Overview

The Sink is a student-run coffee shop at Tufts University. It is located at the upper level of the campus center. In addition to the ordering counter, the brewing counter, and the back kitchen, the Sink also has tables, seats, and benches for students to hang out and study. The Sink is famous for its creative menu and specialty drinks. The student staff are welcoming and professional; thus, it is one of the most popular coffee places on campus. This paper aims to observe servers and customers to identify potential areas for improvement. First, I conducted an informal and a formal observation of both servers and consumers. Then, I outlined the observation and interview strategy if I were to improve the training system and the menu system. Finally, I designed a questionnaire to be sent to consumers, enriching my observation for the menu redesign. 2A. HFE Research: Servers Objective The goal of observing the student workers at The Sink is to identify the types of tasks they perform to run the coffee shop and different approaches to these tasks. After analyzing the workflow, I plan to identify the inefficiencies or difficulties throughout the process and develop a comprehensive training system for future student employees.

Informal observations

I conducted informal observations at around 4 p.m. on a weekday. I sat at a table close to the counter and observed the following things: the coffee shop layout, the number of servers, and their tasks. Layout. The Sink comprises the waiting queue area, order & pickup counter, and study/social area. There are two menus, one located near the queue area and the other behind the ordering counter. See Appendix 1. Servers. There were three student workers at the coffee shop. They all take orders and prepare orders. One server would go to the back kitchen when the line is short. Tasks. The process of taking order is the following: Ask what the customer wants. Clarify specifications for each drink (iced/hot, cup size, type of milk.) Inform customer the price and ask for payment method.

The process of making drinks is different for each. For example, the steps for most hot coffee drinks are brew coffee, pour coffee into a cup, steam milk, add milk into the cup. Overall, the entire process was smooth, and the workers seemed efficient. Workers were polite and friendly when talking to customers. However, sometimes workers do not inform customers in advance that something is running out. Instead, they realize the shortage when making the drink and ask the customer to find a substitution.

Formal observations

After I conducted informal observation, I developed a formal observation checklist to identify potential areas of improvement for The Sink café. Is the server friendly and helpful to customers? Yes. Smiling, using polite language, making small talks with the customers, giving drink recommendations, answering questions about the menu. No. Not smiling, showing negative facial expressions, not being able to answer questions about the menu. Are servers following COVID-19 protocols? a. Yes. Wearing masks. Washing hands at least every hour. b. No. Not wearing masks. Not frequently washing hands. Does the server communicate with the customer efficiently when ordering? a. Yes. Asking for clarifications, understanding customer needs, proficient with various drink names, communicating shortages. b. No. Not asking for clarifications, false communications, not remembering various drink names, and not communicating shortages. Are the servers interacting well with each other? Yes. Communicating clearly, performing different tasks, being friendly to each other, moving comfortably in the space. No. Not communicating, performing repeated tasks, having visible conflicts with each other, bumping into each other. Are there any problems with the drink-making process? a. Yes. Reading the ingredients/instructions, spilling, making mistakes, having unnecessary actions. b. No. Remembering the ingredients/instructions, no spilling, not making mistakes, having no unnecessary actions. Is the process of making drinks efficient? a. Yes. Less than 5 minutes b. No. More than 5 minutes Thick observations To dive deeper into formal observation No.4, I observed how servers interact and cooperate with each other, and found some areas of improvement. Servers do not specialize in different tasks. Instead, they take turns to take orders and prepare orders. For example, server A takes the order then moves to the preparation counter. Meanwhile, server B finishes the previous order and moves to the counter to take the next customer in line. In other words, one server is responsible for one order at a time. The benefit is that servers usually do not make mistakes because they are not multi- tasking. However, there are problems with this mechanism. The space behind the counter is relatively small for three people to move around constantly. Especially when handling drinks, servers must be extra careful so that they don’t bump into each other. Thus, the entire process is slowed down, causing inefficiency. I observed repeated actions such as washing the trays and wiping the counter. Minimum communications were happening between the servers, especially during busy times. I would suggest assigning servers specialized tasks to achieve maximum efficiency and better cooperation. Different-types-of-people Since The Sink is a student-run coffee shop on campus, it is observed that servers are all university students. There is no significant gender/racial distribution skew, generally representing the university’s demographic. Based on my observation, workers do not differentiate in the types of tasks they perform. For the purpose of this paper, I would design to improve the training system and expect specialized servers to perform different tasks, respectively ordering, preparing, and cleaning.

