Does Your Business Provide A User-Friendly Washroom?

Would Diners, Customers and Staff Reward A Business That Provides Them with A User-Friendly Washroom?

How Would A User-Friendly Washroom Impact on Business Profitability?

?The importance of washrooms in business premises and the impact they have on our health is often taken for granted, as we all depend on them every day, regardless of our status, class or position.

?I have been fortunate to walk through the doors and corridors of thousands of business premises across many sectors and, after long and careful consideration of this important part of every business, I have decided to coin the phrase – user-friendly washroom or toilet. Obviously, the first question is, what exactly is a user-friendly washroom?

?While the name may seem self-explanatory, there is more to this than just the name. After all, it concerns our health, comfort and convenience.

?In today’s business environment, you would expect to find washrooms that had been thoughtfully designed with ‘care for you’ facilities for people, supporting their comfort, health and well-being, but this is often far from the truth.

?The state of a washroom speaks volume for businesses and brands, from the front-end facilities for customers or visitors to the backend facilities for employees. They tell you where the values, respect and real care for stakeholders, like customers and the workforce, are placed. I do really enjoy the implied communication each time I come across one.

?Recently I went into a washroom in a business only to notice that the door had neither a latch to lock it, nor a hanger for my jacket. As a result, I was left holding a bag, jacket and struggling to hold the door closed, all at the same time. To make matters worse, the floor was wet so I didn’t dare let anything touch it. In situations like this, you worry about the stuff you are holding and get fed up with saying sorry each time someone tries to push the door open. This is not a user-friendly washroom. This scenario is played out every day in many business premises across the country.

?The Smelly Washroom

And what about the smelly washroom? When you walk in and are greeted by a strong repellent smell, what do you do? You instantly become very uncomfortable and start to rush, so that you can get out of that place as quickly as possible, fearing contamination and other disturbing feelings that are associated with this.

?It is even scarier if you know that most persistent smells in washrooms are actually caused by bacteria. This is not a user-friendly washroom.

A Palm-Size Hand Basin

You may have used a washroom where the hand basin was barely bigger than a palm of your hand, which usually means your clothes and shoes receive a serious bathing each time you try to wash your hands. Even worse, the floor is always wet as a result of the constant splashing, making it a health and safety risk. As a result, many users are discouraged from washing their hands after using the washroom, which indirectly promotes poor hand hygiene practices and could put us all at risk by helping to spread germs. This is not a user-friendly washroom.

?Essential Consumables

There are many business premises where essential consumables, like soap and toilet paper, are always in short supply. It is understandable that these things happen occasionally, but not when it becomes a hallmark of an establishment and a cause for concern. Ensuring that soap and toilet paper are consistently available is vital. Imagine if you rushed into a washroom with a stomach upset, only to discover halfway through it that there is no toilet paper. What would you do? It is never a nice experience and very embarrassing! You are shocked and beaten to your very bone. Poor design and a lack of supervision are the main causes of this and yet it still happens in many busy business premises. If this occurs frequently, it is not a user-friendly washroom.

A Clean And Tidy-Looking Washroom

?Who doesn’t prefer a clean and tidy-looking washroom environment that makes you feel safe and comfortable? We all do! If you walk into a clean, tidy and odour-free washroom, with all the facilities set out to serve you, that is a user-friendly washroom.

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Does Your Business Provide A User-Friendly Washroom?

?We encourage businesses to ensure they invest the time and resources that are required to provide a user-friendly washroom to customers and staff at all times. All businesses or organisations should do more in this area, but more is expected in some sectors, especially catering and hospitality,education, health and fitness centres and general offices.

?Many businesses don’t seem to realise that leaving your washroom in a poor state will damage your business image and so isn’t a smart idea. In contrast, a user-friendly washroom not only increases customer and staff confidence and reduces risks to your business, it also improves employee morale and productivity.

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Want to find out if your business provides A User-Friendly Washroom?

?Due to a growing interest, we have launched a service to help businesses find out if they provide A User-Friendly Washroom.

A WalkinTalkinLemon User-friendly WASHROOM Audit will help you find out, + guide you on how to quickly create one.

?A user-friendly washroom should go beyond merely providing washroom facility with toilet bowls, basins and a mirror stuck on the wall, it should be designed to cater for the health, safety and well-being of users in a way that adds real value to the business. Washroom odours are a huge problem for most catering and hospitality businesses like restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, bars and pubs. Urine is the biggest cause of washroom odour and stains, and it carries with it odour-causing bacteria that often seep into porous grout lines on floors and walls.

?Would any customer walk into a dirty and smelly washroom and come out happy and feeling safe?

?Washroom walls, floors and grout that frequently have direct contact with urine and other natural waste soon have odour building up and unpleasant smells developing which soon start to irritate customers.

?Nothing irritates customers and guests more than a smelly toilet; it could easily discourage hard-earned customers from returning due to fear of contamination. These groups are more than happy to share their experiences with friends, family and colleagues. This is simply not good for business and certainly not a user-friendly washroom.

The big question therefore is – does your business provide a user-friendly washroom for customers and staff?

Want to find out?

A WalkinTalkinLemon User-friendly WASHROOM Audit will help you find out, + guide you on how to quickly create one.

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