TY - JOUR T1 - Consumer Preferences for Gas Station Toilet Cleanliness: A Demographic Comparison TT - Akaryakıt İstasyonlarında Tuvalet Temizliği Konusundaki Tüketici Tercihleri: Demografik Bir Karşılaştırma AU - Uyar, Ahmet AU - Uyar, Kübra AU - Akan, Şahap PY - 2025 DA - June Y2 - 2025 JF - JOEEP: Journal of Emerging Economies and Policy JO - JOEEP PB - Seyfettin ERDOĞAN WT - DergiPark SN - 2651-5318 SP - 582 EP - 592 VL - 10 IS - 1 LA - en AB - Service quality is one of the most important factors shaping the consumer experience. Hygiene, which has become critical especially after COVID-19, has started to have a direct impact on service quality and to shape consumers' service preferences. Today, the effect of hygiene standards on customer satisfaction in public areas such as restaurants, hotels and airports is increasingly being investigated. In this context, determining how the cleanliness of toilets at gas stations differs in consumer preferences is an important issue. This study aims to examine the differences in the perception of toilet cleanliness and purchasing decisions at gas stations according to demographic factors. A survey was conducted with 387 participants, and the collected data were analyzed using statistical methods. An independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that perceptions of toilet cleanliness vary based on demographic factors. It is expected that this study will contribute to service quality and consumer behavior by providing important insights for both academics and practitioners. KW - consumer prefences KW - KW - social responsibility projects KW - KW - toilet cleanliness N2 - Hizmet kalitesi, tüketicilerin deneyimlerini şekillendiren temel faktörlerden biridir. Özellikle COVID-19 sonrası kritik derecede önemli hale gelen hijyen, hizmet kalitesini doğrudan etkilemeye başlamış ve tüketicilerin hizmet tercihlerini şekillendirmiştir. Günümüzde restoranlar, oteller ve havalimanları gibi kamuya açık alanlarda hijyen standartlarının müşteri memnuniyeti üzerindeki etkisi giderek daha fazla araştırılmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, akaryakıt istasyonlarındaki tuvalet temizliğinin tüketici tercihlerinde nasıl farklılık gösterdiğinin belirlenmesi önemli bir konudur. Bu çalışma, demografik faktörlere göre akaryakıt istasyonlarında tuvalet temizliği algısı ve satın alma kararlarındaki farklılıkları incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma kapsamında 387 katılımcıya anket uygulanmış ve elde edilen veriler istatistiksel yöntemlerle analiz edilmiştir. Hipotezleri test etmek için bağımsız örneklem t-testi ve tek yönlü ANOVA kullanılmıştır. Sonuçlar, tuvalet temizliği algısının demografik faktörlere göre değiştiğini göstermektedir. Bu çalışmanın hem akademisyenler hem de uygulamacılar için önemli içgörüler sağlayarak hizmet kalitesi ve tüketici davranışları üzerine katkıda bulunması beklenmektedir. CR - Akyüz, İ. (2008). Otomobil kullanıcılarının akaryakıt istasyonu tercihleri üzerine etki eden faktörlerin belirlenmesi ve İstanbul ilinde bir pilot araştırma [Yüksek lisans tezi, İstanbul Üniversitesi]. CR - Alan, G. A. E. (2015). Kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk çalışmalarında sosyal medya kullanımı. In Kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk ve kurumsal itibar (ss. 81–99). Derin Yayınları. CR - Altuntaş, B. (2020). Determining the importance levels of factors affecting people’s choice of rest area by analytical hierarchy process. Journal of Institute of Economic Development and Social Researches, 6(25), 662–673. https://doi.org/10.31623/iksad062503 CR - Altunışık, R., Coşkun, R., Bayraktaroğlu, S., & Yıldırım, E. (2010). Research methods in social sciences. Sakarya Publishing. CR - Anju, B. (2021). Clean India: A mission. 