The loo test

Yesterday I drove an hour into deepest Surrey to collect a piece of gardening equipment: a leaf blower. I live in a leafy area (mature copper beech and chestnut in neighbouring gardens) and having experienced total lack of success with a cheapo Chinese made electric leaf blower bought from Homebase, decided to go for an expensive but highly rated petrol driven Stihl job.  Having done some price comparisons, I discovered a huge variation, from around £200 to the RRP of £295.  Furthermore, Stihl kit can't be purchased and delivered on line -- it's necessary to go to the supplier to collect it.

Fortunately, my next door neighbour had already done some keen price comparison shopping, and recommended a firm called Hire Services (Southern) Ltd, in Woking, an hour's drive away:

http://www.hsstoolshop.co.uk/

I ordered one by phone, agreed a date on which I would pick it up, and yesterday, thanks to the sat nav, eventually arrived at their premises on a trading estate.

Their premises are nothing much to look at, being a warehouse with absolutely no pretensions to retail glamour.   It is, however, a cornucopia of boys' toys.

Anyway, I was dealt with by a middle aged staff member, who, being nearer my own age, immediately made me feel more comfortable, although from observation, the younger staff members had a good way of dealing with customers both face to face and over the phone.   He took my details and quickly produced the leaf blower and proceeded to show me how to start and operate it. (Stihl produce some distinctly lethal equipment, so such briefing can be important.)

As I had another hours' drive back home, I asked if I could use a loo.  And this was the big surprise.  They were impeccable.  They were utilitarian -- no fancy tile work and plumbing -- and must have been thoroughly cleaned earlier that morning. They were spotless, smelt clean and fresh, and soap and paper towels were provided.  They were the very acme of workplace loos.

Now why was I surprised?  Well, one of the least agreeable experiences of visiting many such workplaces is the state of the wcs.   It is all too obvious that sanitary provision is not a high priority in many organizations and that the routine cleaning and servicing of such facilities are equally low priority.  (The wc at the outfit I use to service my computer is such an example.) Yet, unless there are loos especially provided for customers,  it is the staff who are the main users of these facilities.  What does the state of the loos reveal about management's attitudes towards staff?

On my return journey I pondered on the relationship between the excellent, unpretentious service of Hire Services  staff and the fact that management has provided decent loo facilities.  If the internal customer is well treated, they in turn are likely to treat the external customer well, too.   I guess that the provision of sanitation is low down in Maslow's hierarchy,   but will undoubtedly be one of Hertzberg's 'satisfiers', the state of which will affect motivation, even if only in  subtle ways.  Besides, poor sanitation isn't just a hygiene factor (literally), but is also likely to reflect more generally management's attitudes towards staff.

So, maybe there should be a loo index as part of organizational evaluation.

I also had another thought as I drove home: what a pity that I wasn't able to buy a British made leaf blower of comparable quality and price to the German product now sitting in the boot of my Japanese made car.