M wakes up at 6 am every morning and drinks a glass of filtered water from a refrigerator that was purchased less than a year ago. A prominent digital display on the freezer door informs M about the temperatures inside the refrigerator and freezer compartments, and the status of the replaceable air and water filters. These indicators turn from green to orange when it is time to order new filters, and to red when the filters need to be replaced. The refrigerator can order these filters automatically from Amazon, but M is not yet comfortable with having a kitchen appliance make purchasing decisions.
In fact, M is disappointed with the expensive refrigerator. The external water/ice dispenser was the key feature that led M to choose this particular model because M is concerned about of the quality of tap water in the residence, and all members of the household drink a lot of water throughout the day. In the refrigerator models that feature water dispensers, many are internal. The users have to keep the refrigerator door open while pouring water into a glass or water bottle. The model M selected was one of the few with an external dispenser, promising convenient and energy-saving access to filtered water.
As it turned out, filling water bottles from the refrigerator water dispenser is difficult and messy due to a design flaw. The plastic nozzle from which water is dispensed is hidden from sight, making it difficult to align the opening of the water bottle with the nozzle. The result is spilled water. Everyone in M's family refills their bottles with water several times a day. Water spills, the kitchen floor gets messy, and someone has to mop a few times a day.
Design flaws in product features that are frequently used become amplified by repeated experience of the adverse consequences. M's positive opinion about the refrigerator's brand, based on 15 years of satisfying use with the previous refrigerator owned by the family, has now turned less favorable. While the old model did not feature a fancy digital display, its water/ice dispenser worked flawlessly.