Yes, it is that time of year when the Bathroom Blogfest comes around and our thoughts turn to those forgotten spaces where the customer experience, and customer perceptions, are still impacted. Yes, even the bathroom at your establishment (restaurant, retail store, hotel) reflects on your brand. As you know, here at Customers Rock! there is a strong focus on looking at your business from the customer’s perspective. Sometimes, that perspective takes place in the restroom, and this blogfest focuses on exactly that.

The Bathroom Blogfest 2009 has been taking place all week this week, with a variety of bloggers providing insight. While this is the fourth year of the Blogfest, I have participated in it since 2007 (see the end of my post for links to my previous posts as well as links to other Bathroom Blogfest bloggers). My previous posts have featured interesting bathrooms from Disney (both Disneyland and Disneyworld) as well as from the airport in Maui, HI, and Las Vegas.  This year’s Bathroom Blogfest post looks at bathroom theming in the guest rooms at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California. (Note: I took these pictures last year when I was at the Disneyland Resort for the NACCM Customers 1st Conference, where I am giving a keynote speech this year at the event in Phoenix, AZ. My speech will be about using social media for customer loyalty.)

Special thanks go to CB Whittemore for pulling together the Bathroom Blogfest this year and for our first ever Bathroom Blogfest sponsor Kaboom! (Disclosure: Kaboom! sent me a Bathroom Cleaning Kit to trial.)

Find the Hidden Mickeys

A popular game for Disney enthusiasts is to find the “Hidden Mickeys” throughout the theme parks (images of Mickey Mouse’s ears). This bathroom had Mickeys everywhere, including his hands. Take a closer look at these lights around the bathroom vanity. Mickey Mouse’s hands are holding the lamps – thanks, Mickey!

Check out that wallpaper; nice pattern, huh? Now take a closer look. The pattern actually incorporates Mickey’s entire image – welcoming us into the water closet.

The vanity itself is decorated with the Mickey ears as well as Sneezy, one of the Seven Dwarves, above the tissue container. Clever!

My favorite part, however, are the toiletries. Mickey ears adorn the top of the shampoo, conditioner, and hand lotion containers. These little beauties definitely came home with me!

These are just a few examples of the way branding can be carried through in even the smallest details of the guest experience, all the way down to the toiletries in the bathrooms. As a Disney fan, I was completely delighted with the entire hotel experience, but having these surprises in the bathroom told me a few things. One, Disney is very focused on making sure their brand continues to stand behind Mickey Mouse and his unique ears – and they should be. Second, Disney likes to pay attention to details, so I can feel confident that I will be taken care of throughout my entire Disney vacation experience. Third, these little touches are very clever, and they had me looking forward to my visit in the theme park so I could be surprised even more!

What Does Your Bathroom Say?

Whether you are a retail establishment, a restaurant, a service (such as a doctor’s office) or a corporate business, every aspect of your customer experience speaks volumes about your brand, your organization’s culture, and the way you conduct your business. While you certainly don’t need to “decorate” your bathroom with as many details as they did at the Disneyland Hotel, you do need to ensure at least the basics are met:

• Bathroom is neat and clean
• Bathroom has all the necessary supplies refilled on a regular basis
• Bathroom has the appropriate services to help meet your patron’s needs (purse hook for ladies, for example)

Ideally, your bathroom can also go a bit further and be a clear reflection of your brand or business. Carry through the color or decorative theming from the rest of your facility. Add a small something to “surprise and delight” your customer – could be a sign, a nicely framed photo or picture, or a fun color theme. (A note on fun – Macaroni Grill, a casual-dining Italian restaurant, has “learn to speak Italian” lessons playing over the bathroom speakers instead of music!)  Whatever you decide to do, don’t let your bathroom be an after-thought, or your customers may decide they don’t want to think about you anymore, either.