Questionnaire themes

In the questionnaire for servers, I would explore if speeding up the preparation process is possible during busy times. In addition, the questionnaire would discuss the possibility of specializing in different tasks. For example, one server would only be responsible of taking orders, and two servers specialize in food and drink preparation. In this way, servers don’t have to move around in the small space, and they can be more efficient with their specialized tasks. 2B. HFE Research: Customers Objective The goal of observing the customers at The Sink is to identify the types of tasks they perform and the common challenges they face when buying drinks. From the observation, I will analyze their satisfaction level and areas of improvement they wish to see. Finally, I plan to develop a more user-friendly information system for The Sink to enhance the consumer experience. Informal observations I conducted informal observations at around 5 p.m. on a weekday. My first step when conducting informal observation of customers is to order a drink myself. I first waited in line, and there were two customers in front of me. When waiting in line, I was able to read the menu written on the blackboard right next to the waiting line. After 6 minutes, I got to the end of the queue and ordered a “Medford Fog.” The student at the cashier clarified the specifics: iced/hot, cup size, and the type of milk. After that, they told me the price, asked about the payment method, and swiped my student ID. After ordering, I waited for another 4 minutes. I grabbed my drink when the barista said, “A large hot Medford Fog,” and went to the counter to get a lid. After my personal experienced, I observed other customers. I sat at a table close to the counter and observed the following: the queue, the ordering process, the pickup process, and the study/social area. Queue. During my observation period, the line was usually around 2 – 3 people. However, there were times (e.g., between class periods) when the line got longer than five people. I saw some people leaving after seeing the long waiting line. When waiting, customers looked at the menu, chatted with friends, or browsed their phones. Ordering process. Customers usually decide what they want before talking to the server. Some would take several minutes to look at the menu. Most customers only order drinks, and specialty drinks such as “Lucy is the Chai” were popular. Pickup process. Customers usually stand near the pickup area and wait for the order to be prepared. Some would sit near the study/social area. When there were more people, order preparation took longer than usual. Study/social area. Most customers were working on their laptops with friends. The space filled up quickly, and it was difficult to find seats. Most people sitting here ordered from the café. The area was overall noisy, with lots of people talking. Formal observations After I conducted informal observation, I developed a formal observation checklist, aiming
1. Do customers understand the menu? to identify potential areas of improvement for The Sink café. Yes. Knowing what they want before ordering. Seldomly asking for menu explanations. Expressing negative facial expressions when reading the menu (frowning, etc.) No. Not knowing what they want before ordering. Frequently asking for menu explanations. No visible negative facial expressions. Are customers following COVID-19 protocols?
a. Yes. Wearing masks. Practicing social distancing when lining up.
b. No. Not wearing masks. Not practicing social distancing when lining up. Is the ordering process smooth and efficient?
a. Yes. Less than 3 minutes. No technical issues with payment.
b. No. Longer than 3 minutes. Experiencing technical issues with payment. Are customers waiting too long in line/for their orders? Yes. Overall process takes more than 10 minutes. No. Overall process takes less than 10 minutes. Are there any frustrations throughout the entire process? a. Yes. Expressing signs of impatience (negative facial expressions or body language.)
b. No. Expressing signs of satisfaction (positive facial expressions or body language.) Thick observations After creating the formal observation checklist for customers, I conducted a comprehensive observation on No. 1. Specifically, I looked for customers' reactions when interacting with the menu. There are two areas where different menus are presented. The list of the drinks menu is bigger and easier to read. It's located next to the queue area. The menu also explains the ingredients of specialty drinks, helping customers understand the menu better. The milk choices/foods/others menu is smaller and harder to read. It's located above the ordering counter. Overall, the customer's interaction with the menu was smooth. However, I observed several problems. When customers move to the front of the line, they can no longer see the list of the drinks menu. It makes ordering difficult, especially if the customer is new to the café, or the drink's name is difficult to remember. I would suggest merging the two menus into one, and both should be visible to customers when they order. Different-types-of-people The main type of customer is the university students. Most students make the order, take the food/drink, and leave immediately. Some students choose to sit in the study/social space with friends. Some work on their laptops, and some eat packaged food bought from elsewhere. A very small portion of students sits in the study/social space without ordering from the Sink. The area is usually filled up, and it’s hard to find a table. Occasionally, there are university staff, professors, and visiting tourists. Questionnaire themes In the questionnaire for customers, I would focus on improving the customer experience. Questions would be about their satisfaction level with the menu, the waiting time, the environment, the servers, and the tastes. Also, I plan to dig deeper into the possibility of ordering online since many other cafés on campus have this option. This would significantly decrease the waiting time during busy hours. 3. Training System R&D Strategy If I were to design a new training system, it’s important to gain a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the current training process and outcomes. I would redesign the system where trainees are confused, aiming to achieve better efficiency. After implementing the new training system, I would conduct the same observation and interview and compare the results. The before and after reactions of customers are also important indicators of the training system.
Observation strategies: -  Observe servers’ performance and analyze efficiency -  Observe the difference between experienced servers and new servers -  Observe the difference between busy hours and regular hours -  Observe the current training strategy and identify problems, focusing on the following area
o Communication with the customer o Food preparation and food safety o Cooperation and task assignments o Logistics and shift hours -  Observe the servers’ performance of similar businesses and identify the strengths to cooperate into the training strategy -  Observe difficult situations and how servers handle them Interview strategies: -  Ask about work motivation -  Ask about points of confusion during the current training process -  Ask about the challenges they face in everyday work and their solutions -  Ask about the thoughts on specialization and cooperation -  Ask about work atmosphere -  Ask about the servers’ emotions (anxiousness, frustrations, satisfaction, etc.)

