The Loo's a pointer to the Kitchen

I shudder going to cloakrooms (read, loo) at most restaurants. Because what I see may put me off. Not just would it kill my appetite, it would even get me off that restaurant. I leave, possibly never to return.

Why? Because I make judgements about cleanliness of the kitchen based on what I see in the loo. Again, why? Isn't in unfair to judge a kitchen I don't see, based on a loo I see? Shouldn't an evaluation of the serving area (diner) be the base to my judgement? That is, if the restaurant serving and seating area's clean, surely the kitchen must be?

The answer to that is comparable to what's said about character. 'Character is what you do when no one's looking'. Similarly cleanliness is about keeping clean, those areas that may not be termed a 'primary' contact point. The serving area in a restaurant is the primary point of contact. Its but natural that the staff keep it clean. The loo is only an 'allied' area. The staff may not be find it as necessary to keep it clean. But how wrong they are. If the loo were to be clean, in all probability, I for one will take the kitchen, which is an 'invisible' area as clean. The same inferences however cannot drawn from the cleanliness of the serving area.

Too many times, firms focus on what's a 'front-end', assuming that's what drives judgements. But customers are clever. They may be on the lookout for a glimpse of what's a 'back-end' in your business. Their perceptions on quality is more driven by how the back-end performs rather than the classic front-end.

Tell you what, wanna know if a restaurant's clean? Check the glasses on the table, the sauce bottles and the cruet set. If they are, chances are you're sitting in a clean area. Now check the loos. If clean, relax, enjoy your meal. If your 'checks' on the table and in the loo don't leave you satisfied, I'd say, scoot.

Or stay, suffer the consequences.