Sit or Squat? What label does your c-store have?

Most people have at least one fear in their life. Though everyone's fear is relative, society tends to share some of the same concerns. A common fear centers around the cleanliness of a bathroom. Though this worry can border on the "phobia" line, it is prevalent and a popular topic as the sanitation of a public/private place says a whole lot more about your store than you think.

When it comes to public perception, a murky bathroom has a negative connotation. Therefore, a dirty bathroom labels a business as being below average, run-down and untrustworthy.  For c-stores that offer fresh food ordering, a dirty bathroom could mean that employees do not follow the appropriate hygiene routine to serve you. Even without a food service option, customers may wonder how many people have used the facilities, washed their hands, and then touched a product.

For a healthy business, perception is very important. What you see is an indication of what you get. Customers do not know what happens behind closed doors; therefore, it is important to remove that fear from their minds by providing a clean facility to use, shop and dine.

You may even think that the number of people who fear or refuse to use a dirty bathroom is trivial. However, 32% of the population is estimated to be affected by this concern and even may have a phobia around it (ToiletAnxiety.org).

Additionally, new mobile applications have been created to unite individuals who share this similar apprehension. Through Charmin's mobile application called "Sit or Squat," users can communicate to each other on what bathrooms are good to use by rating an establishment's bathroom cleanliness.

As this kind of communication takes momentum, it can have a profound effect on businesses, especially c-stores. Customers can potentially choose a competitor over your site, not because of your service, products or prices – but because of how hygienic your bathroom is.

Though there may be other more important parts of your business that you must prioritize, this side of your business cannot be ignored or overlooked.

What is the best way to ensure you do not forget about the cleanliness of your business? For any business owner, it may be hard to remember to clean the bathrooms daily when you can have so many responsibilities on your plate. For your team, it may be best to search for a method or tool that can help remind your staff to take care of these responsibilities during their low-traffic hours.

Gilbarco Veeder-Root offers a Point-of-Sale system that not only accepts payments but also helps you manage your store. With Passport's Reminder Maintenance feature, you can essentially set daily reminders for your staff to perform necessary tasks such as refreshing promotional signage to cleaning the bathroom. If you want to see how it works, watch the video below!