Bathroom Blogfest Resources

Here is a list of the other Bathroom Blogfest bloggers; go and check out their varied perspectives on bathrooms. You can also find them via tag #ladiesrooms09 on Twitter. Below the list are my links to Customers Rock! Bathroom Blogfest posts from previous years.

• Susan Abbott at Customer Experience Crossroadshttp://www.customercrossroads.com
• Reshma Anand at Qualitative Research Blog http://onqualitativeresearch.blogspot.com/ 
• Shannon Bilby at From the Floors Up http://fromthefloorsup.com/ 
• Shannon Bilby and Brad Millner at My Big Bob’s Blog http://blog.mybigbobs.com/ 
• Laurence Borel at Blog Till You Drop http://www.laurenceborel.com/
• Jeanne Byington at The Importance of Earnest Service http://blog.jmbyington.com/
• Becky Carroll at Customers Rock! http://www.customersrock.net
• Leslie Clagett at KB Culture www.kbculture.blogspot.com
• Katie Clark at Practical Katie http://practicalkatie.blogspot.com/
• Iris Shreve Garrott at Checking In and Checking Out http://circulating.wordpress.com/
• Julie at Julie’s Cleaning Secrets Blog http://cleaningsecrets.greatcleaners.com/
• Marianna Hayes at Results Revolution http://www.resultsrevolution.com 
• Maria Palma at People To People Service http://www.people2peopleservice.com/ 
• Professor Toilet at Professor Toilet’s Blog http://www.professortoilet.com/ 
• David Reich at My 2 Cents http://reichcomm.typepad.com/ 
• Bethany Richmond at The Carpet and Rug Institute Blog http://www.carpet-and-rug-institute-blog.com 
• Carolyn Townes at Becoming a Woman of Purpose http://spiritwomen.blogspot.com 
• Stephanie Weaver at Experienceology http://experienceology.blogspot.com
• C.B. Whittemore at Flooring The Consumer http://flooringtheconsumer.blogspot.com and Simple Marketing Blog http://www.SimpleMarketingBlog.com
• Linda Wright at Lindaloo.com: Build Better Business with Better Bathrooms http://lindaloo.com/

Customers Rock! Bathroom Blogfest Posts

The Disney Experience

Luxury Disney

Door Signs

Hawaiian and Venetian (Sort of)

Popularity: 6% [?]

As mentioned earlier this week, I am once again participating in the annual Bathroom Blogfest - Cleaning Up Forgotten Spaces Around Us. What, you might wonder, is that all about?  As you know, here at Customers Rock! there is a strong focus on looking at your business from the customer’s perspective. Sometimes, that perspective takes place in the restroom, and this blogfest focuses on exactly that.

The customer experience travels everywhere with your customers, even into those forgotten spaces!  Some of my fellow Bathroom Blogfesters have included other forgotten spaces in this year’s festival photos; I have chosen to stick with the main event, the restroom.

Hawaiian:

Last year, I spent time blogging about restroom signs.  Some can be very confusing, and some can be amusing.  These signs on the restrooms at the Kahului Airport on Maui make it very clear which room is for which people. I love it.

Customers Rock! tip: Having clear signs at your business makes for a simplified customer experience. Don’t try to be too “cute”, especially when it comes to signs on restroom doors! Customers don’t want to be embarassed if they can’t figure them out.

Venetian Restroom

I was recently in the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas during my time at BlogWorld; it is very upscale. I was impressed by my surroundings, and the ambiance carried over to the public ladies room as well (this one was by the Blue Man Group’s theater). Having my Flip Mino video camera in my purse (you never know when you might need it!), I took this tasteful video in the restroom to show off the beautiful fixtures. (Note: Don’t blink when you watch the video. I did it rather quickly so as not to be taping when another customer came in. It might have been difficult to explain!)

Customers Rock! tip: Try and keep your “forgotten spaces” consistent with the rest of your customer experience. Every interaction with your brand counts, even the bathroom!

