As a place which is one of the most visited areas of any building, it's fair to say that the experience washrooms provide matters more than most building owners appreciate.
Like with your reception areas and the main rooms of your building, your washrooms are there to serve a purpose. But beyond providing toilet and hand washing facilities, the experience your washroom creates can also generate a positive or negative lasting impression on your patrons.
So before designing a new toilet block or washroom for your building, it pays to think about how your washrooms impact customer behaviour. Here's just a snippet of some of the top aspects to consider.
Antisocial Behaviour
Most people wouldn't dream of causing damage to your washroom, including the likes of graffiti, scratching the doors, burning fixtures, smashing vanity units or even deliberately causing a flood. But sadly, not everyone is the same. There are many ways in which antisocial behaviour can manifest in a washroom, and even a small amount of damage can be costly to fix. All the while, evidence of antisocial behaviour may encourage further damage, and for everyone else, it can create a feeling of unease in the space.
It's not possible to prevent antisocial behaviour altogether, as it can be unpredictable. However, there are some steps you can take, including restricting access to the washroom if there is the potential it can be accessed by any unwanted visitors. CCTV can also be installed at the entrance of the washroom and within the washroom itself, so long as the cameras do not face the cubicles.
Within the design of your washroom, cubicles and other fixtures can also have anti-vandal technology applied to them. It is certainly worth consulting expert washroom installers such as ourselves if you've had issues with antisocial behaviour so that we can advise the best measures to overcome this.
Mood
Everything from the colour palette of your washroom to the amount of natural light it receives and even the materials used all culminate to create a mood. The mood to aim for is going to depend on the type of environment the washroom is there to serve. For example, a hospital washroom isn't going to feel the same as a nightclub venue.
So consider whether your washroom creates the right mood for your patrons or if it's a little lacklustre. In particular, neutral colour schemes can often feel calming and professional, but without the right balance also run the risk of feeling dull and clinical.
On the creative end of the scale, within our school toilet installation projects, we're able to really push the boat out in terms of the colour schemes we use. As well as basing the colour palette on the school emblem colours, we also factor in the imagination of the children at whatever age range the toilets need to serve. So whatever the target market is for your washrooms, the mood must suit the demographic.
A Reflection On Your Business
Don't underestimate how a poor washroom experience can negatively impact on your business as a whole. Some points for concern include a lack of cleanliness, toilets that are out of order, unsanitary odours, a lack of accessibility, slippery surfaces, no hot water in the taps or evidence of antisocial behaviour, among many others.
Any business that has a less-than-satisfactory washroom runs the risk of a bad reputation. But in environments where patrons expect to find a washroom to be especially clean and safe, including in healthcare facilities and restaurants, to name just a couple of examples, a poor washroom experience can have disastrous consequences for that organisation or company.
So whether you've had feedback that your washroom needs some TLC or your washroom hasn't been updated in some time, now is the time to take action.
Washroom Installation UK - Inspired Washrooms
Inspired Washrooms is based in Long Eaton in Derbyshire, installing washrooms right across the UK.
If you want to know more about how you can capture the right mood within your washroom environment, then you're in the right place. We work with a wide range of clients, including schools, the commercial sector, hotels, hospitals and much more, combining commercial design with practical solutions.
Interested in starting a project with us? Download our Inspired Washrooms Brochure to view our full range of products and services.
For help and advice with anything we've mentioned above, please get in touch on 0115 811 4242, and our friendly team will get back to you.