"Stand Up for Those Who Can't Sit Down" was the theme of today's celebration in New York for World Water Day. "You may not think standing in line for half an hour is the most glamorous way to spend your lunch break, but imagine the 2.6 Billion people who don't even have the luxury of a toilet to line up for."

Keep your loo warm, well-stocked, and in good repair is the message of this column. Women will notice. A cold seat and cold faucet water make for an uncomfortable experience, not to mention budget soaps and missing hooks.

Some of the best comments:

Don’t you just swoon when you see a can of Febreze or lavender luxuries from Bath & Body Works? That’s called restroom pampering, and it’s rare . . . ”

• My neighbor, Paula, raised five daughters, and that’s a lot of mouths to feed. When we chatted in the back yard recently, she shared that she shopped exclusively at the Alpha Beta grocery store when her girls were young — for one reason alone: they had the best bathroom. Price was not a factor. Whether the groceries were priced higher or lower than the competition, she didn’t know or care. What she did know was that at least one of her kids would need to use the bathroom during the shopping trip . . . and she wanted them to have a clean place to go. Multiply Paula’s story times many other shoppers and the impact of restrooms on shopping behavior adds up.

Take a looky-loo at these urinals! In a city where everything is over the top, the restrooms are no exception. A highlight of our recent Las Vegas trip was the men’s room at the Las Vegas Hilton. When marketing guru Bill McCurry tipped us off to the attraction, we had to go see for ourselves. After the tour, three of us purchased dinner at the Hilton. We have since shared the experience with many others. This facility is a great example of a destination restroom. It is creating buzz, driving traffic into the Hilton and contributing to sales.

Earlier this month, my husband and I attended the 2008 Photo Marketing Association Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas. Of particular interest was keynote speaker, Joseph Pine. Co-author of the book, “Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want", Pine delivered some relevant pieces of information. Specifically, that in today’s marketplace . . . price, quality, and delivery times have become very standardized. The new differentiator is the shopping “experience”.

In my mind, this experience includes every place that a customer sets foot (or hits bottom!). Yet many washrooms fall by the wayside. Businesses spend thousands of dollars crafting and polishing an appealing showroom or retail area—only to tarnish it with a neglected bathroom. It spoils the effect. Any area that customers visit should be treated with the same attention to detail and care.

The general feeling of most retail restroom facilities (in my experience) is that they are being offered out of obligation. They rarely feel welcoming and are frequently in disrepair. Restrooms matter. They are part of the entire shopping experience and powerful enough to make a significant impression—for better or for worse. It doesn’t take an expensive remodel to transform a lackluster restroom into something special.

As a testimonial to my restroom, nearly every woman who uses it comes out and compliments it—or thanks us. The positive effect has even spanned other demographics: one elderly man hugged me for it, and children have written thank you notes.

Small improvements can make a big difference. Skip to the Loo! was written as a guide book to help others in this respect. Covering all aspects of the restroom experience, it is packed with so many ideas that any reader is sure to discover the right fixes for their situation.

Many women are reluctant to touch restroom door handles when they exit. They fear subjecting freshly washed hands to germs deposited by those who bypassed the sink. According to an August 2007 study by the Soap and Detergent Association and the American Society for Microbiology, 12% of females (and 34 % of males) don't lather up. Rather than avoid public restrooms altogether, many germophobes use the following preventative measure: they grasp the door handle with a paper towel—even a fresh wad of toilet paper—then toss it on the floor. It's not a pretty sight for the next guest.

From former book store owner, Joe Schmidt, of Orlando, FL: “Congratulations on writing a book on a subject that has long been overlooked. I look forward to seeing Skip to the Loo! on the New York Times Best Seller list which I read every week.”

Now an octogenarian, Joe muses over the history of the business restroom, especially where there was a lack of plumbing. “Even today, if you travel on the back roads of states such as West Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, and stop for gas or go in the general store, you will find that the restroom is not indoors, but rather down a path at the back of the store.” Nevertheless, Joe feels there is still room to provide amenities such as a hook for a purse, a mirror — or even a fancy toilet seat. Marketing to women with special touches can occur even in the humblest facility.

Joe has honored my book with a piece of original art. Take a look at the attachment to see his special representation of what Linda’s Loo may have looked like in days of yore. Thank you, Joe!

Happy Valentine's Day

Mama C’s blog post offers insight for restroom hosts regarding the restroom experience for women with young children. Visual interest on the walls that provides entertainment and distraction for little ones makes the job of changing diapers in a public facility an easier task. Mama C also points out that the extremely loud noise of electric hand dryers is startling to adults—but upsetting to babies.

This today from the Corporate Curmudgeon, Dale Dauten at HartfordBusiness.com:

"And I want to go further today and offer up this IBP (Important Business Principle): The men’s room doesn’t lie.

I know that sounds like the title for a Sen. Larry Craig biography, but in this case it’s a principle of customer service. I believe you can tell a lot about an organization from its restrooms.

Nobody makes a profit on the restroom, although an amazing restroom can be a marketing tool (see the photos at www.urinal.net). In fact, it is precisely because the restroom is not a profit center that it serves as a measure of how much a company cares about its employees and/or customers.