As a local copywriter in the Richardson area, I have the opportunity to do some blogging for local businesses. Every once and a while, you’ll see me author some posts for my dad’s blog, Ask the Plumber. Today, I have a couple of questions I’d like to ask both restaurant patrons and area restaurant management.

For the Restaurant Patrons:
Do you ever get concerned when you take your family or friends out to eat, and a slight putrid odor wafts through from the kitchen or bathroom? Does it make you wonder if you’ll be ill later? Do you find a clogged toilet or a leaky, puddled sink to be a nuisance that’s hard to keep your young children from when you take them to the bathrooms? Does poor plumbing maintenance make you wonder if the restaurant respects your patronage?

I can’t be alone when I share my concerns with management. I leave my dad’s business cards with them frequently. I love to dine out, and many will notice the reviews I post on Yelp.com about the places I enjoy. I tend not to post about the places I won’t return. I know that not returning is a far better way to get the point across, and I’m just not cranky. I hear so many of the waitstaff talk about the slow down in business these days, and wonder if they understand that something so small can make a huge impact on repeat business. If you agree, I encourage you to respond to this post. Maybe we can make a difference.

For Restaurant Management:
Do you frequent the bathrooms to see if they are in need of repair? Do you believe that no one notices poorly maintained plumbing? Do you realize that the bathroom is typically the  last place your patrons visit before they leave your restaurant, and that visit may change the way they felt about everything you tried so hard to do for them?

Seriously.

If you are managing a local restaurant and pride yourself on clean practices and good plumbing maintenance, leave a response to this post with your strategy and a link back to your website for our readers. If you have never thought about this before, it may be time to give Gary’s Quality Plumbing a call and see what a difference decent bathroom and kitchen plumbing protocol can make for your patrons  – and the way they speak about their experience after they’ve left your restaurant.  Please leave your comments below, including any questions, links, and success stories.