Customers will boycott businesses with poor hygiene

British survey reveals new expectations

Almost two-thirds of British people will boycott restaurants, bars, pubs or hotels with a poor reputation for hygiene and infection control. That’s according to research conducted by infection control specialist JLA, which also revealed that 87.6% of people deem it important that a business does have a good reputation for infection control and hygiene. More than one in three would never use offending businesses again, and they would also tell as many people as possible – via word of mouth and social media.

A further 33.6% of the public admitted they are less likely to use a business with a poor reputation for infection control, with only 6.3% of the population stating hygiene and infection control ratings are still not an issue for them.

77% of the public has greater concerns about public hygiene than a year previously, attributing this change directly to COVID-19. Four out of five customers also report that tangible proof of businesses prioritising hygiene and customer safety, such as an industry accreditation mark, would be reassuring.