6(1), 67–70. Retrieved May 7, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swachh_Bharat_Mission CR - Aytaç, M. B., Akan, E., & Özal, H. (2023). Hygiene anxiety and brand love of consumers: Lessons from COVID-19 pandemic. Kafkas Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 14(28), 686–708. https://doi.org/10.36543/kauiibfd.2023.028 CR - Areksan. (2023). Tuvalet hijyeni. Retrieved September 10, 2024, from https://www.areksan.com/blog/tuvalet-hijyeni CR - Barber, N., & Scarcelli, J. M. (2009). Clean restrooms: How important are they to restaurant consumers? Journal of Foodservice, 20, 309–320. CR - Bitner, M. J. (1992). Servicescapes: The impact of physical surroundings on customers and employees. Journal of Marketing, 56(2), 57. https://doi.org/10.2307/1252042 CR - Chandra, S., Srivastava, S., & Roy, A. (2018). Public toilet hygiene monitoring and reporting system. In Proceedings of IEEE Sensors (October, pp. 1–4). https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSENS.2018.8589894 CR - CNN. (2017). China to get extreme toilet makeover to boost tourism. Retrieved September 5, 2024, from https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/china-toilet-revolution/index.htm CR - Corradi, G., Theirs, C., Garcia-Garzon, E., & Barrada, J. R. (2023). A silent burden: How negative experiences with public toilets impact quality of life and life satisfaction. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 64(4), 495–503. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12914 CR - Czerniewska, A., Mwambuli, K., Curtis, V., & Aunger, R. (2023). Intervention design in public health: Adaptive messaging in the Tanzanian national sanitation campaign. Health Promotion International, 38(3). CR - Çoban, Ö., Eryücel, Ö., & Yalçınkaya, T. (2019). Consumers' perceptions about the cleanliness of restaurant and cafe toilets: The case of Çanakkale. 20th National Tourism Congress, January 16–19, Eskişehir. CR - Domestos. (2023). Domestos’la tüm dünyada temiz tuvalet ve hijyen. Retrieved August 28, 2024, from https://www.domestos.com/tr/misyonumuz/projelerimiz/dunya-tuvalet-gununde-tum-dunyada-hijyen.html CR - Eriksson, K., & Dickins, T. E. (2022). Strimling P. Global sex differences in hygiene norms and their relation to sex equality. PLOS Global Public Health, 2(6), 1–17. CR - Eser, H. (2019). Evaluation of the toilets in common usage areas for user comfort [Yüksek lisans tezi, Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi]. CR - Ferguson, S. (2019). Saving lives, one toilet at a time. Retrieved March 3, 2024, from https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/saving-lives-one-toilet-time CR - Galoni, C., Carpenter, G. S., & Hayagreeva, R. A. O. (2020). Disgusted and afraid: Consumer choices under the threat of contagious disease. Journal of Consumer Research, 47(3), 373–392. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucaa025 CR - Hameed, A. Z. (2020). Prioritizing and achieving quality services in gas stations using analytical hierarchy process and quality function deployment. Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 79(1), 53–55. CR - Hoffman, D. K., Kelley, S. W., & Chung, B. C. (2003). A CIT investigation of servicescape failures and associated recovery strategies. Journal of Services Marketing, 17, 322–340. CR - Hu, Y., & Hu, Y. (2013). The patriotic hygiene campaign and the construction of clean new people. In Rural health care delivery: Modern China from the perspective of disease politics (pp. 111–126). CR - Hürriyet. (2021). Türkiye’de insanlar umumi tuvaletleri kullanmak konusunda endişeli. Retrieved July 5, 2024, from https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/kelebek/saglik/turkiyede-insanlar-umumi-tuvaletleri-kullanmak-konusunda-endiseli-41958227 CR - Hyunju, K., & Jarrett, R. B. (2019). Examining customer perceptions of restaurant restroom cleanliness and their impact on satisfaction and intent to return. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 22(2), 191–208. CR - Kimutai, J. J., Lund, C., Moturi, W. N., Shewangizaw, S., Feyasa, M., & Hanlon, C. (2023). Evidence on the links between water insecurity, inadequate sanitation and mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE, 18(5), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286146 CR - Kinderis, R., Danielienė, J., & Jonuškienė, E. (2023). Assessment of customer service quality of the gas station network in Lithuania. Economics & Education, 8(1), 6–16. CR - Kumari, P., & Bhateja, B. (2024). How COVID-19 impacts consumer purchase intention towards health and hygiene products in India? South Asian Journal of Business Studies, 13(1), 118–136. