Business that’s what!
We recently traveled to Voi by road as a corporate group
for a teambuilding/ workshop/retreat session. The distance to the actual venue
we stayed at, would be in total about 400km. The road trip was great! It served
as a bonding session, and there was lots of excitement to see the changes along
Mombasa Road that is bringing the metropolis that is Nairobi and Mombasa
together, vide infrastructural and business development initiatives along the highway.
The progress in the construction of the standard gauge railway also provided
fodder for many a conversation in the bus.
What struck me the most though, was the heated debate there
was about where to stop for lunch. Although there were many proposals, two main
groups emerged with one group proposing we stop at Makindu and the other Mtito
Andei . The debate went on and on with points exchanged about the cost of food,
the quality of food, the variety of food, the safety of the food( complete with
stories narrated of food poisoning incidents etc) and the quantity of food
served with a view to getting value for the money spent. The food allowance per
person was on a limited budget so the need to get good food at a good price was
top priority. There was consensus that we stop at a popular roadside joint just
after Makindu but before Mtitu Andei. A mid way point.
And then a lady colleague spoke up from the back of the bus and
asked the million dollar question – “Are
the toilets clean?” She wanted to know if the lunch venue that the team had
settled on had decent, clean toilets
that we would all be comfortable to use. And then there was dead silence…………………
The next
conversations that were had were almost of the prosecutorial variety trying to
reign in a suspect. The ladies in the bus especially wanted to know and
understand – if the toilets had running water, if they were anywhere near the food sitting area, if
they were eastern or western style toilets, if there was a hand wash area, if
they were sufficient in number or if people had to queue up, if there was
separation of facilities for gents and ladies and lastly if there was lighting
in the toilet facilities.
The short of this long story is to let you know, that all 44
people aboard the bus, despite all the conversations, points, motions and
counter arguments earlier held, were in consensus that we MUST go to a place
with decent toilets. And that is how we ended up having lunch at a place in
Makindu known as Quality Café. The food wasn’t anything to write home about, the
service was passable and the cost manageable. But that the toilets were alright
and that the team was able to take a decent bathroom break was what carried the
day.
It has been said before and rightly so, that the condition
of the toilet in any public facility whether a shopping mall, restaurant, bank,
church, or any other service provider, determines the customer –centricity of
the institution. An institution cares about its customers to the extent that it
provides decent washroom facilities and puts in place a system to maintain
cleanliness.
So the question goes out to decision makers out here,
whether toilet facilities are part of the considerations discussed when looking
at customer comfort as a business development source. Toilets are a significant
customer touch point and need to make their way into boardroom discussions.
So I ask again,
What’s in a Toilet? Business – that’s What!
