What are the bathrooms like where you work? And could they be an indicator of the future success of your company?

Years ago, I told the story of a Wall Street stock analyst who liked to visit the companies in which he invested his clients’ money. This guy got in the habit of routinely using the bathroom at the companies before a scheduled meeting. If the toilet was filthy, he would cancel his appointment and pull all financial support.

This stock analyst knew that if the bathroom was filthy, the employees were not valued — and that speaks volumes about the company’s chances of long-term success. I believe the same holds true with reserved parking spots for upper management at a company. Priority parking tells the little guy that he doesn’t count, and that doesn’t make employees feel valued. 

Now USA Today reports that dirty bathrooms can hurt business in some very direct ways. Nearly 50 percent of restaurant patrons who experience a dirty bathroom will tell friends. Almost three in 10 restaurant patrons won’t give a place a second chance if they encounter a dirty bathroom. And if you’re a restaurant owner, remember, this is the era of the smartphone where customers are taking pictures of your dirty bathroom and sharing it on social media.

Of course, when you gotta go, you gotta go. That’s why several different smartphone apps like SitorSquat have been developed (for both Android and iOS), pointing you to the nearest clean bathrooms. And if you’re in a metro area, so many chain stores have recently popped up that people are starting to use them as a “go-to” facility. (Here’s a tip: they usually hide them on the top floor of the building with no signage.) 

Consumer expert Clark Howard’s column appears here each Thursday in conjunction with Deal Spotter, a weekly print section in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Find more answers to your consumer questions at Clark's website.

-- Clark Howard -- Save More, Spend Less, Avoid Rip-offs -- for the Atlanta Bargain Hunter blog

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