CINCINNATI---A new Harris Poll conducted by Cintas Corporation found that consumers take online reviews seriously—particularly when it comes to reviews about the cleanliness of a business. The survey, conducted online for Cintas by Harris Poll from April 9-13, 2015 among 2,023 adults ages 18 and older, revealed that 85 percent of respondents would not patronize businesses with negative online reviews about the cleanliness of its facilities. Restaurants (75 percent) and hotels (70 percent) ranked at the top of the list of businesses where cleanliness most greatly impacted buying habits.
“With the increased use of consumer review sites, consumers form a perception of a business long before they set foot in the door,” said Dave Mesko, Senior Director of Marketing, Cintas Corporation. “This study shows that if your business is dirty and someone mentions that in an online review, it will have a negative impact on your bottom line.”
The top five businesses affected by negative online reviews include:
Restaurant: 75 percent
Hotel: 70 percent
Doctor’s office: 68 percent
Hospital: 67 percent
Hair/Nail Salon: 56 percent
Respondents also listed grocery stores, convenience stores, retail stores, entertainment parks and gas stations as businesses that they would not patronize after reading negative online reviews regarding the cleanliness of their facilities.
The study also found that gender impacts buying habits after reading a review online about the cleanliness of a business. Women are less likely to do business with most types of facilities receiving dirty reviews. Eighty-one percent of female respondents would not visit a restaurant with reported cleanliness issues while only 70 percent of men said the same. Doctor’s office visits by women would also be affected as 73 percent of women surveyed would not patronize an office that had negative online reviews about its cleanliness, compared to 62 percent of men. Respondents with children in the household are also less likely to patronize any business with negative reviews about its cleanliness.
“This study reaffirms that patrons put a premium on the cleanliness of a business,” Mesko added. “To stay competitive, organizations should put cleaning strategies in place to maintain their facilities at peak cleanliness levels no matter the time of day. This will help improve the opportunity for a positive guest experience---and online review.”