Quick response: Caretaking Services team to launch QR code pilot project

The Facilities & Services Caretaking team is preparing to launch a new pilot project aimed at engaging the U of T community to alert them when a washroom on campus needs additional attention between regular cleanings.

The Caretaking Services team is installing posters with QR codes in 75 campus washrooms in seven buildings on campus. Inspired by the widespread use of QR (short for quick response) codes in the last several years, the posters will allow anyone with a smartphone to quickly request servicing or a product refill.

Committed to continuously improving service on campus, the Caretaking Services team hopes the QR codes will further improve the cleanliness, accessibility, and safety of the more than 2,000 washrooms on campus. Ensuring washrooms are clean and supplies are available are crucial components of facility satisfaction. This ensures that members of our community will have a positive experience in all our buildings.

How will the posters work? Located in a visible spot and at an accessible height, QR codes on the posters can be scanned with a smartphone camera. This will prompt the device to open an email message template to caretaking linked to that washroom location.

When planning this project, the Caretaking Services team wanted to ensure that everyone will have access to communicate their needs and have them met in an efficient and timely fashion.

“Finding the right place to call when requesting our services is not easy,” said Ron Atkins, manager of Caretaking Services. “People then must provide all the essential information about the washroom’s location, including the building name, floor number, and room number, which requires additional time and effort. Using QR codes makes this much easier as the precise washroom location will automatically be provided.”

The posters will be installed in Robarts Library, Student Commons, Sidney Smith Hall, Goldring Centre for High-Performance Sport, Clara Benson Building, Warren Stevens Building, and the Exam Centre.

The Caretaking Services team will use the pilot results to inform how best to expand the posters across the St. George campus.

“This project is all about being responsive,” said Atkins. “If we get notified of a problem early, we can immediately go fix it, so problems don’t start piling up.”