Ladies Rooms Coast to Coast

Two events coincided this week, Internet Librarian and Bathroom Blogfest 2007. My travel to California for the librarian conference offered a unique opportunity to scope out ladies rooms in airports, restaurants, and public meeting spaces to share as part of the blogfest event.

What varied restroom facilities I observed! From my own library’s public potty with a view to the public restroom on Cannery Row forbidding scuba gear… to the live orchids and bromeliads in the Monterey Conference Center ladies rooms… to the adjusted facilities due to a higher percentage of women in attendance… to the practical signage signifying severe weather shelter… you can see all these and more in this set on flickr.

But what a hoot it was to meet mentor and fellow blogger Helene Blowers for the very first time in the Monterey Conference Center ladies room! We laughed and considered the “customer experience” we enjoyed quite appropriate.

Bathroom Blogfest gave me a chance to really stop and pay attention to the importance of presentation of public restroom facilities. It does make a difference in how a business is perceived when the ladies room is more than just presentable.

Please see all my fellow Bathroom Bloggers observation during this week for exciting thoughts on the public potty customer services experience:

• Kate Rutter-Adaptive Path
• Laurence Helene Borel-Blog Till You Drop
• Susan Abbott-Customer Experience Crossroads
• Maria Palma-Customers Are Always
• Becky Carroll-Customers Rock!
• Toby Bloomberg-Diva Marketing
• Stephanie Weaver-Experienceology
• Linda Tischler-Fast Company Now
• C.B. Whittemore-Flooring the Consumer
• Ed Pell-K+B DeltaVee
• Helene Blowers-Library Bytes
• Claudia Schiepers-Life and its little pleasures
• Katie Clark-Practical Katie
• Sandra Renshaw-Purple Wren
• Reshma Anand-Qualitative Research
• Marianna Hayes-Results Revolution
• Carolyn Townes-Spirit Women
• Sara Cantor-The Curious Shopper
• Anna Farmery-The Engaging Brand
• Dee McCrorey-The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
• Katia S. Adams-Transcultural

Potty Propaganda

potty propaganda

Originally uploaded by circulating

I am traveling this week on the west coast, but wanted to kick off Bathroom Blogfest 2007 with a marketing piece from a trip to the east coast, Washington, D.C.

I must admit, it was my first pretense at potty photography. During a visit to the National Zoo, I visited their Ladies Room facility. Once tucked safely inside the stall I was truly shocked to find the Legend of Why the hippo spreads his poop…!!

Pretty neat marketing I think. A consumer in a private, confined space, is offered information, in a serious yet humorous way, about the company’s product.

I wonder what kinds of fun facts and fiction libraries could share behind their restroom doors?

The Public Library Potty Experience

Bathroom Blogfest logo, originally uploaded by circulating.

Just what does National Kitchen and Bath Month have to do with libraries…?? It is the perfect opportunity to showcase our exceptional library customer service via our public restroom facilities…!!

Come on now… you KNOW that “Do you have a bathroom?” is one of the most frequently asked questions we librarians are privileged to answer.

That alone should remind us to provide excellent service for our “users” (lol… pun intended). But do we consider our bathrooms when promoting library service? Do any of our patrons say “I can hold it until we get to the library!” just because they love the ladies room?

As part of Bathroom Blogfest, Helene, Katie, and I, at the least, are planning to join in as “bloggers from around the globe write about the importance of bathrooms in the customer experience with photographs of great and terrible bathrooms.” The blogfest runs from October 28 to November 2 this year.

Wanna help us out? Just tag your photos on flickr.com with library and ladiesrooms to share your stories of the public library potty experience!