Real-Time Restroom Sentiment & Staffing Optimization

Challenge

At the Georgia World Congress Center — one of the largest convention facilities in North America — managing restroom cleanliness is a major operational challenge. With events ranging from youth volleyball tournaments to global industry expos with 70,000+ attendees, restroom usage is highly variable and event-specific.

Before implementing FeedbackNow, GWCC relied heavily on word-of-mouth updates and calls from event managers. Cleanliness issues often came to light only after the fact, through post-event surveys or attendee complaints.

“The problem was timing. We’d get feedback too late — or miss what was happening in real time.”

In the absence of live data, staff planning was driven more by assumptions than usage. Shifts weren’t always aligned with peaks in traffic, and restroom satisfaction would often dip during breaks or shift transitions.

FeedbackNow Solution

To tackle these gaps, GWCC deployed 497 FeedbackNow devices, including:

• Sentiment boxes to gather live guest feedback on restroom conditions
• Traffic sensors to measure occupancy and usage flow
• In-and-out boxes to identify cleaning times

This combination created a robust ecosystem of real-time insight. It allowed the operations team to:

• Monitor conditions minute-by-minute
• Map traffic and satisfaction to specific timeframes and events
• Identify underused and overused locations for resource reallocation

“We saw dips during break periods and shift transitions. FeedbackNow helped us bridge those better — no more satisfaction drops just because a shift ended.”

The data also empowered event-based staffing. For example, youth sports tournaments from January through March showed different traffic patterns than corporate events, allowing the team to adjust labor accordingly.

Outcome

FeedbackNow’s insights have had a clear business impact:

• Labor optimization: GWCC now calibrates staffing to match actual foot traffic — reducing unnecessary coverage while avoiding gaps in high-traffic zones
• Smarter shift transitions: Adjustments were made to avoid satisfaction dips when one crew ends and another begins
• Budget alignment: Staffing levels are tied to real-time needs, helping GWCC stay within budget while still delivering a high standard of cleanliness
• Client confidence: In pre-event briefings, the operations team can now explain how restroom quality will be monitored and managed during the event

“We walk through the event schedule and ask: where do we really need a full-time specialist — and where don’t we? Now we can answer that with data.”

During the IPPE (International Production & Processing Expo), a notoriously demanding client was impressed enough to call out restroom cleanliness as a highlight — a rare and telling endorsement.

Operational Impact

FeedbackNow is now embedded into GWCC’s operational planning and execution. The real-time data plays a central role in:

• Daily event readiness planning
• On-the-ground decision-making during live events
• Executive reporting and client transparency

The technology has become a key factor in client experience — and even in venue selection.

“Cleanliness plays a role in whether we get picked for future events. FeedbackNow gives us a way to prove we’re delivering.”

Testimonial

“Clean restrooms are non-negotiable for guest experience. FeedbackNow helps us see what’s happening in real time — and optimize our staffing to match traffic without going over budget.” — Chris Chadwick, Director of Operations, Georgia World Congress Center