Bathroom Blogfest ‘08

If you would like to see more perspectives on the bathroom experience and other forgotten spaces, be sure to check out the posts from this past week at these other Blogfest participants below! You can see all my posts from last year’s Bathroom Blogfest regarding: Disney Bathrooms as well as Door Signs.

Susan Abbott at Customer Experience Crossroads
Katia Adams at Transcultural Marketing
Shannon Bilby at Floor Talk!
Laurence Borel at Blog Till You Drop
Jo Brown and the blogging team at Kohler Talk
Lisbeth Calandrino at Lisbeth Calandrino
Sara Cantor at The Curious Shopper
Becky Carroll at Customers Rock!
Katie Clark at Practical Katie
Iris Shreve Garrott at Circulating
Ann Handley at Annarchy
Marianna Hayes at Results Revolution
Elizabeth Hise and C.B. Whittemore at The Carpetology Blog
Maria Palma at Customers Are Always
Sandra Renshaw at Purple Wren
Kate Rutter at Adaptive Path
Claudia Schiepers at Life and its little pleasures
Carolyn Townes at Becoming a Woman of Purpose
Stephanie Weaver at Experienceology
C.B. Whittemore at Flooring The Consumer

Popularity: 37% [?]

Just a short post to let you know about a few great things that are going on around here at Customers Rock!  More posts on customer experience, social media, and a few videos coming soon.

First things first: I have been a busy lately with my new job. I just accepted and started in my role as Director of Social Media at Brickfish.  Brickfish is a social media advertising network, and they focus on helping brands reach their customers via the social web and viral marketing.  This is a great position for me as it marries my two key areas of interest: social media and customer loyalty (you couldn’t have guessed that, could you?). I will definitely report back more on this company and role as I get my feet firmly planted there!  I will still be writing my Customers Rock! blog and will also continue my gig at UCSD Extension teaching the Marketing via New Media class.  Consulting projects are being put on the back burner at the moment, but do let me know if I can help you via my great network!

In other news…

• I just returned from the MarketingProfs Digital Marketing Mixer, and I had a great time speaking, learning a lot, and connecting with bloggers I had met online but not yet in person.  Write-ups, video, and photos to come soon!

• Bathroom Blogfest ‘08 is happening now!  I participated in this last year with my blog posts on the customer experience and the restroom, highlighting bathrooms at Disney theme parks. I will post my bathroom customer experiences later this week, towards the end of the blogfest, but I wanted to highlight the other bloggers who are taking part in this annual event.  Here they are:

Susan Abbott at Customer Experience Crossroads
Katia Adams at Transcultural Marketing
Shannon Bilby at Floor Talk!
Laurence Borel at Blog Till You Drop
Jo Brown and the blogging team at Kohler Talk
Lisbeth Calandrino at Lisbeth Calandrino
Sara Cantor at The Curious Shopper
Becky Carroll at Customers Rock!
Katie Clark at Practical Katie
Iris Shreve Garrott at Circulating
Ann Handley at Annarchy
Marianna Hayes at Results Revolution
Elizabeth Hise and C.B. Whittemore at The Carpetology Blog
Maria Palma at Customers Are Always
Sandra Renshaw at Purple Wren
Kate Rutter at Adaptive Path
Claudia Schiepers at Life and its little pleasures
Carolyn Townes at Becoming a Woman of Purpose
Stephanie Weaver at Experienceology
C.B. Whittemore at Flooring The Consumer

• Last year, I participated in a great project to write a book with over 100 other bloggers, the Age of Conversation.  This year, we are doing it again with the Age of Conversation 2: Why Don’t They Get It? It launches shortly (tomorrow); stay tuned for details!

(Photo credit: Tinka)

Popularity: 47% [?]

An important part of crafting a great customer experience is attention to detail.  Today I am sharing some very creative signs which indicate the location of the bathroom door.  They all align with the theming of the establishment or area in which they are found.  Which one do you like best?

