Restauranteurs should take note: the key to creating a good impression with your business may not be the food, service or decor. The most revealing experience a customer has in a restaurant isn’t usually at the table, but in the washroom. A recent YouGov survey found that 97% of British people would be put off returning to a restaurant if its toilet facilities appear unclean. This should come as a wake-up call to restaurant owners who might overlook the importance of washroom hygiene and cleanliness in creating the right impression.
In addition to this, 85% of customers would advise others against visiting a restaurant if washrooms did not meet their standards of hygiene and cleanliness. Twenty-four percent of unhappy customers would feel so strongly that they would complain publicly online. With restaurants fighting to stay afloat and big-name chains like Jamie’s Italian, Byron and Prezzo announcing closures, it’s never been more important to create a good impression on diners.
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How Negative Word of Mouth Can Impact a Business
Negative reviews and word of mouth can result in disastrous consequences for a restaurant business. Restaurant owners should also be aware that a new website is collecting reviews of toilets along with photos. ToiletInspector names pubs and restaurants with the best and worst toilets based on eight different criteria including odour, cleanliness, toilet paper and hand wash. Under such scrutiny, restaurants need to prioritise washroom hygiene to go that extra mile and get repeat custom.
A positive washroom experience can make or break a company’s reputation and results so it is important to invest in exceptional washroom facilities and deliver the highest standards of hygiene. Applying appropriate washroom solutions can showcase high levels of hygiene, cleanliness and customer care. Ensuring your restaurant has carefully considered washroom essentials in place will encourage repeat visits, safety and peace of mind for all, long term financial growth and five-star reviews.
Deliver High Hygiene Standards in Your Restaurant with these Top Tips
Due to the impact of the recent covid-19 pandemic, delivering the highest levels of hygiene and cleanliness will go a long way in making sure your guests feel safe and will walk through your door. People’s expectations will be far greater, and diners may be more anxious about dining and drinking out. In order to provide the very best experience and provide peace of mind, what steps can be taken to ensure you deliver the highest standards every time.
Hygiene Solutions for Restaurants & Pubs
Toilet paper
Toilet paper is a necessity for washrooms and it just takes one forgetful employee to turn a spotless restroom into a truly unpleasant experience. Having to chase down a server or manager due to a lack of toilet paper is an unfortunate way to mark a meal out, and one that could be easily avoided if the toilets are frequently checked.
Ordering washroom consumables online is one way to ensure your customers don’t get caught short as we will help you to manage your stocks effectively!
Effective Soap Dispensers
Stocked soap dispensers are more hygienic than bars of soap in promoting hand hygiene. A bathroom without foam soap dispensers or with empty ones can irritate customers and make them feel less clean. Touch-free antibacterial soap dispensers are even more hygienic and don’t need to be refilled as often. Auto-dispensers also reduce the chance of spillage and ensure sink areas are kept clean and presentable. Sinks with soap dispensers are important for parents who take their children out to eat, particularly if they’ve been teaching them good hygiene practices.
Hand Sanitiser
Outside of the washroom, make sure you are providing hand sanitiser at entry and exit points to encourage guests and employees to practice hand hygiene and to ensure you are preventing the spread of infection on your premises. Good hand hygiene is even more vital when it comes to food preparation and serving so making sure hand sanitiser is strategically placed around your restaurant is even more important.
To promote effective hand care, display our helpful hygiene guidance posters.
Download our Back to Business Guide.
Working hand dryers
Efficient hand dryers and well-stocked paper towel dispensers are vital for encouraging hand hygiene and creating a good impression. Bacteria can rapidly spread on wet or damp hands so a high-quality automatic hand dryer is an essential washroom solution for preventing the spread of germs and viruses. Hand dryers and paper towels also reduce mess and potentially dangerous drops of water all over the floor. Hand towel dispensers should never be left empty since it shows restaurant staff are not anticipating customer needs.
Feminine Hygiene Units
Providing sanitary waste bins in female washrooms is a legal requirement for a restaurant, but it is also a crucial component of a clean and pleasant environment. Sani bins are a discreet and hygienic way to dispose of sanitary items. They are a reassuring presence to women when they are out socialising. There is strict legislation around the management of sanitary bins that mean only a licenced carrier like Citron Hygiene can dispose of their contents. Many companies offer sanitary waste disposal with a collection service.
Aircare solutions
A fresh and clean smelling washroom is vital to creating a positive perception of your restaurant. Memories of a place involve all the senses, including smell so investing in effective air fresheners can help customers form a favourable opinion of your business. Bad odours are frequently cited as reasons why people would not return to a restaurant. However, an odour neutralising washroom service uses sophisticated technology to deliver a subtle yet highly effective spray of fragrance.
Have Effective Cleaning & Disinfecting Routines
In order to ensure the highest standards, emphasis should be on making sure you have effective cleaning and disinfection routines. By having a clear routine in place that your staff are aware of you can ensure that your surfaces and equipment are free from harmful germs and bacteria and that your restaurant is safe. Both daily and weekly cleaning schedules should be put together that outline what areas and equipment will be cleaned with a checklist used to monitor what is and what isn’t being done. For a deeper clean, it is beneficial to seek professional disinfection services as while cleaning will do a good job at getting rid of surface-level bacteria, disinfection will eliminate germs and bacteria and can tackle hard to reach areas equalling maximum coverage and safety.
Make Personal Hygiene a Top Priority
Making sure your employees are healthy and well foremost and following all hygiene and safety measures should be a top priority for restaurants and pubs. While you are unlikely to catch coronavirus and other diseases from food itself, you may contract it from others so implementing certain measures will keep germs at bay. This includes:
• Making sure employees have communication about sickness policies and know to stay off work if they feel unwell
• Wearing face masks where required and disposing of these safely in a closed PPE waste bin.
• Ensure all on shift follow hand hygiene rules.
• Wearing hairnets as loose hair could potentially fall in to someone’s food.
• Providing training to all employees and communicating to guests about the hygiene measures you are implementing.
Serve up a Great Experience with Citron Hygiene
Citron Hygiene’s range of complete washroom and hygiene solutions can help your restaurant business deliver a positive customer experience.
Contact the Citron Hygiene team to see how we can support your business with reliable, on-time serviced solutions.
