by Shane Henson — April 24, 2013—Spring is a great time for people working in the hospitality industry to ensure their facilities meet a high standard of deep cleanliness, but so is summer, fall and winter. According to a study by P&G Professional, like many people, guests associate spring with spring cleaning; however, when it comes to businesses, they expect places they enter to smell and look clean year around.
P&G Professional, the division for professional cleaning solutions within Procter & Gamble (P&G), conducted the study across five European countries and revealed how perceptions about spring cleaning vary across the continent. The Italians, Germans and French are almost twice more likely than the British or Spanish to associate spring with cleaning—a quarter of them say it is important for restaurants and hotels to do a deep clean during springtime although most of them agree that year-round cleaning is critical, the study found.
The study also uncovered how cleanliness can prove to be a critical competitive differentiator for hospitality operators. A staggering 97 percent of guests agreed that cleanliness is the most important factor when choosing a restaurant, café, bar or hotel—more important than cost, service, location and little perks.
The study also revealed that when guests are unhappy with the standard of cleanliness in a hospitality establishment, operators should prepare to lose their repeat business. The vast majority of respondents said they are more likely to stop coming to a restaurant or hotel with poor cleanliness standards than to register a complaint either online or offline.
However, when guests do complain, it will most likely be about dirty sheets, followed by dirty dishes, unclean toilets and then bad service and odor. Given the popularity of online reviews and social media comments, hospitality facilities have extra motivation to keep customers happy. Notably, in addition to complaining to a staff member, one fifth of customers would also complain online either via review Web sites or social media, according to the study.
P&G Professional says that given the study and what hotel and restaurant operators already know about guests’ expectations, operators need to ensure they are investing in a high-quality cleaning program. For more information about the company’s professional-grade cleaning products, guidance on how to clean specific areas, or solutions to common housekeeping/janitorial issues, visit the P&G Professional Web site. The company also now offers hospitality operators information, including videos and articles, on how to efficiently implement a cleaning program and keep guests happy, on its new P&G Professional Academy Web site.
