Franchisors are from Mars and Franchisees are from Venus
Franchisors are from Mars and Franchisees are from Venus
In the wildly popular Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus book series, author John Gray explores the fundamental differences between the genders’ perspectives and communication methods. While Gray hasn’t delved into the realm of franchising, there is little doubt that the vantage points of franchisor and franchisee are also distinctly different, which can lead to some, let’s say, interesting issues with communication between the two groups. These issues (as evidenced by negative press ranging from message boards to news stories) run the gamut in severity…. from irritations to litigation.
We have found that the franchise companies who “get it right” in the area of communication have franchisees which are satisfied on a number of levels. In our 2012 World-Class Franchise Compilation Report, 94% of the ‘zees surveyed gave high marks to the overall communication between home office personnel and franchisees. On a similar note, when asked whether their franchisor responds in a timely way to their questions and minor problems, 92% answered with “Strongly Agree” or “Agree.”
In their article “Talk to Me: Good Communication as a Business Strategy” for www.ifa.org, Joe Schumacher and Robin Posey state, “As a franchise grows, communication, especially with geographically distant franchisees, can make or break the relationship.” I agree completely, and based on our research, so do franchisees which are happy they chose the system they did. 94% and 92%…..these numbers speak volumes, no matter what planet you’re from.
To be certified as World-Class, franchise companies must meet the following research requirements:
1. Access to every franchisee is permitted (including franchises “sold but not open”).
2. All survey responses must be confidential (no false positive responses out of a desire to gain favor or fear of retribution).
3. A minimum of 70% of their franchisees must complete the confidential survey.
In the world of franchising there are many, many stories of dissatisfaction, disputes, and litigation between ‘zors and ‘zees. This report provides empirical evidence that these World-Class Franchise® companies are, in the eyes of their franchisees, “doing it right.” More details can be found at:
www.WorldClassFranchise.com
1. The combined score to this question encompasses all “Excellent,” “Very Good,” or “Good” responses but does not include “Average” or “Poor” ratings. Remember there is no such thing as “above average Franchisee satisfaction”, but there is World-Class.
2. The combined score to this question encompasses all “Strongly,” or “Agree” responses but does not include “Disagree” or “Strongly Disagree” ratings. Remember there is no such thing as “above average Franchisee satisfaction”, but there is World-Class.
