Franchise Update Magazine Issue IV, 2012 | Page 44

Grow Market Lead By Kerry Pipes Mystery Shoppers Speak! Analysis and recommendations from our research team W hen Steve Olson stepped onto the stage at team. The results of this exercise provide valuable insights the Leadership & Development Confer- on how brands can build on what they’re doing properly ence in Atlanta in October, he once again and shore up areas where they are weak. The data is also had the unenviable job of reporting the included in Franchise Update’s Annual Franchise Developgood, the bad, and the ugly in franchise development as ment Report (see page 32). seen through the lens of Franchise Update Media Group’s To elicit real-world responses, the mystery shoppers posed annual Mystery Shopper survey. There was a lot of bad. as qualified prospects making phone inquiries or filling out “Only 19 percent of sales staff were available for our application forms on franchisor websites. The telephone first telephone call. That’s down 22 percent from last year,