Eighty-five percent of people say an unclean or unpleasant restroom gives them a negative impression of a facility, according to a survey by commercial restroom solutions provider Bradley Co. That impression extends beyond in-person transactions, it found: 86% said they expect the quality of a company’s bathrooms to reflect the quality of its goods and services.

Conversely, 68% say they’re more likely to return to or spend more time at the facility if the restroom is clean and well-maintained, according to the January survey of just over 1,000 people in the U.S., which the company has been conducting annually since 2009. 

Patrons expect clean, well-maintained fixtures, dry floors, and fully stocked supplies including soap, paper towels, and toilet paper,” the company reports. With about 40% of respondents saying they check the restroom before deciding whether to conduct business at a facility, poor-quality restrooms could prevent facility visitors from becoming customers.

Touchless restroom fixtures have gained wide acceptance, the survey found. Three-quarters of people surveyed say touchless fixtures are important and improve the overall restroom experience, and two-thirds say touchless fixtures make them more likely to return to the facility. 

The findings are similar to those in a survey last year conducted by Tork, another restroom supply provider. Among the findings from that survey of 11,500 people across 11 countries:

• 28% of respondents say they have spent less time at a facility because of the state of the restroom.
• 11% have told friends to avoid the venue.
• 7% have left a poor online review.

The Tork survey also examined the impact of restroom quality on a facility’s employees. It found that 25% of workers say they have spent less time at their workplace due to poor restrooms.

Younger people indicated a stronger aversion to poor restrooms in the Tork survey. When asked if they would not return to a facility because of the restrooms, 21% of those ages 18 to 34 agreed, the largest share of any age group in the survey, compared with only 10% of those ages 55 to 65. 

“A poor restroom experience can trigger powerful emotions and measurable business consequences,” the Tork report says.