Disney doors:

Disney’s California Adventure: This is the door sign that went with my earlier post on the Route 66 bathroom.  It is shaped like a USA highway sign.

Disneyland at Space Mountain: This sign is found on the women’s room door which is at the exit to the Space Mountain rollercoaster.  As the coaster has outer-space themes, so does the door.  Good for large and small aliens to use.

DisneyWorld at EPCOT World Showcase: In case you haven’t been to this Disney theme park, EPCOT in Orlando, Florida has two main areas.  The first is FutureWorld, and the second is the World Showcase.  Several countries are represented there.  These two signs come from the Norwegian pavilion and the USA pavilion, respectively.

Non-Disney:

Samba Room, Orlando, Florida

This restaurant serves Cuban cuisine in an Asian-fusion style.  I couldn’t resist taking pictures of the doors to their men’s and women’s rooms (respectively).  Clever!

The Bathroom Experience

Have you considered how even the smallest of details can speak volumes about your establishment?   I hope this blogfest has given you some ideas to consider.  Who knows; maybe I will feature your bathroom in next year’s blogfest!  Feel free to send me pictures throughout the year, and I will credit you and your establishment.

Visit the Bathroom Blogfest group blog, as well as the other Blogfest bloggers:

• Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path
• Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop
• Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in
• Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads
• Maria Palma—Customers Are Always
• Becky Carroll—Customers Rock!
• Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing
• Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now
• C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer
• Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee
• Helene Blowers—Library Bytes
• Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures
• Katie Clark—Practical Katie
• Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren
• Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research
• Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution
• Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women
• Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper
• Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand
• Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
• Katia S. Adams—Transcultural
• Katie Konrath – Get Fresh Minds

Popularity: 15% [?]

 Why are we looking at bathrooms this week?  The customer experience truly spans all customer touchpoints, including the bathroom!  If the experience is great throughout an establishment but the washroom is dirty, lacks supplies, or is unappealing, a customer’s impression of your brand will be affected.  Disney has a very strong brand, and its bathrooms are generally kept very clean and tidy.  Today I will show you a few pictures of exceptional bathrooms – luxury Disney.

Disney’s California Adventure Park, Ariel’s Grotto

Ariel’s Grotto is a restaurant which serves what Disney calls “character meals”.  In other words, this is the place to come if you want to meet the Disney characters while you eat.  This particular restaurant is focused on those popular Disney princesses, and you can get your photo taken with Ariel (from the Little Mermaid).  Right across from her beautifully-themed mermaid photo spot is this ladies room.  Of course, it has the “children’s sink” which is lower than the other sinks, but its most striking aspect is the lighting.  In order to achieve that “under the sea” effect, there is a blue glow which is emitted from the mirrors.  The bathroom in general is dimly-lit in the sink area so the blue glow can be seen.  In addition, the bathroom is in shades of teals, green, and blue, and the mirrors are luxurious with gold and granite all around, fit for any little (or big) princess to use!

Disney World: EPCOT, House of Technology

Inside the Innoventions area of EPCOT at Disney World, you can take a tour of the House of Technology.  This “house” shows off many futuristic ideas about how we can use technology in every day life – such as the room-darkening glass controlled by a touchscreen or the wall speakers (which are the wall!).  One of the most interesting parts of the house was the bathroom.  While Disney guests can’t use this bathroom, it is so visually-appealing that I had to share it!

It includes a shower with multiple shower heads that can turn on and off as desired, creating a pulsing effect.  It also includes this toilet and sink area.  The toilet is tankless, and water is pumped directly to the bowl.  The sink is simple in its elegance, with the blue glass basin adding a nice touch of color.  The overall effect is one of a very neat and tidy area which could be replicated for hotels or eating establishments.  Well done, Disney!  (And Kohler, as they are the ones who make these fixtures.)

Tomorrow, I will share fun bathroom signs!

