Clean has power. It definitely impacts a business.
- Clean affects the ability to attract clients.
- It affects the ability to retain customers.
- The state of clean in your facility impacts the well-being and productivity of your staff.
Psychologically, humans are hard-wired to believe that what looks good must indeed be good. If a customer sees your facility is unclean and cluttered, they’ll perceive your business as unprofessional and untrustworthy. Having a strong grasp of human psychology is key to creating a strong brand. You can
read more about that here.
Restrooms are one place in particular where clean is crucial. By their very nature, they are viewed as a potential hotspot for health impacts. A
University of Alberta study
supports that "restroom cleanliness has a significant effect on people's perceptions of a building's overall cleanliness."— John Putters, CEO Visionstate.
Restrooms impact customers and staff in two ways:
- Design
- Maintenance
A well-designed restroom:
- Is perceived as easy to maintain
- Has components that are perceived as hygienic, and energy and water efficient
Poor restroom design can create poor first impressions that are hard to overcome and can have a major damper on the overall perception of your company brand.
- Install finishes and materials in your high traffic restroom that support the company image, especially if your facility is corporate headquarters or you’re an upscale hotel.
- Develop a restroom maintenance program.
- It should outline cleaning tasks and cleaning frequencies.
- Your program should include a plan to thoroughly clean the restroom surfaces at least once per day.
- Have restrooms attended to frequently.
- Ensure there is staff in place to spot clean ensuring the restroom is free of messes and spills.
- Spot cleaning makes daily intensive cleaning easier and maintains a clean surface image for staff and customers.
- Spot cleaning also ensures that all dispensers – soap, toilet paper and hand towels - are full and functioning. Nothing dampens your brand perception worse than a client finding any of these missing while using your restroom facilities.
- A visibly posted restroom checklist sends a positive message that maintenance is regularly carried out.
- Equip staff with the right tools and chemicals to keep the restroom in spotless condition or better yet outsource the job to an expert maintenance company.
- Deep clean restrooms regularly to remove tough, built-up soils.
- This deep clean should include all surfaces (walls, floors, toilet areas, sinks and mirrors).
- Treat all surfaces with disinfectant and follow with a fresh water rinse and extraction to ensure all contaminants are gone.
- If you are able to outsource facility maintenance including restroom maintenance, work closely with your service provider to develop a customized program.
- As humans, we tend to believe what we see.
- Hiding your restroom maintenance staff may work against your brand. Seeing a maintenance team in action shows clients and staff your commitment to their health and comfort.
- Work closely with your maintenance staff to include visible maintenance in your program.
Restrooms are obviously cleaned for health reasons but it is more likely that what gets noticed more is what does not get done.
- Overflowing trash cans,
- Dwindling and empty supply dispensers,
- Poorly working air dryer
All details missed in restroom maintenance raise warning bells of health concerns and lead to the perception of other failures in your company. As a facility manager, you must be acutely aware of how visual cues impact employee and client perception of service quality.
Poor Cleaning Practices = Poor Perception of Your Business
Commercial cleaning companies are the expert source in keeping your facility clean. They will heighten the perception of both employees and clients that your facility is well-cared for and healthy. Outsourcing restroom maintenance protects your bottom line by providing all occupants with a positive experience boosting your productivity and your brand image.
