Restroom Odors are Bad for Business

In an economy where everyone is trying to cut costs, how do businesses decide which products and services to keep and which to get rid of? Those expenses that play a significant part in customer retention should obviously be among those kept, and can be thought of not as expenses at all, but rather as investments. One of these investments may surprise you: fresh smelling restrooms.

Why your customers should care about bad restroom experiences
You may be wondering why restroom odors should be a major concern for an establishment whose primary business is preparing excellent cuisine, offering quality medical care, conducting fitness programs, or caring for children. Why worry so much about restroom odors? Because customers do.

We have all had the experience of visiting a restaurant, gas station, or other business for the first time. During the visit, you make a quick stop to the restroom and are overcome by the odor. You leave the restroom in disgust, wondering if the upkeep and poor odor of the restroom are reflective of the quality of the establishment as a whole. Odds are, you are not alone in wondering just that. According to a Harris Interactive survey, 88% of respondents who visit restaurants agree that restroom cleanliness reflects the hygiene standards throughout the restaurant, including kitchen and food preparation areas. Although there is no evidence to prove this conclusion, in customer retention, what the customer perceives is what matters. Would you leave your success up to the odor in your restroom? For your customers, it could make the difference.

According to those survey respondents who visit restaurants, 54% reported they would hesitate to return to a restaurant that had an unclean or unsanitary restroom, and 29% said they would never return. Many will also avoid an establishment based on the experience of someone else – 46% reported they would avoid going to a restaurant because of a bad restroom experience they had or one they heard about from someone else. And 50% said they would tell friends and family about the unclean or unsanitary conditions they had found. Do your customers know that patrons may not be returning after having a poor restroom experience, perhaps even one caused by foul odors alone?

Unpleasant restroom odors near top of the list of problems
What is it exactly that creates these negative restroom experiences? According to a survey published on the ISSA’s website, the top two responses were overflowing toilets (58%) and unpleasant odors (57%). Unpleasant odors ranked higher in importance than slippery, dirty floors, overflowing trash cans, and a number of other problems. This means that even when a restroom appears to be clean, an unpleasant odor may prevent a customer from coming back – not only to the restroom, but to the establishment entirely. In fact, according to another ISSA survey, 66% of respondents indicated that an unpleasant restroom odor would deter them from returning to a restaurant or store. While 71% of respondents believe restroom odors are a sign of improper cleaning, 81% say a fresh smelling restroom is a sign of a well-maintained restroom. And again, in the case of customer loyalty, their perception is the basis by which they make decisions.

Unfortunately, no matter how well you clean a restroom, offensive odors are often unpreventable. They lurk in hard-to-clean areas, such as drains, grout, tile, and cracks; they often appear between regular usages. Such odors necessitate a continuous solution, in addition to routine cleaning, in order to maintain a positive restroom experience for patrons.

Help customers maintain a clean, professional image and boost your revenue
When businesses take such great care to carefully brand themselves and put forth a professional image, why would they let it be spoiled by an unclean restroom? As a textile service company, you are in the position to educate your customers on the importance of restroom odors and their effect on customer retention. You can help them see how maintaining a clean, fresh-smelling restroom will help them retain customers, and how any cost involved in doing so is an investment with a quick return. More importantly, you are in a position to supply them with the air freshening systems and restroom maintenance products they need to fight restroom odors and the service to help them maintain their clean, professional image. Not only do you increase your facilities services sales, but by helping your customers retain business, you build customer loyalty as well.