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QSR restrooms: Small space, BIG brand impact

The tiniest room in your QSR's "house" can be a game-changer for brand perception if you manage it poorly.

Photo: iStock.

October 2, 2019

By Giorgia Giove/Marketing Manager for Sofidel America Away From Home Business 

Though it encompasses a very small relative amount of restaurant space, the QSR restroom has an outsized impact on diners' impressions of your brand. In fact, 71% of Americans said that something as omnipresent in a restroom's daily life as a clogged toilet would negatively impact their entire perception of that brand. Again, that's not just their impression of the restrooms at a store, but the store itself.   

So while talk of the toilet room experience may prompt all kinds of toilet humor, this is, in fact, a very serious subject when it comes to the overall impression your brand makes when customers come inside your stores. As such, understanding the role that restrooms play in restaurant success not helps owners and managers improve their overall brand experience, but also assists operators in transforming their approach to restroom maintenance. In fact, management can now capitalize on recent research to build brand loyalty through cleanliness well into the future. 

Have you ever heard anyone in a dining party return to the table to relay that "Oh man, that restroom is GROSS!" It spoils something in the overall dining experience doesn't it? Restroom cleanliness, functionality and even paper product quality and all shape the customer experience. The following points can help brands ensure these essential parts of their fixed-location stores work and impress equally well. 

Curtail toilet clogs: A clogged toilet quickly flushes away any hope of a positive restroom experience for many guests. According to a 2018 Harris Poll, three-quarters of Americans have experienced a clogged public restroom toilet. 

Similarly, clogged toilets are not only unsightly, they are unsanitary and cause lingering odors. Busy restaurant employees may not have time to regularly check each stall for clogs. But restaurants can stock clog-fighting toilet paper, as well as that which activates non-pathogenic, environmentally safe microorganisms when it touches water. These microorganisms act as prevention mechanisms since they eat away at dirt inside pipes to reduce the risk of clogs.

Pick paper towels: According to National Institutes of Health research, paper towels are the most hygienic way to dry hands in public restrooms since hand dryers can blow previously accumulated bacteria back into the air and on guests, of which many guests and employees are now well aware. 

In fact, overall public opinion is also on the side of paper towels. A 2017 study showed 69% of Americans think paper towels dry hands more effectively than air dryers. It follows then that it is of particular importance in places like restaurants, where hygiene and food safety are especially critical, that paper towels should be the optimal choice. Things like touch-free dispensers can also help by limiting the spread of germs and waste by minimizing overuse of paper towels.

Take the toilet paper trifecta into account: According to a 2019 Harris Poll, strength, absorbency and softness are the triple threat for toilet paper in public restrooms. The survey found that nine in 10 Americans value both strength and absorbency as very or somewhat important, while more than four in five (84%) consider softness to be very or somewhat important. Thankfully, a survey by Just the Facts, Inc. among 800 restaurant managers in the U.S found that most managers (58%) rank quality, not price, as the single most important attribute of the toilet paper they buy.

Digging into online reviews

The Just the Facts survey also found that 91% of the restaurant managers strongly agree that restroom cleanliness has an impact on customer satisfaction. However, not every establishment lives up to customer expectations. As platforms like Yelp and TripAdvisor gain popularity, customers have the freedom to write reviews that others can read before deciding to visit a restaurant.

A Chatmeter analysis of more than 8,900 online restaurant reviews, all of which mentioned restrooms, showed 78% of them discussed restroom cleanliness or dirtiness - underscoring that the cleanliness of a restroom leaves an impression on overall customer experience. Of the reviews discussing the state of restrooms, 58% contained negative comments. More specifically, nearly one-third (32%) of the 5,000+ negative reviews discussed a "dirty" or "filthy" restroom appearance, unpleasant smells, or out-of-stock products.

A 2018 Harris Poll demonstrated how online reviews affect readers' impressions of brands. It found that 89% of Americans would not visit a restaurant based on negative online reviews about its restrooms. A majority of customers agree that two factors within reviews - clogged toilets and foul odors - would greatly affect their willingness to try a restaurant. Two-thirds of customers said the mention of restroom odors in a review would be reason to avoid that business, while a clogged toilet would influence 63%. A lack of toilet paper, soap and paper towels mentioned in an online review would deter nearly half (46%) of Americans from visiting a restaurant.

Data-driven decisions

Recent data about restaurant restrooms and their impact on guest satisfaction can help owners and managers further improve their businesses. Developing thorough training programs and adopting best practices for cleaning and stocking restrooms is a good first step to minimize the occurrence of negative reviews about restrooms. Managers should also monitor online reviews across platforms and respond thoughtfully and without hostility to any complaints. This allows those scrolling through to see both sides of the story. 

If trends emerge from negative online reviews, managers can conduct re-training and implement necessary changes. While negative online reviews can keep potential customers away, positive ones have the power to build a restaurant's reputation as a clean establishment and drive sales. Data-driven action can favorably shape public perceptions of one restaurant, or even an entire chain, if management implements better restroom maintenance on a larger scale.