Use of toilets

[Christiane]

Hi

Every now and again some customers ask to use our toilets. We are a retail shop and have no such public toilets.

In our case they have to go through the kitchen into the store room where the door of the toilet is, right at the back of the premises, down a step.

I'm always uncomfortable with allowing this, I would never dream of asking for the toilets in a shop similar to mine.

In some instances I have told them we have no public toilet and told them to go to a nearby cafe.

I wonder how other retail shops respond. Do you allow anyone to use your private toilets?

Thanks

 

[B&H Digital]

I don't own a retail company, nor have I had experience working in one - however as a staff member, if I saw public customers walking through my private area to use the toilet, I wouldn't feel comfortable at all.

It's probably me and my stubbornness - but I'd do what you have already done and tell them to go elsewhere, being friendly still of course though!

 

[Maxwell83]

Many moons ago I worked in a small store but it was part of a big chain. Our company policy across the chain was under no circumstances are members of the public allowed in the back area.

This made sense to me - its a huge security risk and you open yourself up massively.

We still allowed when it was (for example) a pregnant woman, or friend of a staff member and the manager was okay with it. But it was clearly against policy.

 

[Christiane]

Security is definitely an issue, yes, that's what's on my mind too, that and cleaning up!

I just wish people didn't have the cheek to ask in the first place!...

 

[Maxwell83]

lol - 'cleaning up' - eughhh!

There is a saying, you cant blame a man for asking - sometimes people ask expecting a 'no'. You may not offend anyone if you refuse as they may be expecting it anyway...

 

[B&H Digital]

Security is definitely an issue, yes, that's what's on my mind too, that and cleaning up!

I'd put that in the T&Cs, you have to clean up after yourself!! lol

 

[ITsoldUK]

Find out where the nearest public one is then when someone asks you can say...

"sorry, we do not have the public facilities however if you go....etc"

or

"we are due to re-open them again in 2 weeks once the HSE lift the quarantine restrictions"

 

[Christiane]

I feel as if I have to justify if I say no, but surely they shouldn't expect toilets to be available to the general public in small shops.

 

[ITsoldUK]

I feel as if I have to justify if I say no, but surely they shouldn't expect toilets to be available to the general public in small shops.

Nah, don't let them take the.....mickey

Be firm and polite and all will be good.

Don't stand for any ....

 

[Chunkford]

.... down a step.

It would be sods law that they trip down/up that step, hurt themselves and sue you after you've been kind enough to help them out.

 

[Doodle-Noodle]

We do let people use our loo - it's between our shop area and workshop, so no access to stock or anything. Never had any problems ........ until this week! We had an elderly couple in, wife was shopping for wool, husband was wandering around farting like it was going out of fashion and looking very uncomfortable. When he asked if we had a toilet we actually thought he'd already been.
Was in there ages and made a right mess ....... yuk!!!!

 

[raineshoe]

A few reasons not to allow use of your toilets if not public - security of stock and other things, also the customer could claim they slipped in the toilet and sue you, also does your public liability cover customers in the staff/storage areas? The only time when I worked in a shop we allowed anyone to use it was if it was a pregnant lady asking as sometimes in that instance needs must. However, they would be escorted to the toilet and someone would wait outside the door for them.

Apart from that we always refused.

 

[Rhyl Lightworks]

In the interests of customer service we always allow people that ask politely to use the toilet, but there are are no security issues. If you are worried about being sued, a notice on the door to the effect that 'members of the public use this facility at their own risk' should do the trick (as with a private car park). We have never had an issue with people making a mess, but if we did, we may be tempted to think again.

Barrie

 

[nickyh60]

I've got a baby/ children's shop so I'm constantly being asked if they can use the toilets and I will let them -rather that than clear it up from the shop floor!

 

[Christiane]

I'm not happy with customers seeing the stock room, with the lockers, the kitchen where my PC is, etc. I think I'll use more discretion from now and only allow regulars who we know well.
Must say no more often!
I think if I say ''sorry, we have no public toilets'' that would be a polite enough way of putting it.

 

[Ding Dang Doo]

With many Local Authorities (LA) closing public lavatories, as they are looking to make cost savings, you will probably find the requests for use of your facilities becoming more frequent.
Several LA's operate schemes with shop owners by having a sticker to place on their shop door if they allow customers to use their washrooms etc.
Many of the shop keepers have reported increased sales, as customers feel obliged to spend a bit of time browsing after the event!

