Smelly toilets are costing British businesses, as new research reveals poor washroom reviews drag down hospitality establishments’ Tripadvisor ratings by an average of one full star. Initial Washroom Hygiene analysed more than 80,000 Tripadvisor reviews for 200 hospitality venues across the UK.
It said it wanted to understand the correlation between negative reviews relating to the smell and cleanliness of washroom toilets and overall star ratings. With 463 million people using Tripadvisor every month, such negative ratings could result in businesses missing out on significant income, Initial said, with a rise by one star rating leading to an average increase of 2.2-3% in monthly revenue. This, it reasoned, equates to a potential loss of billions to the UK hospitality industry, which is worth £40.4 billion a year to the UK economy.
The analysis comes as Initial Washroom Hygiene’s own research revealed 92% of Brits have experienced unpleasant smells in public washrooms, with 78% reporting this would make them less likely to visit again. Conversely, 76% stated that a positive experience in a public washroom would make them more likely to spend with a business. Toilets appearing dirty or unclean (68%) and having a bad odour (62%) are the top reasons putting people off using public washrooms, followed by human waste on the floor (52%), wet floors (47%) and a lack of soap (41%).
