I believe there is an unmet need when it comes to doorbells in apartments. My apartment complex does not have any doorbells. Living in a three-story townhome makes it hard to hear when someone is knocking at the door. The unmet need is I do not want to answer the door if it is for another roommate. It would be easier if it rang to the roommate’s room and you were able to see the person on your phone. There are doorbells like “Ring” that sell on Amazon for a hundred dollars. I believe the need is more commercial based. When apartment complexes are built, they should include a feature like this.
I am assuming the need is more prevalent than people think they know.
#1: Teenage Female in her first apartment
· Do you feel uncomfortable when you have to go to a friend’s house knowing their unfamiliar roommate could answer the door?
o “Personally, no but I can imagine some people do.”
· Have you ever answered the door to one of your roommate’s friends?
o “No, my roommates normally do not bring friends over.”
· Do you normally open the door to strangers?
o “Not normally, unless they are carrying a package.”
· Did you know that the front door is the most used point of entry for burglaries? (mindstarsecurity.com)
o “No, I thought was either a sliding door or backdoor.”
· What do you normally do when a stranger rings the doorbell?
o “I would not answer it, and if they saw me, I would hide somewhere until they left.”
· Would it be easier for your friends if they rang to your room instead of the whole house?
o “Yes, because they would know that I got it. It would feel like a conformation.”
· Do you have anything that bugs you with your current doorbell?
o “My doorbell has a light underneath it. When someone tries to ring the bell, it almost burns them.”
Reflect: I have realized that she finds that it would be easier for her to have her doorbell ring in her room. However, she is not in dire need of a new doorbell, and she would not want to have two doorbells on at the same time.
#2 Female in her twenties
· Do you feel uncomfortable when you have to go to a friend’s house knowing their unfamiliar roommate could answer the door?
o “I feel uncomfortable. I usually text the friend so that I can avoid a weird situation altogether.”
· Have you ever answered the door to one of your roommate’s friends?
o “Yes, I’ve done it a couple times.”
· Do you normally open the door to strangers?
o “Only if they were cute and it was during the day, but never at night.”
· Did you know that the front door is the most used point of entry for burglaries? (mindstarsecurity.com)
o “No, I figured that windows would be the easiest to open or break.”
· What do you normally do to when a stranger rings the doorbell?
o “I look through the window to assess the situation. If they look harmless I will usually open the door.”
· Would it be easier for your friends if they rang to your room instead of the whole house?
o “Yes, I believe it would help my friends because a lot of them are nervous of my roommates.”
· Do you have anything that bugs you with your current doorbell?
o “I do not mind it, but I do not like that the dogs freak out.”
Reflection: While this girl did not really mind answering the door to roommate’s friends, she would like that it would not freak her dog out as much.
#3 Girl who used to live in an apartment with roommates
· Do you feel uncomfortable when you have to go to a friend’s house knowing their unfamiliar roommate could answer the door?
o “Unless I’ve heard bad about them. It also depends on their personality. I would feel more comfortable if it was just my friend though.”
· Have you ever answered the door to one of your roommate’s friends?
o “I don’t believe that I have.”
· Do you normally open the door to strangers?
o “No. I don’t do that.”
· Did you know that the front door is the most used point of entry for burglaries? (mindstarsecurity.com)
o “Yes! I so believe that. I feel like that why I don't answer the front door. I always check to make sure the door is locked when I'm home.”
· What do you normally do to when a stranger rings the doorbell?
o “I would probably hide unless they were wearing a uniform or something.”
· Would it be easier for your friends if they rang to your room instead of the whole house?
o Yes, it would be easier, but it would be difficult it if they aren't in the room.
· Do you have anything that bugs you with your current doorbell?
o “I have a Ring and it's annoying when it gets a false cue. Other than that, I'm okay with my doorbell.”
Reflection: This girl liked the idea but did not really have a need for it anymore. She would want to use it if she got back into an apartment with others though.
The original opportunity is not as high as I thought it would be. I like the fact that it could be based on the dogs that people have in their homes. I believe that customer feedback is essential because they will buy what they want. I do not think I would change the product much, I would just change the way I promote it.
Hey Grant! I think this is an awesome opportunity about doorbells. I have the same problem at my apartment, since there is no doorbell with no video to see who is at the door. I think you chose great prototypical customers and they really gave you great insight onto your idea. It was smart how you asked three different female to get their opinion, so you could have a basis for comparison. Great job!
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