Can a Restroom be (Positively) Memorable?
When we think about restrooms we have visited, the memories aren’t necessarily positive. However, if you can recall a restroom you have visited where you didn’t mind spending some time (voluntary or involuntary!), a few things might pop into your head. How clean it was, how well thought out the design was, the amenities offered, and so on. When you enter a restroom and you feel like you are being treated like royalty, it will definitely leave an impression. However, you don’t have to go all out in your bathroom by having attendants, individual hand towels, or complimentary toiletries for your patrons. You can simply make your restroom less of a necessary utility for your customers, and an extension of your establishment instead.
Cleanliness is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
While ensuring your bathroom is clean is important, cleanliness should not be the sole source of pride you have for it. In this day and age, cleanliness and sanitation are expected for all modern, reputable establishments. The noteworthiness of a clean bathroom can be dependent on what type of establishment it is in. For example, an extremely clean and well-maintained bathroom is to be expected in an upscale hotel or Michelin star restaurant, but less so in a gas station just off a rural highway. To truly stand out, the bathroom should surpass expectations of what a typical bathroom looks like. A good amount of attention should be dedicated to both the design and theme of the bathroom, and how it can tie into the other rooms in the building.
It’s Just a Bathroom! Right?
A restroom should be designed for employees and customers to come in, do their business, and then go back out and return to work or partake in your business. And while it might not be common, there are instances when a visitor enters a building for no other purpose than to use the restroom. When this happens, you may think those people leave and never give your establishment a second thought. However, if your bathroom goes above and beyond the call of duty and gives this person the impression that even the most minor of details have been handled, perhaps that person may revisit your company in a transactional manner in future.
You want to make sure your restroom is not in a state of disrepair. It’s not just the plumbing or toilets you have to consider, it’s the state of all the elements within. Cracked flooring, broken mirrors, and faulty lighting are just a few examples of things that can put off your customers and staff. The hard floors in your restrooms need a large amount of care and attention. You want to have your bathrooms be both accommodating, and a pleasant experience to the eye. You can look at the hard floor care services we manage here!
Take the Natick Mall for example. It is a mall that features high-end retailers such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, and a Tesla dealer. The bathroom in the main floor has so much attention to detail and really conveys the feeling of a luxurious, upscale bathroom. This restroom features a chandelier, makeup stations, private changing/nursing rooms for mothers, leather lounge chairs, and marble shelves to hold your shopping bags. Having a facility like this is likely to impress or intrigue those who enter. Of course, while this restroom is very nice, you don’t have to have your facilities be this opulent.
The Nicest Restrooms are the Ones with Pleasant Surprises.
Should the opportunity present itself, a form of interactivity can be extremely beneficial to your bathroom. Take the Nashville Zoo in Tennessee or the OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale, Arizona as examples. Think about using the products and/or services your business provides, and see how it can tie into what your restroom features. The theme and overall immersion of the establishment are not lost, and it adds to the experience. This presents an opportunity for the “restroom dashers” to be motivated to learn more about the facility they are currently in.
Have Fun and Get Creative with Your Restroom
If you are a restaurant known for its craft beer, beer keg urinals could be a fun addition. If you are a modern art museum, perhaps the inclusion of murals or small-scale exhibits are something to consider. You want to make your bathroom yours. You want it to be unique to your business in a way that leaves an impact on your customers, employees, and on you as a business owner.
Are there a few things that can be improved in your bathroom? Check out the services we manage to help your facilities reach their full potential!
