There is a profound truth in this. How a bathroom is maintained reflects a great deal about the business.
One of my greatest regrets is the fact that our restroom cannot accommodate a nice shower area, changing area or expand in any way. Limitations of our space. A pressure pump, toilet seats, new taps can't fix the space constraint.
There have been points that the maintenance of our toilet has flagged and we as coaches would not like to use our own toilet. But we would clean it ourselves. I know this is candid. But I have visited theatres, restaurants, hotels, gyms, cinema-halls, museums, malls and shops. The better ones have cleaner restrooms. The ones we don't enjoy frequenting have terrible restrooms.
And I don't think that is a coincidence. How a toilet is maintained or not is a canary in the coal mine. It tells you much the people running the show care about hygiene and client comfort.
There have been times we have dropped the ball on this and I hate that we didn't keep our eye on the loo.
We are a coaching service. Even when you sign up for our in-person gym. You aren't paying to use the space. We build the service around coaching, exercise selection, cueing, batches, community and certain sensibility. There are gyms that bond around playlists, competition, competing, weekend workouts. The main conversation is how thoughtful they are in speaking about the adaptations from training.
Then there are more conventional gyms. You build the membership around size, wide selection of equipment, a tonne of amenities, cardio zones, strength zones, plenty of classes, open hours and location. There are at least 3 occasions to pick up a membership on discount.
But what unites the two is the loo. Clients appreciate a well-maintained rest-room and we owe them a hygienic, comfortable space.
:
“We don’t make money from bathrooms.”
That was the previous CEO’s stance when I took over operations at a family entertainment company.
To this person, restrooms were an afterthought—functional, but unimportant. If they weren’t actively generating revenue, why bother prioritizing them?
But that mindset was costing the business more than they realized.
I walked into one of the company’s locations and decided to experience it the way a guest would. The games were running, the food smelled great, and kids were racing from attraction to attraction. Then, I stepped into the bathroom.
The first thing that hit me was the smell—stale, musty, with a hint of industrial cleaner that wasn’t doing its job. The tiles were worn, grout discolored, soap dispensers half-empty or broken. It was the kind of bathroom people rush out of rather than use comfortably. And it was sending a silent but powerful message to every guest who walked in.
A mother bringing her kids for a fun afternoon notices more than just the attractions. She notices the details. If the bathrooms are neglected, what does that say about food safety? About the cleanliness of the play areas or attractions? About the overall care put into the business? She won’t take a chance.
No visitor will ever tell you they left because of a dirty bathroom or one that needs a serious remodel. They just won’t return. And worse, they won’t let their friends or family come either as they will be very vocal to them.
Tim Murphy
One of my greatest regrets is the fact that our restroom cannot accommodate a nice shower area, changing area or expand in any way. Limitations of our space. A pressure pump, toilet seats, new taps can't fix the space constraint.
There have been points that the maintenance of our toilet has flagged and we as coaches would not like to use our own toilet. But we would clean it ourselves. I know this is candid. But I have visited theatres, restaurants, hotels, gyms, cinema-halls, museums, malls and shops. The better ones have cleaner restrooms. The ones we don't enjoy frequenting have terrible restrooms.
And I don't think that is a coincidence. How a toilet is maintained or not is a canary in the coal mine. It tells you much the people running the show care about hygiene and client comfort.
There have been times we have dropped the ball on this and I hate that we didn't keep our eye on the loo.
We are a coaching service. Even when you sign up for our in-person gym. You aren't paying to use the space. We build the service around coaching, exercise selection, cueing, batches, community and certain sensibility. There are gyms that bond around playlists, competition, competing, weekend workouts. The main conversation is how thoughtful they are in speaking about the adaptations from training.
Then there are more conventional gyms. You build the membership around size, wide selection of equipment, a tonne of amenities, cardio zones, strength zones, plenty of classes, open hours and location. There are at least 3 occasions to pick up a membership on discount.
But what unites the two is the loo. Clients appreciate a well-maintained rest-room and we owe them a hygienic, comfortable space.
:
“We don’t make money from bathrooms.”
That was the previous CEO’s stance when I took over operations at a family entertainment company.
To this person, restrooms were an afterthought—functional, but unimportant. If they weren’t actively generating revenue, why bother prioritizing them?
But that mindset was costing the business more than they realized.
I walked into one of the company’s locations and decided to experience it the way a guest would. The games were running, the food smelled great, and kids were racing from attraction to attraction. Then, I stepped into the bathroom.
The first thing that hit me was the smell—stale, musty, with a hint of industrial cleaner that wasn’t doing its job. The tiles were worn, grout discolored, soap dispensers half-empty or broken. It was the kind of bathroom people rush out of rather than use comfortably. And it was sending a silent but powerful message to every guest who walked in.
A mother bringing her kids for a fun afternoon notices more than just the attractions. She notices the details. If the bathrooms are neglected, what does that say about food safety? About the cleanliness of the play areas or attractions? About the overall care put into the business? She won’t take a chance.
No visitor will ever tell you they left because of a dirty bathroom or one that needs a serious remodel. They just won’t return. And worse, they won’t let their friends or family come either as they will be very vocal to them.
Tim Murphy