Hey guys! Normally I include a photo of my “real world” stories. Today I’m going to spare you! Why? It’s about the awful bathroom visit I had this morning. I stopped at a convenience store. Normally convenience stores have decent cleanliness. Not this one… I actually walked in the bathroom, turned around and walked out of the store. The bathroom should have been ok. It looked “new” or at least “newly remodeled” but unfortunately, it looked like it hadn’t been cleaned for a while. It definitely needed attention. If a store is busy, it’s easy to overlook scraps of toilet paper on the floor, full garbage cans, or even empty soap dispensers. But the yuck that was in, on, and around BOTH toilets was unbearable. Again, I left. I didn’t buy the soda I was planning. I guarantee my $1.75 soda purchase would not make or break their day, but, bathrooms are a big deal. They are a representation of your business in a few ways.
First, the bathroom represents your business cleanliness. Think about it… imagine visiting your local Urgent Care facility. These bathrooms are typically beautiful, sanitary, and spotless. What would you think of the cleanliness of examination room if the bathroom was disgusting? Same holds true for my convenience store visit. I was so grossed out by the bathroom that I didn’t want to purchase soda in a sealed bottle. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to ask, “If the bathroom looks like yuck, what is inside the bakery case full of donuts?” See my point! The cleanliness of bathroom does translate. The cleanliness of your bathroom does set the impression for your customers’ overall impression.
Next, the bathroom is often the first or last impression of your business. Rarely do you get to a store, and mid-visit make a trip to the bathroom. Therefore, how do you want to set the stage for your customer’s arrival or departure? This is a no-brainer. I equate it to having the answers to a test or having “free” good points on the customer visit. You control your bathroom cleanliness. Make sure you pass with an A+!
Finally, I just mentioned that you control your bathroom cleanliness, in addition to the impression you create, you also prevent negative feedback. Seriously, don’t you have enough stuff that a customer can complain about, if for no other reason, keep your bathroom clean so someone doesn’t come and gripe about it or worse leave negative feedback or even worse write a blog post about it… haha.
Again, bathrooms are an important destination of your business. They give a subtle clue as to how you do business. It’s one of those areas that people may not comment, “hey you have bathrooms that are clean” but you better believe that if it’s an area of filth and disgust, you will hear about it. Your customer visit experience is important, make sure to earn all the positive points you can! Don’t let the condition of your bathroom cost you a sale…
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