BizNet OnLine Magazine, Is You Bathroom Leaking Customers?

Is You Bathroom Leaking Customers?
Have you ever had to go to the bathroom? I know it sounds like a stupid question

Have you ever had to go to the bathroom? I know it sounds like a stupid question, but remember there are lots of stupid business people out there and this is an article about stupid business practices. Now back to the bathroom thing. I should have asked have you ever REALLY needed to use the bathroom?

If you can answer yes (I think we all can), then you know that when you have to go.... You have to go.

Now with this in mind let’s talk to the Stupid business people out there. If you do not let your customers use your bathroom, you’re losing customers, and not only customers, but also business, and the money that goes with it.

Now I’m not talking about letting the Homeless person use or live in your bathroom. I’m talking about your customers; individuals that are already customers, or are in your store cash-in-hand for the first time. Why is it you don’t let you customers use your bathroom?

Now, don’t expect me to believe that B.S. about “we don’t have a restroom”. We customers are not stupid. We know you’re not holding it in all day.... You have a bathroom.

Most businesses work very hard to get a customer to come into their place of business. Also, most stores work at keeping a customer in the store as long as possible. Why? Because the more time a customer spends in your store, the more likely that person is to spend money. So, why in the world would any good business tell a customer to leave? Or risk insulting the customer by telling them to leave. If you think your lack of a bathroom is not throwing customers out of your store, then what do you think you’re doing when you tell a person “We don’t have a bathroom, you will have to go down the street to the gas station (restaurant, department store, etc.). Personally, when a business tells me that, I hear it as: “I’m sorry but you’re not good enough to use “our” restroom, so spend your money and get out”.

Yes, I will be happy to get out, but I’m not going to ever spend any money in your store.

Now the really smart guys and gal’s use “the public needs to use a restroom” to their advantage. If you stop and think about it almost all public restrooms are located on the very back far reaches of stores. No, it’s not to hide the restroom. It’s to get the customer’s money. Any marketing person will tell you to always try to get your customer not only in your store, but also all the way in the store. The more a customer walks around in your store the more likely you will sell them something.

So next time a customer asks to use your restroom, don’t tell them to go out the front door and down the street.. Tell them to go to the back of the store, past all that good stuff you have on sale. All that stuff they have to walk by two times…on the way to, and on the way back.

Now if you’re thinking only small businesses turn customers away over the restroom thing think again. I recently had about 15 minutes to kill before an appointment, so I stopped into a Virgin Mega Store to pick up some tunes. But I also needed to use the restroom. When I was in the store I asked to use the restroom (it should not matter but I was in a suit and tie) and was told “We do not have one, you will have to go to the restaurant in the other part of the mail”. So now I had time to stay and buy the music I wanted OR go down the mall and use a restroom. Call me silly, but I used my time to go to the bathroom. Oh, the music? I bought it from CD Now, when I got back to the office and was on the net. Hey I know it’s gross, but my motto is: if I can’t piss in your bathroom, then piss on you (as in: you lost my business).

Think about it. A business that claims to have some of the world’s largest music stores ”MEGA” and they can’t even care enough to let a customer use the rest room??????

So, don’t make a MEGA mistake, let your customers use your restroom. Any added cost of maintaining the restroom (yes I know about the sh _ _ that go into a restroom and write on the walls, etc...) will be offset by the increase in sales by not loosing customers, by sending them out the door.

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