Oftentimes, a customer’s first “stop” after a dining or shopping experience is a social media channel or online review site such as Yelp. But unlike good reviews, bad reviews spread quickly and can negatively impact your business. To help businesses clean up their online reputation and improve the overall cleanliness of their facility, Cintas Corporation announced the top four online cleaning-related complaints.

“A picture of a dirty restroom posted online is never good advertising for your business,” said Dave Mesko, Senior Director of Marketing, Cintas Corporation. “Regardless of the business type, cleanliness should always be a priority.”

There are many factors that customers look to when determining whether or not a facility is clean. Cintas identifies the following top four complaints found on review sites:

1.  “There’s food and grease all over the floors.”
One of the first things customers notice when entering a facility is the floors. From crumbs to grease to stains, dirty floors are an immediate deterrent for customers when entering your facility.

New York Yelp user David T. described his experience with a chain restaurant’s dirty floors, tables and chairs as the “filthiest place” he’s ever walked into and eventually walked out.

From matting programs to daily cleaning to restorative cleanings, make sure you have an effective cleaning program in place that focuses on deep cleaning, protecting and maintaining floor surfaces.

2.  “The restrooms are dirty and don’t have any toilet paper.”
A recent survey revealed that 94 percent of U.S. adults would avoid a business in the future if they encountered a dirty restroom1. A Yelp reviewer in New York City left a negative review at a movie theatre after her dirty experience. After witnessing wet toilet seats, dirty floors and no toilet paper or soap, she “wouldn’t recommend this theatre.”

To avoid these mishaps from happening in your facility, implement an ongoing restroom care program that not only ensures that restrooms are always properly stocked, but that they are also regularly deep cleaned. In addition to daily maintenance, integrate a deep cleaning program to remove organic soils and odors that regular mops and brushes can’t.

3. “People use the same mops and wipes all over the building!”
People often think that anyone can clean, but in reality, there is a right and a wrong way. For example, online reviewer Amy W. witnessed a Chicago fitness center employee cleaning multiple areas of the locker room with “the same rag”; starting with the toilet.

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, employees who are not taught effective zone cleaning techniques can cross-contaminate your facility by spreading dirt and bacteria from one part of your facility to another. Cross contamination can also present a substantial risk for an outbreak of an infection or virus such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or norovirus.

To limit the chance of cross contamination, regularly train employees and emphasize the risks involved with not changing cleaning tools or solutions in each area.

4. “The kitchen is disgusting.”
Maintaining a clean kitchen is imperative to a positive online reputation and can instantly leave a bad taste in the minds of customers if anything is less than clean. For example, a Yelp user in Seattle had this to say about a “disgusting” kitchen she was able to see from the dining area. “This is never ok, even when a place is really busy.”

For a higher level of clean in your kitchen, consider implementing a chemical dispensing unit to ensure that cleaning chemicals are always available and to eliminate manual dilution. Time spent diluting chemicals or searching for cleaning products can be reinvested to keep surfaces clean and sanitized.