Visit the Bathroom Blogfest group blog, as well as the other Blogfest bloggers:

• Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path
• Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop
• Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in
• Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads
• Maria Palma—Customers Are Always
• Becky Carroll—Customers Rock!
• Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing
• Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now
• C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer
• Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee
• Helene Blowers—Library Bytes
• Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures
• Katie Clark—Practical Katie
• Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren
• Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research
• Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution
• Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women
• Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper
• Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand
• Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
• Katia S. Adams—Transcultural
• Katie Konrath – Get Fresh Minds

Popularity: 16% [?]

 The customer experience spans across all places a customer touches an organization: sales, marketing, customer service, and yes, even the bathroom!  The Bathroom Blogfest takes place this week, and I am honored to be part of the contributing author list.  As I am such a Disney fan, I decided my theme for bathroom posts this week would be Disney bathrooms.  Some are themed in amazing ways, some have really fun door signs, and some are yet to come!

I will begin the week with a fun, themed bathroom from Disney’s California Adventure park.  Disney takes the experience of being in California all the way into the stalls (and I don’t mean traffic stalls!).  This part of the park is themed around the famous Route 66 road in the USA.  To set the stage (because Disney has a strong focus on their show): Just outside this particular restroom is a McDonald’s, disguised as a giant hamburger.  It is similar to some of the giant icons seen on the roadside of Route 66. 

Inside, the theme is carried through all the way down the hall.  The yellow lane markers guide you to the stalls, and in solid Disney fashion, you can see the lowered “kiddie” sink on the left hand side.  This is great for the mom with the child who says, “I want to do it myself!”  Plus, with a lower sink, the child doesn’t get their shirt all wet when mom has to lift them up to the faucet over the inevitably-wet counters.  As you can also see, this bathroom is spotless.

On your way out, you see a fabulous Route 66 mural on the wall tiles!  Get your kicks…

More from me in my next installment later this week.  Visit the Bathroom Blogfest group blog, as well as the other Blogfest bloggers:

• Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path
• Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop
• Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in
• Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads
• Maria Palma—Customers Are Always
• Becky Carroll—Customers Rock!
• Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing
• Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now
• C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer
• Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee
• Helene Blowers—Library Bytes
• Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures
• Katie Clark—Practical Katie
• Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren
• Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research
• Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution
• Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women
• Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper
• Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand
• Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
• Katia S. Adams—Transcultural

Popularity: 13% [?]

 Last year about this time, I was preparing for my keynote speech for the British Columbia Association of Integrated Marketers.  In talking about the customer experience, I wanted to mention all potential customer touchpoints that could impact how customers feel about an organization.  I found Stephanie Weaver’s blog, experienceology, and asked her for permission to use some of the bathroom photos she had.

This year, I am participating in the blogfest!  Bathroom Blogfest 2007 runs from Sunday, October 28 through Friday, November 2.  The blogfest features 22 bloggers from around the globe, writing about the importance of bathrooms in the customer experience, including photos of both the best and the worst bathrooms.  To get an idea, here is the link to the wrap-up from last year’s blogfest.  Be sure to check out the group blog listed above to see all the posts, as well as some amusing videos.

I will be posting on something a little unique – Disney bathrooms.  I have been doing my research, and I will be including bathrooms from Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure, and hopefully, some bathrooms from Disney World (where I will be at the beginning of the blogfest).

If you would like to contribute, please send me your photos and explanation to becky at petraconsultinggroup.com, and I will link to you and include them in the festival.

Here are the links to this year’s participating bloggers:

• Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path
• Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop
• Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in
• Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads
• Maria Palma—Customers Are Always
• Becky Carroll—Customers Rock!
• Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing
• Stephanie Weaver—Experienceology
• Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now
• C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer
• Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee
• Helene Blowers—Library Bytes
• Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures
• Katie Clark—Practical Katie
• Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren
• Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research
• Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution
• Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women
• Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper
• Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand
• Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
• Katia S. Adams—Transcultural

Popularity: 10% [?]