When it comes to Canadian consumers’ concerns when dining out, the buzz is all about pests, an independent poll released today by pest control company Orkin Canada revealed.
When asked to rank a list of issues associated with restaurants, four in 10 respondents (40 percent) reported that evidence of insects and/or rodents cause them the greatest unease. Employee hygiene ranked a close second with 30 percent of diners naming it as their top concern followed by unclean dishes, which 23 percent selected as their number one apprehension.
“Today’s consumers recognize that pests can carry disease and pose a threat to the safety of their meals,” said Orkin Director of Quality Systems, Zia Siddiqi, Ph.D. “What’s more, pest problems often signal issues in other areas of the restaurant, such as poor sanitation or storage practices, which also can threaten food safety.”
Pests Cause Consumers to Take Action
While insects and rodents are of concern in restaurants, diners’ reactions vary by the type of pest. A rodent or cockroach sighting would cause 99 percent of those polled to take some form of action. To a lesser degree, only 65 percent would react to seeing a fly, either dead or alive, while eating out.
Rodents lead the list of pests that turn off diners. Of those spotting a rodent, eight in 10 (81 percent) would never dine in that restaurant again. Eighty-two percent would complain to the manager, and 73 percent would tell friends and family of the incident. Two-thirds of diners (67 percent) would go so far as to alert the health department, and almost one-third (31 percent) would alert the media.
The sight of a cockroach elicits similar reactions from consumers, with 76 percent of respondents reporting that they would never return to an establishment after finding a cockroach. A similar percentage (79 percent) would complain to the manager, and about six in 10 people (59 percent) would contact the health department.
Flies do not cause diners to react as strongly. Half of respondents (50 percent) reported that they would speak to their waiter if they found a fly, and only three in 10 (29 percent) would tell the manager what they saw.
Consumers’ general disregard for flies in restaurants can point to the pests’ commonality in foodservice environments, noted Siddiqi. However, while many diners have become used to seeing flies in restaurants, their presence is of no small concern. Like rodents and cockroaches, flies also can put food safety at risk.
“Flies can carry up to a half billion bacteria on the outside of their bodies,” said Siddiqi. “Every time they land they slough off some of the bacteria onto their landing surface. In fact, it’s actually more sanitary for a cockroach to walk across your food than for a fly to land on it.”
Pest Sighting Effects Spread Beyond Single Consumer
The poll also found that pest sightings can cause an effect far beyond that at the local level. For two-thirds of consumers (68 percent), finding a pest in a restaurant would have a “negative effect” on the way they felt about other restaurants in the chain.
According to Siddiqi, as consumers become more conscious of food safety threats, like pests, restaurants must continually step up their pest control and food safety programs.
“A comprehensive approach to pest management and food safety is key,” said Siddiqi. “Restaurants who emphasize sanitation and other proactive measures to prevent pests will have the most success in keeping pests out of their establishments and away from diners’ plates.”
Poll Methodology
The Orkin Canada survey was conducted by Acromatics using Synovate’s eNation Canadian service from Sept. 27-Oct. 1, 2007. The online survey polled 1,007 adults (aged 18 and over) in Canada, excluding the Territories. The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 3 percentage points.
About Orkin
Founded in 1901, Atlanta-based Orkin, Inc. is an industry leader in essential pest control services and protection against termite damage, rodents and insects in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Middle East. With more than 400 locations, Orkin’s almost 8,000 employees serve approximately 1.7 million customers. The company serves homeowners and numerous industries including food and beverage processing, foodservice, hospitality, healthcare, retail, warehousing, property/facilities management, schools and institutions. Orkin is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rollins, Inc. (NYSE: ROL). Learn more about Orkin Canada by visiting www.orkincanada.com.