. This is maybe due to them having a uniform on and walking in as a close group. This made them intimidating to others and also made them stand out from everyone else.
Once the schoolchildren had left, we focused on a group of Americans that were sitting in front of us, at a table of four facing each other. They appeared to be tourists as there were backpacks underneath their table and their accents sounded like they were from a High-end part of America. This tells me that they are possibly quite a wealthy group of men who can afford to travel around. We also got the impression that they felt comfortable eating their lunch. We thought that maybe they have tried to stick to what they know while travelling over here. By this I mean that they have chosen the Subway, which is open to all cultures, rather than choosing a local pub for a pub lunch. Obviously they would not feel as comfortable in a local pub because it would be a specific group that would go there and they would probably feel as if they did not fit in.
Soon the Americans had finished their lunch and they had left. A man to the side of us had now caught our attention. His age seemed to be late 20’s early 30’s, dressed in a white shirt, a black tie and a black suit. He is possibly a businessman, maybe someone who works in an office and he just wants a quick lunch before returning. He was sitting alone and eating his sandwich very quickly. He was facing away from everyone in the place and he was only looking down at his food or at his table. He did not seem to be enjoying his lunch, as he did not look comfortable at all. He was very jittery and awkward, and it looked like he wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. In contrast to this, there was an older man sitting by himself in front of the younger single man. The older man looked very relaxed and very comfortable. He was reading a newspaper and taking sips of his coffee. After Jackie and I discussed the two single men, we thought that maybe the older single man is more relaxed because he is use to doing things by himself and because he is older he does not care what other people think of him sitting alone at lunchtime.
As I mentioned before, the Subway is not stereotyped and it attracts lots of different people. So, at the moment we have seen, school children, American tourists, a single businessman and an older single man. We then noticed two old women sitting in the corner, behind the single men. We discussed that the women were using the service differently from the others we had observed. This is because, we did not see any of the others use their napkins until they had completely finished their sandwich and it was used to wipe their mouths. The two old women used their napkins throughout the process of eating their lunch and they also broke parts off the sandwich instead of eating it whole. This suggests to me that perhaps they would have been more comfortable eating their sandwiches with cutlery, instead of using their fingers in front of strangers.
From where we were sitting, we could see the workers behind the counter. They were aligned in a row, carrying out specific jobs. This method of production is known as flow production. Within this method of business management, there are disadvantages to the workers. Using the flow production method, workers are involved in a production line manufacture. This means that each person is set to one job, which can be repetitive and boring. As we observed the workers, they looked bored with glum faces. This does not look good to the customers and it does not make people feel welcome. So, perhaps the design issue here is that the Quality Management needs to be re-addressed. Workers should be able to swap jobs every now and then to give them more of a variety, and this will help to keep the customers satisfied and the environment happy.
Some other design issues were brought to my attention. I noticed that the Subway is a very popular lunchtime spot, with the queue hardly ever budging. Down the side of the queue is people trying to eat their lunch. They are crammed in to the wall and they look very uncomfortable and they do not appear to be enjoying their lunch. I think that because the Subway is so popular, they would be better off investing in a bigger place that can hold their customers properly. This would definitely make people feel more welcome and enable them to enjoy the service properly.
The Subway is so busy and there is a bit of waiting about to do before getting served. Watching people in the queue with their arms folded starring at the workers; I felt that there should be pictures (not of food) or things to read on the walls. This would keep the customers occupied until it is their turn to be served, instead of watching the workers every move, making them feel uncomfortable.
Here is a photo i took, the two old women are at the back and if you look close enough, you can see her holding her napkin. Then there is two school children who appeard after the younger single man left. Finally, closest to you is the older single man reading his newspaper.
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