Information System R&D Strategy

If I were to design a new information system, it’s important to gain a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the current menu and customers’ emotions. I would make the menu more accessible for a variety of customers and minimize the mental burden of reading. After implementing the new menu system, I would collect feedback from both servers and customers and analyze whether the new information system increases overall efficiency. Observation strategies: -  Observe the current menu layout, font, graphics, colors, and information structure -  Observe changes in menu content for different seasons -  Observe the time spent reading the menus -  Observe the frequency of asking for menu explanations -  Observe reaction after reading the menu, focusing on the following: o Discussions with friends o Positive or negative facial expressions o Body language Interview strategies: -  Ask about the frequency of ordering at The Sink -  Ask whether customers read the menu before ordering -  Ask about areas of confusion when reading the current menu -  Ask about areas of confusion when ordering -  Ask about what customers wish to see on the menu -  Ask about what customers believe to be redundant on the menu 5. Questionnaire Next, I designed a questionnaire based on No.4, information system R&D strategy. The questionnaire aims to gain a better understanding of how customers feel about the menu and The Sink café overall. The QR code of the questionnaire will be posted near the waiting area, and servers should encourage customers to fill it out. After collecting sufficient data, I would conclude design directions for the new menu. The content of the questionnaire is shown below.

Questionnaire Evaluation

After designing the questionnaire, I asked one person to self-administer the questionnaire. He provided feedback on the content, design, and clarity. Then I asked a different person to read the questions aloud and describe his thought when answering the question. According to those feedbacks, I conclude the following changes: -  Change questions 5 from single-answer to multiple-answer. -  Add “other, please specify” with text entry box to question 5 -  Include a question to ask if people would recommend The Sink to friends, aiming to understand customers’ emotion. -  Change the order of the questions. o The questions should be grouped according to categories: background information, menu improvements, overall experience -  In order to better understand how customers interact with the menu, include a question about menu reading time. -  Include a question about emotion and waiting time. 7. Questionnaire Revised According to the suggestions above, I created the final version. The final version of the questionnaire has 14 questions. Insights from the responses should allow me to redesign the menu system and improve customer experience. The content of the questionnaire is shown below.