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAJBS-05-2021-0185 CR - MarketingTürkiye. (2016). Akaryakıt sektöründe tuvalet rekabeti. Retrieved September 16, 2024, from https://www.marketingturkiye.com.tr/haberler/akaryakit-sektorunde-tuvalet-rekabeti/ CR - MarketingTürkiye. (2022). Rekabet akaryakıtın ötesinde. Retrieved May 12, 2024, from https://www.marketingturkiye.com.tr/haberler/rekabet-akaryakitin-otesinde/ CR - Maroko, A. R., Hopper, K., Gruer, C., Jaffe, M., Zhen, E., & Sommer, M. (2021). Public restrooms, periods, and people experiencing homelessness: An assessment of public toilets in high needs areas of Manhattan, New York. PLoS ONE, 16(6), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252946 CR - Opet. (2018). Temiz tuvalet kampanyası. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://www.opet.com.tr/sosyal-sorumluluk-projeleri/temiz-tuvalet-kampanyasi CR - Özdamar, K. (1999). Biostatistics with SPSS. Eskişehir: Kaan Bookshop. CR - QSR. (2013). Dirty little secret. Retrieved August 7, 2024, from https://www.qsrmagazine.com/outside-insights/dirty-little-secret CR - Pett, M. A., Lackey, N. R., & Sullivan, J. J. (2003). Making sense of factor analysis. Sage Publications. CR - Rahim, A. A. (2005). A concept of clean toilet from the Islamic perspective. Journal of Islamic Built Environment, 1(1), 71–84. CR - Rajamani, K., Prateeba Devi, J., & Princelin Raj Kumar, N. A. (2022). Consumer perception and purchase intention towards personal hygiene products during COVID-19. International Journal of Health Sciences, 6(May), 10389–10396. https://doi.org/10.53730/ijhs.v6ns2.7711 CR - Santos, P. L., Saiani, C. S., Vieira, E. B., & Piorski, C. R. L. (2021). Conscientização e serviços ambientalmente adequados. Revibec: Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, (34), 1–24. CR - Sengupta, S., Misra, D. C., Chaudhary, M., & Prakash, O. (2019). Role of technology in success of rural sanitation revolution in India. In Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, April 3–5, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. CR - Šimunović, M. (2018). Analiza ponašanja potrošača pri impulsivnoj kupnji na benzinskim postajama [Doktora tezi, VERN Üniversitesi]. CR - Taştan, H., & Soylu, G. A. (2023). The impact of perceived cleanliness on customer satisfaction, revisiting intention and complaining behaviors: The case of restaurants by S-O-R model. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism, 8(1), 27–38. CR - Tumwebaze, I. K. (2013). Gender and sanitation perspectives in Kampala's slums, Uganda. In R. J. Shaw (Ed.), Delivering water, sanitation and hygiene services in an uncertain environment: 36th WEDC International Conference. Nakuru, Kenya. CR - Unicef. (2013). Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). Retrieved May 6, 2024, from https://www.unicef.org/eu/water-sanitation-and-hygiene-wash CR - Unilever. (2018). Domestos’la hijyenik tuvalet, sağlıklı gelecek. Retrieved August 4, 2024, from https://www.unilever.com.tr/news/press-releases/2018/domestos-tan-hijyenik-okul-tuvaletleri-icin-yeni-bir-proje-daha-hijyenik-tuvalet-saglikli-gelecek/ CR - United Nations. (2023). World Toilet Day. Retrieved May 11, 2024, from https://www.un.org/en/observances/toilet-day CR - Vishwakarma, D. (2016). Swachh Bharat Abhiyan clean India Abhiyan. International Research Journal of Management, IT and Social Sciences, 3(3), 110–122. CR - Webtekno. (2024). Türkiye’deki toplam otomobil sayısı açıklandı: En çok tercih edilen renk ve özellikler belli oldu. Retrieved August 8, 2024, from https://www.webtekno.com/turkiye-toplam-otomobil-sayisi CR - World Health Organization. (2019). Safe water, better health. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/329905/9789241516891-eng.pdf CR - Xu, J., Xu, X., Sun, K. S., Wu, D., Lam, T. P., & Zhou, X. (2022). Changes in residents’ hygiene awareness and behaviors in public toilets before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hangzhou, China: A two-round cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 1690. CR - Zulfiqar, G. M. (2023). Prasad, A. Postcolonial feminism in management and organization studies: Critical perspectives from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. In V. Doshi (Ed.), The epistemology of the toilet: Doing class work in Pakistan. Routledge. UR - https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/joeep/issue//1561537 L1 - https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/4264389 ER -