People Avoid Establishments with Dirty Restrooms

A telephone survey conducted by Harris Interactive revealed that just about everyone—94% to be exact—would stop returning to an establishment if they ever encounter a dirty restroom. When asked about specifics, 79% of the more than a thousand adult respondents identified hotels and restaurants as places which should have clean restrooms if they want customers to return. Another 77% would not return to healthcare facilities with dirty restrooms, and 50% thought the same of supermarkets. Sizable number of people also expected retail stores, gasoline stations, and even car dealerships to offer clean restrooms, if they wanted their customers to come back for another visit.

What’s a Dirty Restroom?

Some people have different definitions of what “dirty” means when it comes to restrooms. Another survey by Harris Interactive clarified this issue by conducting a survey among more than 3100 adults. About 93% would call a restroom dirty if it had sticky or grimy floors.

Other signs of dirty restrooms include:

Toilets that have not been flushed

Foul odor

Trash cans filled to the brim

Toilet paper or paper towels on the floor

No toilet paper

Soap dispensers are empty or outdated

There’s water around the sink area or on the floor

Broken doors and toilet seats

Insufficient lighting

Graffiti

How You Can Lose Business

People want clean restrooms not just because they want a pleasant experience while they’re there. In many cases, customers equate the cleanliness of the restroom to the quality of the service or product the business is offering. For example, a majority of customers believe that the cleanliness of the restroom in a restaurant is a clear indication of the cleanliness of the kitchen. If you can’t take care of your restroom, the reasoning goes, then you can’t be expected to take care of the rest of your business.

It’s not just the fact that a customer won’t return that causes you to lose business. You also lose any potential referrals. And with social networking sites like Facebook these days, the word can spread about your dirty restrooms like wildfire.

Keeping your business restroom clean and nice can't be just an afterthought or a bonus service. It’s an essential part of doing business if you’re serious about success because dirty restrooms and most definitely mean lost business.

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