Traveling this weekend for family fun allowed me to try many different restrooms and rest stops along my adventures. Two places, one a rest stop and the other a restaurant, had the super hand dryers that dry your hands in seconds. Other rest stops had only paper, some only slow-blow driers and some had both. In the ladies restroom, the slow-blower often leads to lots of toilet tissue around as many women don’t take the time to wait for the dryer and just grab tissue to dry often enhancing the mess.
When getting back into the car, I mentioned that every place should have the super dryers and my travel companion reminded me that “they cost money” and I thought how could the added cost of fast dryers be a cost saving? Of course my LEAN thinking kicked in and wondered if cleaning up after paper messes is less costly than the super dryer investment and I’ll let someone else do the study. I know that the super dryers and towels get you out faster and for me time outside a highway rest stop is far more fun. Let’s agree, paper towels, toilet tissue, fast dryers, slow dryers and the back of your trousers all get the the job done, but which ones cause the user to actually smile?
As a business owner, what items are worth the extra money. Here are a few that will pay for themselves over time:
- Comfortable Office Chairs
- Computer Security
- The Company’s Online Presence
- A Break Area
- Energy Efficient Appliances
You always want to be careful with your business’s balance sheet, but picking where you will splurge can in the long term save you money, increase productivity, ensure employee satisfaction and maybe keep a customer in the shop longer instead of drying their hands.
