Workplace culture concept. Silhouettes drawn on sheets.

Contributed By Todd Hopkins, CEO and Founder of Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services

One of my longstanding goals at Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services is to have the happiest franchisees on Earth. Do you know why? 

People work harder and have a better attitude when they feel good about what they’re doing. Happy franchisees will diligently build their own business as well as build up the franchise as a whole. If they are happy to sell the product or service, they are more likely to be successful.

In pursuit of that goal, Office Pride has participated in Franchise Business Review’s (FBR’s) annual franchise satisfaction survey for many years. FBR independently surveys franchisees about their franchise’s leadership, training and support, core values and more.

In the survey released in January, Office Pride earned an overall score of 79.4 and once again was ranked among the Top 50 Best of the Best franchises in which to invest in 2021. Office Pride has been ranked among FBR’s top franchises for 14 years and is in the franchise market research firm’s Hall of Fame.

When you study franchises that have very high satisfaction ratings, you’ll find that they have several things in common: They have a strong set of core values. They have a thriving culture. And franchisees have a deep connection with the brand’s mission and vision and feel like they are contributing to the community.

It will be essential for franchisors to pay special attention to franchisee satisfaction as we emerge from the pandemic, especially if franchises see the record growth that is predicted to be on the horizon. They need to be smart about how they grow in order to keep franchisee satisfaction high.

Keeping Franchisees Happy

How does Office Pride ensure our franchisees are happy? First, we are extremely selective about who we award franchises to. Quality trumps quantity. Candidates have to be a good fit for our culture and be on board with our core values. This is not negotiable, because it’s the very essence of who we are as a brand. 

Second, we treat franchisees as our customers – because they are our customers. When franchisees buy into the franchise system, they also are buying into our vision. It’s crucial to give them the respect they deserve.

Third, we deliver what we promise. A franchise contract involves more than spelling out the territory and fees. It’s the franchisor’s promise to provide tools and resources that can help the franchisee succeed – such as training, marketing assistance, proven processes and business coaching. We aim to create an environment that promotes long-term growth and success, which, in turn, contributes to franchisee satisfaction.

Finally, we care about our franchisees, and we let them know it. A lot of brands talk about being a “family,” and your franchisees should be able to count on you to treat them as you would treat a member of the family. That means you will encourage them and be honest with them. You’ll cheer their successes and mourn their losses. In short, you’ll show them that their success matters, because it should.

When a franchisee is happy, the whole system is better for it.