In July, St. Albert Honda was announced as one of five finalists in Cintas Canada’s Best Restroom Contest. The contest is hosted annually by Cintas and shines a spotlight on a restroom which goes above and beyond in providing a unique and clean environment for customers and guests. Over the years, the winners of the award have varied between gas stations to a hotel and spa. Past Albertan winners include the Esso Super Station in Whitecourt and the Shell Super Station in Valleyview, and we are thrilled to announce we’ll be joining them in Canada’s Best Restroom’s Hall of Fame.
As congratulations were given to the St. Albert Honda family, two members of our team, Ashley Ferguson and Marion Dingman, stepped away from the celebration for a bit to talk about what it was like getting involved with Cintas Canada’s Best Restroom Contest.
How did you find out about Cintas Canada’s Best Restroom Contest?
Ashley Ferguson: Well, one morning I came into work and Marion brought up this contest. She suggested we enter and I thought it was a great idea. We found out what we needed to qualify and then sent in the information!
Marion Dingman: A customer came up to me and she said, ‘That is a really different bathroom, you should enter that bathroom contest’ and I didn’t know there was one, but she suggested I Google it. After I found out what it was about, I mentioned it to Ashley and we brought it up with Ross and he said that it sounded like fun!
Was it difficult to get involved with the contest?
AF: No, it was pretty easy. I thought it was fun, that’s kind of my thing, I like being involved with events like this, so it was really fun to do.
Were you expecting to win the award?
MD: I was hoping to!
AF: Yeah, I was hoping we would, but I wasn’t expecting it especially once I saw the other bathrooms.
What do you think is the best feature of the restroom?
MD: I’d say it’s unique, especially with the revving of the engine on the wall.
AF: I like all of the hands-free features. They went top of the line and bought the best products out there to use so that people are comfortable with our bathroom.
MD: A lot of customers say they’ve never seen a black toilet!
St. Albert Honda’s unique bathroom design features an accent wall meant to represent the revolutions per minute (RPM) meter in a vehicle with the redline effect, as well as a hands-free “stepNpull” door opener which allows our customers to avoid touching the germy handle after washing their hands. The “stepNpull” door opener isn’t the only hands-free fixture in the bathroom, also installed are touchless faucets, soap dispensers, hand dryers, and once outside the restroom, there is even a touchless hand sanitizer! Finally, one of Ashley and Marion’s favourite features is the deluxe baby change station installed in both the women and men’s washrooms, making it easier for parents to change their child when needed.
While this may be a non-traditional award for a car dealership, the team at St. Albert Honda are very thankful to everyone who voted and participated in the contest. It’s such an honour to be recognized as a company who strives for excellence in customer service, regardless if it is in the restroom, out on the sale’s floor, or in the service centre.
If you’d like to see us featured on Cintas Canada’s Best Restroom page, please visit their website!