I'm pretty sure it was my mother who told me, when I was young, that you should always close the toilet lid after use. Like so many things mothers say, it took me some time to figure out what she meant, and, indeed, that she was right. Of course, it feels more hygienic to keep the lid closed on the millions of bacteria (3.2 million per square inch, apparently) that lurk in the cleanest toilet bowl. Years later, I learned something else: it is a taboo of feng shui to leave the lid up - otherwise you risk your wealth going down the toilet! 

I'm in no way a feng shui expert, however this does seem to me an apt metaphor for the way many organisations devalue their brand, alienate their Customers and cost themselves money - literally hundreds of times a day.

In my recent blog post Consistency - the Brand Manager's Mantra I explained the importance of modelling your Customers' experience of your brand, and putting that model at the heart of everything you do. This is vital because your reputation with your Customer fluctuates, based on their latest interaction with your organisation, and this in turn influences how much they trust you, and logically how much and how enthusiastically they will buy from you. And of course, in our connected world, reputations are more vulnerable than ever.

If you'd like to read why Howard Schultz of Starbucks prizes consistency, or how Jan Carlzon of SAS restored trust in his organisation, just follow the links.

And so, back to the toilet: the toilet you provide for your Customers (or Visitors, or Guests). The toilet wherein they will have their most intimate, and personal, experience of your organisation. The toilet, where they will discover whether you really care about them; whether your Customer Promises and Brand Values are authentic, or only skin deep.

According to the British Toilet Association (yes, really!), provision of public conveniences has reduced by 50% in the past 10 years - that means that loos provided by businesses will be in greater demand than ever before. Of course, many shops, cafes and bars have responded by password-protecting their toilets, with all the attendant hassle: how often have you needed to go, only to find that you don't know the code? In my experience, too, there's little or no correlation between loos that are "protected from the general public" and the maintenance and condition of these facilities.

So the question for every organisation is: "How will your Customer feel about you, during or after using your loos?"

In my blog post Desperately Seeking Service I shared some of the highs and lows of my experience as a "Loo Guru". I also promised my "Top Ten Toilet Tips" - which, since they are a vital read in themselves I shall deliver via a separate post. If you want to receive them, just sign up to the blog here.

Meanwhile, the British Toilet Association has kindly created a free guide for any organisation that wants to create better loos. You can download it here.