DIGITAL

Recommendations

Info

(Continued from page 48) Animals are messy, and maintaining cleanliness requires constant vigilance, as well as having clear protocols in place. Chances are that a new franchisee will not intuitively know how often to wash pet blankets or clean rubber floor play surfaces. When training franchisees, we dedicate significant time to the importance of good housekeeping and lay out clearly what is expected. We make sure that every franchisee and employee has a good grasp of the tools and receives the training needed to keep the level of sanitation where it needs to be, and an accountability system helps prevent those standards from slipping. POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE High customer service standards are also essential. “The customer is always right” is dogma (pun intended) in the pet care business, with the responsibility of caring for people’s beloved companions. When people drop off their dogs or cats, they vest in us a huge amount of trust. Pet owners need to know that their pets are going to be happy and safe. This requires listening to customers, who know their pets better than we do, while showing that we care about their concerns and respect their wishes. The emotional component to pet care makes customer service even more important, but it matters across all franchise sectors. Poor customer service leads to billions lost each year in the U.S. alone. These experiences can include feeling unappreciated, interacting with rude or unhelpful staff, a lack of staff knowledge or difficulty getting questions answered. Whatever the case, customer service will make or break your business. Whatever the case, customer service will make or break your business. As with housekeeping, the franchisor sets the example and the expectations. Emphasize the importance of customer service to all franchisees and employees. Train them on how to effectively deal with customers and have systems in place for dealing with customer concerns. Prepare new hires for customer service issues they are likely to face and how to handle them. Recognize (and reward) those franchisees and employees who demonstrate superior customer service skills. Maintaining morale within a company is vital. Customers know when employees are unhappy. They can feel it in the air, and this will compromise the way they view your business. LOW MORALE Maintaining morale within a company is vital. Customers know when employees are unhappy. They can feel it in the air, and this will compromise the way they view your business. For example, if employees are unhappy working at Barkefellers — if they are moping around, frowning, or unmotivated — then there is a greater chance the pets are not happy either. Happy people treat pets with enthusiasm and care, and the last thing pet owners want is to leave their dogs with someone who seems apathetic, annoyed, or blue. Higher morale says to customers that employees care about their jobs, are committed to maintaining standards, and that the business as a whole is trustworthy. As the franchisor, it is your responsibility to create a company culture that cultivates strong morale. As the franchisor, it is your responsibility to create a company culture that cultivates strong morale. Make sure all employees feel that they are members of the team and that their job is important to the overall business. Make them feel valued and reward them for good work. You can also keep up morale by throwing social events that promote friendships outside the business such as barbecues, baseball game trips, and bowling parties. Camaraderie is a key ingredient to happiness at work, and the mere opportunity for friendships increases employee job satisfaction and organizational effectiveness. Franchising presents a valuable opportunity for an entrepreneur to scale his business and for franchisees to run their own businesses without all the risk and work involved in starting from scratch. However, just because you have established a model that works does not mean the path to success will be clear. Each individual franchise location is unique. Success requires living up to the standards that helped build the original location into a profitable, sustainable enterprise. Fortunately, with the right systems and training in place, you can avoid these mistakes and enjoy watching your business grow. Rick Coffey is president and founder of Barkefellers. Find him at fransocial.franchise. org. 50 FRANCHISING WORLD NOVEMBER 2015
THOUSANDS FEBRUARY 11-13 OF QUALIFIED NRG CENTER PROSPECTS HOUSTON, TX WHY EXHIBIT AT THE FRANCHISE EXPO SOUTH? 48 % 79 % of attendees of attendees have liquid capital of $100,000+ to invest in a franchise already own or are looking to buy a franchise. Your future owners will be here. Will you? RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY! CALL 201.881.1666 #FES2016 www.franchiseexposouth.com Sponsored by:
Page 1 and 2: ANNUAL MEETING IFA’S WASHINGTON,
Page 3 and 4: The Right Things Everywhere Visit i
Page 5 and 6: ANNUAL MEETING IFA’S WASHINGTON,
Page 7 and 8: #hellowork Running a franchise is e
Page 9 and 10: ADVOCACY IN ACTION Business Owners
Page 11 and 12: Will Your Brand Be Next?
Page 13 and 14: Servant Systems delivers franchise
Page 15 and 16: Given Cuomo’s longstanding close
Page 17 and 18: Don’t Reinvent the Wheel U
Page 19 and 20: GUIDING FRANCHISES TO BRAND EXCELLE
Page 21 and 22: FROM THE PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT YOU TUR
Page 23 and 24: the franchisee. These days most fra
Page 25 and 26: it to connect with peers. Therefore
Page 27 and 28: WE SERVE IT LIKE YOU SERVE IT. Fina
Page 29 and 30: FOCUS ON GROWING YOUR BUSINESS WITH
Page 32 and 33: FEATURES What You Need to Know Abou
Page 34: (Continued on page 30) Walk before
Page 38: (Continued from page 34) to 60 days
Page 41 and 42: 3 4 5 6 7 Top row, page 38 (from le
Page 43 and 44: 1 2 IFA presented the FranPAC MVP a
Page 45 and 46: IFA Members Chronicle Visit to Capi
Page 47 and 48: COMMUNITY SERVICE Foundation Recogn
Page 49 and 50: Join the Leading Custom Image Appar
Page 54 and 55: FINANCE Tips for Preventing Credit
Page 56 and 57: FINANCE 5 Key Lessons to an Effecti
Page 58 and 59: (Continued from page 54) 2. MEET TH
Page 60 and 61: INTERNATIONAL International Franchi
Page 62 and 63: (Continued from page 58) “We have
Page 64 and 65: EDUCATION CHILDREN’S SERVICES Fra
Page 66 and 67: MAKE YOUR PLANS NOW FOR THE HENRY B
Page 68 and 69: MANAGEMENT & OPERATIONS LAUNCHING A
Page 70 and 71: HONORING AMERICA’S HEROES Veteran
Page 72 and 73: MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISE INNOVATORS Fra
Page 74 and 75: 72 FRANCHISING WORLD NOVEMBER 2015

DIGITAL

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?