Can you do business again with a company that won’t let you use its bathroom? I recently visited the Border’s Bookstore and a Peet’s Coffee shop in Marina Del Rey, California, and neither would let me use the bathroom. I was appalled.

Bathrooms tell you a lot about a business. A clean bathroom says that the coworkers take pride in their workplace. A well-appointed bathroom tells you that the managers and owners care about their workers. An unavailable bathroom tells you that the business has no respect for you as a human being.

People on the go need to, um, go. Many folks believe the secret to McDonald’s early success was the roadside restaurant’s hygienic alternative to filthy gas station bathrooms.

A friend tried to excuse Border’s and Peet’s behavior, noting that he had recently used the public restroom at a very nice hospital, only to find it messy and vandalized. He said companies must get very frustrated when people repay their courtesy with graffiti and broken glass.

Yes it is frustrating, but meeting and exceeding the expectations of customers is far more important than the relatively minor expense of repairs and cleaning. When a nation punishes everyone for the missteps of a few, it’s considered a crime against humanity. When a company punishes everyone for the inconveniences caused by a few, I’d call it a foolish step toward failure.

Sociologists and municipalities know about broken window theory; if you allow broken windows in an impoverished area, the blight increases rapidly. But if you repair broken windows and paint over graffiti quickly, the neighborhood stabilizes and improves. Good leaders take responsibility for these kinds of details.

I believe the hospital bathroom was a mess because the administrators do not use that bathroom. Their standards are so high everywhere else in the hospital, it’s hard to imagine they would knowingly let visitors have a bad experience at the very front of their building! But they should be aware; it’s their responsibility.

At least the hospital made a public restroom available. Any retailer who feels I’m good enough to give him or her money but not good enough to use the bathroom will get a lot less of my money in the future. But they will get a piece of my mind.