It’s easy to assume a bathroom only needs the basic essentials, but going beyond what is expected can impress customers. By equipping a bathroom with conveniences that people tend to often want or even need, a business can show it cares about its customers. When it’s evident that you want to make the experience as pleasant as possible for customers, it can result in repeat business.
Often Overlooked Details to Impress Customers
Some often overlooked details when it comes to restroom supplies that may impress customers include the following:
1. Baby Supplies
It takes a great deal to keep babies happy, healthy, and clean. When a customer with a baby needs to address that baby’s needs on the go, especially when a baby needs their diapers changed, it’s a major help for a business to have an area in the restrooms to easily address those needs. Diaper pouches, sanitary liners for changing stations, and even diaper kits are all options a business should consider offering to help make the process of changing a baby less of a hassle for parents and guardians.
2. Pads & Tampons
Despite the fact that about half of the human population menstruates, a surprisingly small number of businesses are prepared to address the needs of women if they forget their supplies. If a woman doesn’t have what she needs, she will often just leave the business.
It’s beneficial to a business to make these supplies available, so these customers can stay in the business. It also shows a level of thoughtfulness, as the business considers all their customers’ needs.
3. Quality Soap
Public restrooms aren’t known for especially good soap. Many people associate these spaces with cheap, brightly colored soap that is bought in bulk. While this soap is usually serviceable and can keep customers’ hands clean, this standard affair isn’t going to impress users. A business may want to consider using higher quality soaps, especially if it doesn’t see significant traffic in its restrooms, meaning the nice soap can still last a relatively long while.
4. Paper Towels
Many businesses have switched to air dryers, as these don’t require resupplying. Air hand dryers are typically considered greener, and they are often perceived as cleaner. However, air dryers are actually somewhat germy unless cleaned very regularly. If not very well maintained, they blow not just air but also germs onto a person’s hands, defeating their purpose.
Paper towels don’t really have this problem, especially if one uses an electric dispenser, so customers don’t need to touch a button or lever to get a towel. Because paper towels are disposable, a person dries their hands with something they then toss away. The next person then gets a new, theoretically clean towel dispensed. Many people also just prefer paper towels, even if they don’t know air dryers can be germy or your business keeps their dryers clean.
5. Deodorizer or Air Freshener
It’s no secret that restrooms can produce some of the most unpleasant smells people can be exposed to. At their worst, restrooms can smell so bad that it may make a customer want to leave, even if the restroom is otherwise fairly clean. Whenever possible, any bad smells in a restroom need to be addressed quickly to get the bathroom smelling nice or at least neutral.
Deodorizers and air fresheners can be a big help in controlling the scent of any area, but they are especially important to consider for restrooms. A business should just be careful not to choose divisive or very strong scents. Neutral or generally well-liked scents like lavender or vanilla are better than stronger scents that some people might love and others might find too intense.
Keep a Good Maintenance Schedule
All restrooms should have a schedule for when they are cleaned and resupplied. This may even be legally mandated. Regardless, such a schedule makes sure a bathroom can always stay at a relatively acceptable baseline. It’s important that one addresses any big issues quickly rather than waiting for scheduled cleaning or resupply dates.
When cleaning a restroom, the cleaning should be thorough. While not all parts of a restroom need to be cleaned with equal frequency, floors, toilets, sinks, and anywhere that sees a lot of use should be cleaned every scheduled cleaning. Areas like the walls, mirrors, and even light fixtures can potentially be cleaned less frequently, but they still need regular cleaning.
Address Issues Quickly
When supplies get low or any cleanliness issues crop up, make sure to address them in a timely fashion. Always address active issues as soon as possible. A moderate or major issue cannot wait until the next scheduled cleaning.
Clean bathrooms can have a significant impact on the customer experience, especially in businesses where hygiene is a major concern to customers, like restaurants. A clean bathroom is a reflection of how much a business pays attention and cares about their customers’ needs. That reflection should impress rather than detract from your image.
Alsco Uniforms’ Restroom Services
The quality of a restroom is often what can make or break a company’s reputation. The restroom is often the dirtiest customer-facing part of a location, and its level of cleanliness showcases how a business approaches the secondary details of their operation. It’s easy to overlook how little details like convenient hygiene supplies and a nice scent can turn a restroom experience from mediocre to impressive.
If you’d like help simplifying your operations while continuing to impress customers, check out Alsco Uniforms’ restroom services. We can ensure your restrooms are always stocked with high-quality products that will impress your customers. With a focus on clean floors, clean air, clean fixtures, and clean hands, we can help to keep your restrooms in tip-top shape.