Two new surveys from P&G Professional examine ways businesses will need to reassure customers and guests as they emerge from COVID-19 shutdowns.
In May, P&G Professional, the away-from-home division of Procter & Gamble, surveyed 850 frequent business and leisure travelers and 974 diners about how COVID-19 has impacted their expectations about future travel and dining experiences. The surveys revealed that more than 70 percent of hotel guests and 80 percent of diners believe COVID-19 will have a medium to large impact on their expectations, even as nearly 50 percent of each group plans to return to their routines within the next three months.
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Seventy percent of travelers and 58 percent of diners, respectively, said they would patronize a hospitality or foodservice establishment if they knew the business was using a manufacturer or brand of cleaning products they personally knew and trusted. In addition, 55 percent of travelers would be willing to pay more for a hotel room and one in three diners would be willing to pay more for a meal if they knew the business was using a personally recognizable and trusted brand of cleaning products.
By the Numbers
- Fifty-seven percent of travelers expect more transparency around what hotels are doing to keep guests safe and rooms clean, both in-person and on the company website
- Sixty-seven percent expect to see more thorough and frequent cleaning and 61 percent expect to see more visible methods of cleaning, like pamphlets and signage
- Cleanliness and housekeeping procedures were ranked as most the important attributes for hotel guests, surpassing both the price of the room and location of the hotel
- More than 70 percent of diners expect more thorough and frequent cleaning, saying bathrooms, buffets, tables, chairs and counters are the most important areas to clean
- Diners support changes to staff procedures to ensure safety, testing sick employees before they return to work, and having employees wear masks and gloves
- Cleanliness ranked as the second most important attribute for a diner’s experience behind only the quality and taste of food, however, 74 percent want to know how restaurants are cleaned and sanitized and what is being done to ensure food safety