Do you want to achieve 5 star franchisee satisfaction  – not just for one year, but retain it every year?

This is the ultimate goal for franchisors – achieving 5-stars as awarded by WorkBuzz. 

If so, we can help you …………

Our consultant Karl Sandall, who achieved exactly that – for 10 consecutive years with the TaxAssist Accountants franchise, explains more…

So, what are the areas you need to focus on with our support to achieve this?

Leadership

Leadership is a lonely place and can often get mixed up with managing. I learnt very quickly that strong leadership is not just saying what everyone should do, but developing a respect for the vision and clarity of that vision that you portray as the franchisor.  The leader must epitomise the values of the brand and be the heartbeat of the business. 

This comes with first-class communication of consistent, clear and firm messages.  Sometimes a good leader will feel they are the only ones that can see the vision. So, support from someone like me (a consultant supporting the individual or as an NED on the board to support the CEO/MD/Owner) could be invaluable to arrive at the goals you have set for the business.  What is the best way to communicate with a network of franchisees and make sure that the messages are understood, accepted and acted upon?

Under the leadership heading is also the maintaining of robust franchise system “standards” – not the system itself, but the standards of the presentation of the system and how they are implemented at individual franchisee level.  This is so important, and it is always considered as a key part of leadership for me.  The presentation of the system needs to complement the vision and the goals that the leader is aiming for.

This leads on to…

The Franchise System

As a Franchisor you have to work hard to prove a business model to the franchisees, even though you are confident it is proven. Your perception of the system is sanity of course, but it is your franchisees perception of the system that is the reality.

Competitiveness of the products/services is key to getting franchisees to buy in to the system, backed up with the robust standards of delivering to the network.

It is vital to conduct an assessment of how the network is perceived, and then formulate an action plan to align the franchisees’ perception with that of the franchisors. Sometimes this can only be achieved with a fresh pair of eyes rather than someone who has lived with the system for many years, doesn’t see the wood for the trees, and resists criticism.

Alongside the above, it is equally important to challenge the real culture and relationship with the network.

Culture and Relationship with Franchisees

Frequently, as a franchisor, it can be challenging to accept or comprehend that your extensive hard work and belief may not be fully embraced by your network as anticipated or desired, and that they may indeed have criticisms of you. Many times, these criticisms are easily corrected and a fuller and wholesome relationship can be achieved.

The franchisee/franchisor relationship is unique – franchisees are not partners / employees /contractors / suppliers and handling franchisees successfully is a skill set learnt by doing and watching other franchisors that have cracked it.

Attaining an optimal culture and nurturing strong relationships becomes especially valuable when issues arise, adjustments are necessary, or external factors like COVID raise concerns. Embracing a collective “we’re all in this together” mindset proves most beneficial in such circumstances.

Honesty, integrity, trust and transparency are critical value requirements.

Again, an outside pair of eyes and objective feedback will be invaluable.

Given that the above three are key, the franchisor then must deliver solid training and support…

Training and Support

Of course, franchisees expect good levels of training and support on how to use the system for their benefit.  Training and support must not be a tick box exercise – “well we delivered it and the network have not fully taken it all on board” ( I hear that too often).

OK – then who is at fault?  Too often I hear it is the network.  However, even if that’s the case, as the franchisor, you should assume accountability and acknowledge that if the network hasn’t embraced your training and support, it’s your responsibility. So, the question becomes: “What can I do to ensure this is rectified?”

A fresh pair of eyes (not the training department that has worked hard to deliver) needs to evaluate and review the training and recommend constructive feedback changes.

All of the above leads on to…

Overall Satisfaction Levels

The big one!

Would the franchisee, if asked the question “would you do it again?”  say – “yes, I would sign up and do it all again in a heartbeat – no hesitation.”

As a leader that is what I always wanted to hear from my network.  If I got a “no, I would not do it again”, I would consider that a personal failure.  If dissatisfaction has arisen, it is essential to introspect and identify any gaps or recruitment mistakes.

Of course, all of the above is fantastic to achieve, but there are also other important areas to balance into the whole operation, for example:

·       Dealing with disputes and resolving these if possible or, if not, parting ways with the franchisee smoothly without legal complications – another area in which I have a lot of experience.

·        Recruitment of franchisees – With 22 years of experience, I’ve led the entire recruitment process, resulting in substantial achievements and invaluable lessons.

·        Recruitment of support staff that understand franchising and fit with the culture of the business.

·        Going international – Having navigated significant learning curves in Ireland, Australia, Canada, and the USA, I’m fully prepared to offer my invaluable insights to any franchisors contemplating international expansion.

·        Franchise resales – a key part of any franchisor/franchisee relationship and there is a process to it that requires guidance and mastering.

·        Franchisor selling up – exit and succession strategies.

To learn more and achieve 5 star franchisee satisfaction get in touch with us – either call 0330 0160028 or fill out the enquiry form near the top of this page.