97% of Brits won’t return to a restaurant with dirty restrooms.
That is the finding of a YouGov online survey of over 2,000 British adults, conducted by Cannon Hygiene. The survey made crystal clear just how vital it is to maintain the highest possible standards when it comes to the cleanliness and upkeep of restrooms.
A whopping 97 per cent of us wouldn’t return to a restaurant if the restrooms weren’t up to the required standard. The largest individual issues amongst respondents were general cleanliness (90 per cent), lack of toilet paper (89 per cent) lack of soap (70 per cent), bad smells (63 per cent) and weak hand driers (54 per cent). When presented with one of these issues, 85 per cent of us will warn family and friends, and 76 per cent of us heed these warnings.
Brits also go to great lengths to avoid touching things in a public restroom. Almost a quarter of respondents (24 per cent) admitted they lay toilet paper down on seats, with almost a third (29 per cent) actually squatting above the toilet seat. A fifth of people (21 per cent) would only use their elbows to open doors.
Woe betide any establishment that fails to meet the public’s expectations with 60 per cent of respondents likely to bring up concerns with staff directly. A further quarter (24 per cent) would make their disappointment clear via social media.
Howard Sedgwick, MD of Cannon Hygiene, said: “Many of us are conscious of the upkeep of restrooms in public places, particularly those where food is being prepared as it suggests a lot about the hygiene elsewhere in the building.
“Britons are clearly sticklers for good hygiene and the data suggests that a huge majority of us aren’t willing to put up with poor standards with many going above and beyond to warn friends, family and followers on social media when they’ve had a bad experience.
“It’s a warning to restaurants, bars, hotels and others in the retail and leisure sector that their repeat business can goes out of the window very quickly if customers are forced to use facilities that aren’t up to scratch.”
