That’s according to the annual Healthy Hand Washing Survey in which almost half of Americans say they will “definitely” or “probably” spend more money at a business that has clean, well-maintained restrooms. In addition, nearly 60% of Americans make a conscious decision to visit a specific business because they know it has nice restrooms, the survey found.
The survey shows that when businesses let restroom maintenance slip through the cracks, they are at a high risk of jeopardizing customer satisfaction and sales.
“More than half of Americans say they are unlikely to return to a business after experiencing a poorly maintained restroom,” said Jon Dommisse, director of strategy and corporate development for Bradley Corp., which sponsored the survey.
In the survey, 70% of respondents report having an unpleasant restroom experience – a number that has steadily increased from 59% over the past three years. Forty-two percent said they had a bad experience within just the past two months.
When asked about the biggest pain points in restrooms, an overwhelming majority identified the following circumstances as “extremely” or “very” aggravating:
• Toilet paper dispenser empty or jammed (78%)
• Partition doors don’t latch (74%)
• Unpleasant smells (73%)
• Overall appearance is old, dirty or unkempt (72%)
The top restroom frustrations include having to walk across a wet floor (women in particular), reaching over someone to access soap and waiting in line for a hand dryer.
