According to research, the average person uses the toilet between 6 and 10 times per day. So, it stands to reason that if a workplace or public venue doesn’t have enough toilets, it can soon cause issues.
Beyond being frustrating, excessively long waits to use the toilet can negatively impact the customer experience. Worse still, a lack of accessible toilets can even result in reputational damage or fines.
If you own a business and you’ve had complaints about your toilets, it’s important to take action to improve your facilities without delay.
Inspired Washrooms installs commercial toilets across the UK. In today’s post, we’re here to share some of the biggest risks that a lack of toilets can have for your business to explain why it’s so important.
Poor Customer Experience
Nobody likes having to wait a really long time for the toilet. However, for those with bowel or bladder conditions, as well as anyone who finds it difficult to stand for long periods, long waits to use the toilet are even more unacceptable.
In transit hubs or stadiums, not having enough toilets can also cause customers to miss their transport connections or concerts. Even in a restaurant, having to wait a long time to use the toilet can be very frustrating especially if it disrupts quality family time.
Ultimately, all of these common scenarios can lead to negative customer experiences.
Inadequate toilet provisions can ultimately result in:
- Negative online reviews
- Reduced repeat visits
- Shorter dwell times
- Accessibility complaints
Therefore, when the cost of installing additional toilets is compared with the potential for lost revenue due to inadequate facilities, a washroom refurbishment becomes very cost-effective indeed.
Legal Repercussions
Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, employers must provide suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences for staff.
Failing to provide enough toilets may result in enforcement action from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or the local authority. In the most serious of cases, fines and prosecution may be warranted.
Within customer-facing premises (i.e. hospitality, retail & leisure), insufficient toilet facilities may breach local authority licensing conditions. Likewise, within environments that are subject to inspection (i.e. the education sector), inspectors may consider toilet provision when assessing compliance.
Inadequate toilet facilities can also impact hygiene ratings or licensing renewals where applicable.
Hygiene & Infection Control Risks
The main issues of not having enough toilets are that it can lead to:
- Long queues
- Increased throughput per cubicle
- Less time for cleaning between uses
All of the above can lead to poor satisfaction, but there are even greater problems lurking. This includes the cross-contamination of surfaces, a lack of hand washing and the spread of illness in the workplace.
While this is bad enough in offices, in high traffic public venues, a lack of toilets and handwashing facilities can soon create a public health issue.
Low Employee Productivity & Morale
When a workplace doesn’t have enough toilets, it can impact employee productivity and morale.
This is because work may be interrupted by long queues for the toilet, which may also extend break times. If employees do have to spend their break time queuing for the toilet instead of resting, this can lead to low job satisfaction and also the feeling of being undervalued.
In extreme cases, a lack of staff toilets can contribute to grievances or tribunal claims relating to poor working conditions.
Higher Maintenance Costs & Temporary Venue Closures
Another problem with not having enough toilets is that the toilets you do have will be subject to excessive use. Not only is this due to faster wear and tear, but also the increased likelihood of blockages or similar maintenance issues cropping up.
A knock-on effect can be toilets being out of order, which then would impact the ability for your office or public venue to remain open.
For instance, if there is only one toilet and it’s not working, it can actually be very disruptive, especially if your restaurant can’t stay open as a result.
In contrast, providing enough toilets means your facilities will be subject to more even wear and tear over time. Should a toilet be vandalised or be out of service because of a maintenance fault, having enough toilets means you’ll still be able to provide toilet facilities.
Accessibility & Equality Risks
As we’ve just touched upon, using the toilet isn’t a universal experience for everyone, meaning providing enough toilets also has to consider the specific requirements of people with disabilities.
Since the Equality Act 2010 was introduced, businesses have been required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled users. If toilet facilities are found to be insufficient or not inclusive, businesses risk discrimination claims being brought against them. Not only does legal action result in financial loss, but it also causes reputational damage.
Disabled toilets (also known as accessible toilets) ensure facilities are safe and dignified for disabled people. They should cater towards wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments, visual impairments and those with hidden disabilities.
Some of the aspects that accessible toilets consider include adequate space layout, WC positioning, door widths, grab rails, emergency alarms and the overall dignity provided.
Reduced Revenue
The colloquial term for visiting the toilet is to ‘spend a penny’. Ironically, that’s exactly what your customers won’t be doing if your business doesn’t have enough toilets!
If your business has any facing customer toilets, a poor experience can ultimately lead to lost customers. The businesses most at risk here include hospitality venues, stadiums, retail stores, airports and similar public venues.
The British Cleaning Council reports that the Soho area of London is losing £4.9 million every year due to a lack of public toilets. While the financial loss is going to look different for every business, it’s clear that there is a direct link with not having enough toilets and reduced consumer spending.
Simply put, if customers have to leave early because there aren’t enough toilets, or they are subject to excessive waits to use the toilets, this negatively impacts business profits. As noted above, it’s also a type of experience which can contribute to negative online reviews, which can deter other customers from visiting your establishment.
Don’t Let Your Business Be Caught Short Any Of The Above - Improve Your Commercial Toilet Facilities With Inspired Washrooms
It really is in the interests of every UK business to ensure its toilet facilities are adequate. This is both in terms of the number of toilets available as well as ensuring a high quality experience for patrons.
Whether you have office toilets or customer-facing toilets, Inspired Washrooms can increase capacity through our commercial washroom services.
Inspired Washrooms installs commercial toilets across the UK. Our key locations include Birmingham, Derby, Leicester, London, Manchester and Nottingham.
Let us know about your commercial toilet requirements by sending us a message. You can also speak to our team by calling 0115 671 3774.