As someone who’s had a “virtual office” for nearly a year, I’ve come to realize what’s truly important in life:
Public restrooms.
I am a frequent patron of Starbucks, Panera, Borders, and local coffee shops and diners across the country. These places are regularly frequented by members of the creative class, and most have realized by now that free wifi is a revenue stream, not an expense. But far too many of them are missing something just as vital.
My wife and I have earmarked a big piece of our monthly budget specifically for my coffee/food needs while I work, and I don’t think I’m alone. I represent what could be these establishments most profitable customer - I spend a lot of money and generally mind my own business. Not a tough guy to please.
But the quality of restrooms represents a HUGE factor in my decision making process. In New York I was known to walk 40 blocks if necessary to find a place with a clean restroom. When getting settled in Chicago I visited every coffee shop in a three mile radius, keeping a mental checklist of places with nice johns and places that make portables look inviting.
It really is that important. People like me don’t think twice about spending 8 hours in a coffee shop over the course of a day, banging out emails and downing $5 lattes along the way. And during those eight hours, we’ll need to visit the cowpokes room multiple times. An unkempt lavatory makes my skin crawl. I need to feel comfortable during my workday, and I can’t handle feeling dirtier leaving the bathroom than I was going in.
One more reason why I love Starbucks. Aside from their deliberate attention to creating an atmosphere and (I don’t care what you say) pretty good coffee, the fact that they almost always keep their bathrooms clean tells me that they care about me. It’s not uncommon to see a “partner” pop in every hour to make sure the facilities are in tip-top shape. Of course there are exceptions (rest stops, the nightmare on Broadway and Bleeker, etc.) but generally speaking they do their best to keep the place tidy.
Odds are they know that people like me consider this to be important. They’ve probably asked people like me that exact question. Since I’m one of their most valuable customers it’s absolutely in their best interest to know.
What sorts of things are really important to your most important customers that you might currently be overlooking?
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