Newsletter | Dealership University™

Hal Ethington, Eric Anderson and I did an hour seminar at the Indy show this past February. The event was called “50 ideas in 50 minutes.” Several things struck me as being unusual. First, only two people in a room of 70 took notes. The rest just sat there. I wondered if they got anything from the ideas or if they had ‘total recall’ memories.

Next: One of the ideas I presented was the suggestion that the restrooms in dealerships sparkle. That brought some laughs and snickers. No one seemed to take my idea seriously. I stand by it. Here’s why.

According to OSHA, women use restrooms more frequently than men. Any married man can tell you that is the case. Women are also more critical and observant of their surroundings than men. According to the MIC, the number of women using powersports equipment is increasing dramatically.

According to those who have studied discretionary spending in the US, their research indicates that women have a greater influence than men when it comes to the buying decision. Any powersports salesperson can attest to that situation.

To carry things a bit further, women who have had a child use restroom more frequently than women who have not had a child. Perhaps that’s too much information for you. OK, so now let’s get down to the reason for my suggestion that restrooms sparkle.

Women are twice as likely to use the restroom when visiting your store as men. They respond favorably to a clean environment. Some men do but not to the same degree. Clean restrooms send the message that the store personnel care about the comfort and convenience of their customers.

Some years ago I did a program for Mike’s Famous a large Harley-Davidson dealership in Delaware. It was a two day event. I happened to use the restroom and commented to Mike that his store had the cleanest restroom I’d ever seen. Mike just smiled and said it was one of his secrets of a way to increase customer loyalty.

That evening I had the opportunity to speak to the entire staff and asked for the person responsible for the clean restrooms. A young lady raised her hand. I applauded and so did the rest of the staff.

You can spend a great deal of time and effort making your display dramatic, well lighted and interesting. You may have spent a considerable amount of money arranging your displays and traffic pattern. And that’s as it should be. However, if you neglected the restroom all your efforts could come to naught.

Several years ago I remember visiting a small dealership in central New Mexico. What stands out in my mind to this day is the absolutely filthy restroom. There was only one, which men and women shared. I would have been more comfortable going outside and using the store’s wall.

It seems there are some things we are reluctant to discuss. Perhaps this is one of them. That, however, does not negate the need to consider keeping your restroom clean, and stocked with all the necessary and important accessories.