Franchise Update Magazine Issue I, 2012 | Page 6

From the editor’s desk Franchise update|Q1 CHAIRMAN Gary Gardner BY Kerry Pipes CEO Therese Thilgen President Steve Olson Satisfaction Guaranteed M ick Jagger of the Rolling Stones famously sang, “I can’t get no satisfaction.” How frustrating that must have seemed for the budding rock star in 1965. Somehow I doubt he really had trouble with this particular topic. Satisfaction can be frustrating for a franchise brand ignoring the needs and desires of its franchisees. On the other hand, brands that are working to create a culture of satisfied franchisees are reaping the benefits. And it’s to this topic—franchisee satisfaction—that we have devoted this first issue of Franchise Update for 2012. Clearly, franchisee satisfaction is a big subject whose significance cannot be overlooked or ignored. After all, satisfied franchisees are generally happier and most likely more successful. Franchisee success means a stronger brand with stronger validation and more referrals. And we haven’t even touched on how all of this creates happy customers who continue to visit the brand time after time. That signifies dollar signs. Perhaps your leadership is focused on franchisee satisfaction and actively pursues solutions toward that end. That’s great. But if you could use a refresher course, I think you may find a few good ideas in this issue. For example in our Challenge the Pros section, we asked three development executives to tell us how franchisee satisfaction affects their referral 4 Franchiseupdate Iss u e I, 2 0 1 2 programs and how that relates to their overall development planning and process. All three said franchisee satisfaction was a cornerstone of their referral and development strategies. Themes like “listening and responding,” “open dialogue,” and “franchisee recognition” were just a few of the sentiments opined by these execs. Elsewhere in the issue, we asked some CMOs how significant franchisee satisfaction is to their brand’s overall marketing strategy. Not surprisingly, it’s huge. When you consider that your franchisees are the front-line “face” of your brand—the people your customers interact with daily—why would you not want to be doing everything you can as a brand to keep these franchise “partners” satisfied? We also spoke with Auntie Anne’s CMO Heather Neary about franchisee satisfaction. Perhaps she summed it up best when she said, “In order for our franchisee partners to be satisfied, we need to go above and beyond on every facet of our business operations. When our franchise partners are satisfied, they are able to focus on their dayto-day operations in their store(s) and can better serve our customers, which means greater success and profitability for all parties.” Mick Jagger aside, satisfaction can be found. Just add it up—satisfied franchisees, cheerful employees, and happy customers—and you have a formula for franchise success. n Vice President Operations Sue Logan Vice President Marketing Kimberlie Guerrieri Vice President Business Development Barbara Yelmene Business Development Executives Jeff Katis Lorena Leggett Judy Reichman Executive Editor Kerry Pipes Managing Editor Eddy Goldberg ART DIRECTOR Franchise Update media group Samantha Calden DESIGN & PRODUCTION FRANCHISE UPDATE MAGAZINE www.petertucker.com Internet Content Manager Benjamin Foley Sales and Subscription Department, Office Manager Sharon Wilkinson Senior Project Manager, Media and Business Development Lyola Shybanova Contributing Editors Tom Epstein Don Fox Keith Gerson Darrell Johnson Marc Kiekenapp Steven S. Little Jack Mackey Steve Olson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS John Carroll Debbie Selinsky Tracy Staton Helen Bond Advertising and Editorial Offices Franchise Update Media Group 6489 Camden Avenue, Suite 108 San Jose, CA 95120 Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone] Send manuscripts and queries about story assignments to: [email protected] franchiseupdatemedia.com franchiseupdate.com franchising.com mufranchisee.com Franchise UPDATE magazine is published four times annually. Annual subscription rate is $39.95 (U.S.) For subscriptions email [email protected] or call [phone] For reprint information contact Foster Printing at [phone] www.fosterprinting.com