One’s wedding day is perhaps the most cherished moment in a lifetime. A bride doesn’t need it ruined by dirty toilets, dust mites and cobwebs. I recently attended a wedding of a very close friend at a winery-a pretty, romantic setting.  The night before the wedding, I went with the mother of the bride and a small group of our friends to check out the layout of the tasting room and make our game plan for the table layout. What a shock! It wasn’t the ambiance of the beautiful wine country that surprised us…but the absolute filthy condition of the property. We lost count of how many spiders we killed, cobwebs we swiped, and surfaces we shined. Not to mention the bathrooms! With our intervention, the wedding went off smoothly and no one knew just how dirty the place had looked before the party.

I don’t have enough time to itemize all the atrocities we witnessed, but I can tell you this: Never should a customer have to clean the commercial location or venue they patronize.

Dirty tables, toilets and other disgusting observations. Dust, grime and chaos are not limited to wineries and wedding venues. Everyday I come across filth and clutter at least once or twice when I’m out and about. There’s a local cafe with free wi-fi and a friendly staff, but the tables are never bussed. It’s annoying to see stale bits of food drying up on stacks of plates from the corner of my eye, and I almost always have to ask a server to clear off a table for me. This lazy practice doesn’t have to be the case. A friend of mine works at a Starbucks location and she says it their policy to scan the tables every 15 minutes to make sure they are clear, clean and ready for the next patron. Starbucks gets it. Most businesses don’t.

A friend of mine (whose name I’ll keep private) only shops at certain stores or visits restaurants where he knows the bathrooms are clean and orderly because he doesn’t want to get stuck using a dirty toilet. I recall a story my husband, Carmine, told me after he interviewed Paul Orfalea, the founder of Kinko’s, now FedEx Office. When Paul would visit Kinko’s locations, one of the first actions he took was to visit the loo, not for the obvious reason but to make sure customers and employees were getting the clean, well-stocked bathroom they deserved should the need arise.

7 no-no’s to keeping house.

 A dirty toilet is sure way to piss off your customers. But there are many others. Here’s a list of some additional no-no’s when it comes to keeping house:

Bad breath. If you’re up close to customers, do us all a favor and avoid cigarettes, cough drops, peanuts, garlic, onions and other strong-smelling consumables before your shift.

Strong perfumes and colognes. I don’t care if your new hot girlfriend just bought you a new spray…lay off. You never know when a customer might get offended.

Dust mites, spiders and cobwebs. Halloween is one night only. With the exception of that special night, your customers should never spot spiders and cobwebs.

Dust on objects and shelves. Unless you’re designing the stage for Phantom of the Opera, dust is never acceptable.

Wrinkles anywhere. Employee attire, table linens, paper menus, and programs should be free of wrinkles.

Stains on anything. Again, employee attire, table linens, paper menus, and programs should be free of coffee, tea, wine or other stains.

Holes, tears and damaged items or structures. Fix those wobbly tables, rotting holes, and torn seats.

Pets. Unless it’s a dog shelter or pet shop, business owners and managers should never allow animals into a commercial venue where customers visit. A toy dog in a Juicy Couture purse doesn’t cut it, either.

This is a short list. I’m sure you have more ideas, but you get my point …good customer service starts from the experience you have when you walk through the door. Show your customers that you care about health and cleanliness.

Please send me a customer service story you would like to share. If I use it for this column, we will send you a free copy of Fire Them Up, Carmine Gallo’s latest book featuring several inspiring executives, professionals and other leaders who speak the language of motivation.