"You can always tell how a business is run," my former boss was fond of saying, "by its restrooms. If they are clean, the business is well-run. If not, the business does not pay attention to what is important to the customer."
His wisdom came to mind the other day when I entered an impeccably-kept restroom. This room had been well-designed with windows just below the ceiling that allowed lots of natural light. Beyond clean, the room was beautifully painted in bright, attractive, organic colors. It was inviting to enter.
The next day, I entered another restroom that was very well-kept. In contrast to the earlier restroom which was in a new building, this restroom was in a very old building. That fact, however, did not prevent the business owner from presenting an attractive room. The room had warm lighting, featured a large, beautiful painting, and an overall appealing decor. Although the business, which was a restaurant, was not in a large space, the restroom was spacious, with plenty of area in which to move around.
A couple of days ago, the owner of a doggie day care which just expanded gave me a tour of the new facility and pointed out the effort that she had put into the restrooms painted in fun colors and graced with appropriate dog-world titles on the door fronts. "Are these too much?" she wondered.
"No, they are fun and fittingly-named," I encouraged.
Beyond Cleanliness All three of these businesses paid attention to their customers by establishing and maintaining impeccably clean restrooms. In addition, they both went beyond clean by offering attractive rooms which reflected the personality of the business. The doggie day care created a fun atmosphere which is what it offers dogs; the restaurant displayed art which tied into its theme; and the first business established a natural, organic feel which reflected its focus. These restrooms marketed these businesses to their customers. Their design communicated each business's unique selling proposition.
Every communication with customers markets your business. The condition of restrooms speaks volumes to your customers and has a direct bearing on their current and future transactions with your business. Customers judge your business by many factors, one of which is your business's facility. The design of your business's restrooms communicates or markets to your customer how much you pay attention to detail and how much you care about their comfort.
Take a fresh look at your restrooms. How can they look more than clean? How can they better reflect your business's personality? How can they market to your customer?
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