Something to consider?

Pete

 

[kulture]

Interesting suggestion, but as others have said, make sure your insurance covers you.

 

[BustersDogs]

I usually blame insurance. I work at home and staff collect the van from here, and one staff member used to ask to use my loo nearly every single time she turned up to collect it. In the end I had to ask her to 'go' before she left home. It's bad enough I've 'lost' the privacy of my entire ground floor without losing the upstairs as well. I told her insurance didn't allow it so I'd prefer her to use a public toilet in the park if she couldn't go at home.

 

[lynxus]

With many Local Authorities (LA) closing public lavatories, as they are looking to make cost savings, you will probably find the requests for use of your facilities becoming more frequent.
Several LA's operate schemes with shop owners by having a sticker to place on their shop door if they allow customers to use their washrooms etc.
Many of the shop keepers have reported increased sales, as customers feel obliged to spend a bit of time browsing after the event!

Something to consider?

Pete

Yep, I know a lot of shops in Gloucester here do that exact thing.
The council have closed all public toilets and you now have to rely on finding a suitable shop / pub

 

[bdw]

In some instances I have told them we have no public toilet and told them to go to a nearby cafe.

Oh I see, does the cafe have a public toilet?

.

 

[emmylou74]

I just say my insurance doesn't allow it. I am not leaving myself open to problems, I would have to let them in through the counter and till area, leave them unattended with my bag, coat and some stock. So no I don't allow it. There are plenty of toilets close by anyways.

 

[kulture]

The problem is that if you "officially" let the public into your toilet you have to consider what to do with the trade waste! All joking aside, I am talking about those things that get chucked into bins in female toilets. In theory you need a contract with a specialist waste company to remove this biological hazard.

Further, in theory, I bet environmental health would have a few suggestions regarding the potential health hazard if you had to clean up after someone.

 

[fairdealworld]

We allow members of the public who ask to use our toilet. It is actually an outside toilet which has its advantages.

I think that many people are put off shopping in suburban shopping areas where there are pretty much never any public facilities because of this issue. If you want the custom you may have to accept the need to provide some facilities yourself. I'm very interested in the Council schemes mentioned and if one was started in my area I'd certainly sign up.

I don't want to have to clean up a mess any more than anyone else but surely everyone who has raised a family has had to clean up lots of messes in their time?

 

[Nathan Lynch]

I remember long ago when I was child. Had to really use the restroom. It was the mall and the public restrooms were not available or there wasn't any, so I saw the bright lights of the movie theatre. Man I had to really go and so I blew past the ticket taking person. What do you know he came running after me. Probably thought I was trying to sneak in but all I wanted to do was use the toilet. Well, he escorted me out and there wasn't a place to go so you can only imagine what happened next. Still to this day I don't care about going to movie theatre .

 

[captaincloser]

Just used this (so to speak) on another thread but it fits here too.

The Great British retailer ... a busted flush. The attitudes on here pong...


.

 

[mhall]

There is nothig wrong with the attitudes at all. We used to have a shop in Burton On Trent with a small toilet that we let customers use - until the council informed us that we had to make it for staff only or provide facilities for the disabled as we were discriminating. This was ten years ago but it's been a polite "No" ever since.

 

[captaincloser]

There is nothig wrong with the attitudes at all. We used to have a shop in Burton On Trent with a small toilet that we let customers use - until the council informed us that we had to make it for staff only or provide facilities for the disabled as we were discriminating. This was ten years ago but it's been a polite "No" ever since.

Apologies from CC.

Not my best post on UKBF but happy to own up to that.

 

[Chris95]

At the shop I work at, some customers ask and we tend to say no.
We usually let mothers with children use them. They are disabled-friendly toilets just behind the door, so I guess that's fine.
We do usually refer them to the cafe behind us.

 

[bdw]

All of these cafes must be delighted to get these toilet referals, eh? Do they know that you do this?

 

[groovyjon]

We regularly get asked and always say no. The toilets are up a flight of stairs, past 3 stock rooms and the staff room with bags left in, etc. It's not so much the cheek of people asking that bothers me, it's the cheek of the ones who will stand there and argue with you.

"Well where do your staff go to the toilet then? Just let me use that one then. I'm not going to trip or steal anything"