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These changes are just what is needed to build a solid national reputation. One of my ongoing concerns about our franchise though is ‘compliance’. One reason I have always believed in franchising is the streamlined ‘trust’ which can grow nationwide leading to new customers. A Heaven’s Best in California should offer the same services, look the same, use the same equipment, etc. as the HB in New York! I have seen what appears to be several people offering many services and equipment that I did not know about – like duct cleaning for instance. How is that possible? I think we should utilize this time of focus right now to clean up some other inconsistencies within our ranks. The need for some type of Field Inspections may become necessary to enforce such standards. Remember, a recognizable name can also be doom. If some franchissee goes out using unapproved equipment, dressed like a slob, and does poor work – it reflects on EVERYONE. Remember Jack-in-the-Box and E-Coli? It took years and millions of dollars for the entire chain to recover. We need better compliance along with our upgraded image – this is why I bought a franchise! Thanks Cody & the staff for looking to a positive future and a stronger franchise!
I have to agree strongly. If we are going to make these changes everyone must do them for the greatest effectiveness.
It is an issue. Some operators offer carpet repair, some don’t. Some stretch carpet, some don’t. Some do flood damage, some don’t. Some do wood and tile, some just carpet and upholstery. I guess there are variances in many franchises.
It’s a problem though – because if I’m a HB customer in Indiana & I get transferred to Florida, I would expect the HB to be the same! I would expect the equipment to look the same, and the uniforms, and to offer the same services. That is why when Subway decided to go forward with their Toaster Ovens, they required every store to have one installed and get trained- it wasn’t an option. If I like a toasted turkey footlong in Idaho – I want one in Ohio too! And, I expect that from a franchise. If we are going to do duct cleaning for example – then we should ALL offer that service and use the same equipment and have the same training. The reason customers call on franchises is for their consistency/dependability = trust. Carpet repair for example – customers of a franchise would assume the person was certified by the corporate office to perform the correct technique, and they trust it to be successful. However, the franchissee probably isn’t certified by anyone – he just learned it!! Customers get confused and lose confidence in our company by such inconsistency.
Jeff,
I agree that every franchise should know how to do minor carpet repair because we are a carpet cleaning franchise. We should all be doing upholstery cleaning as well. I do , however, feel that it should be up to the operators as to what extra services we provide, ie. wood floor, tile & grout. I understand the “Subway” way of thinking, and one way to provide that same service may be to sub out (no pun intended)services if it’s something a certain franchise doesn’t offer. I think the real focus should be on the new look of our franchises and getting all of our franchises to become uniform in our appearance as well as our advertising.No argument with that! This is a great time in the history of HB. I think that maybe however, it might open some dialogue on some other uniformity issues!!
Maybe instead of telling people they aren’t allowed to add extra pickles for their customers because other HB franchisees don’t know how to stretch carpet or simple repairs maybe we should be thinking maybe I need to increase my knowledge so I can provide better service for my customer.
I had the great good fortune to watch Ammon on the job. We went into a one bedroom apartment together and I saw him repair a hole, stretch an entry way, dye a bleach spot and clean the carpet and still get out of there in an hour. Now he has a extremely happy customer who will call him back because they know he will do what needs to be done so they can rent their apartment without having to call a carpet installer as well.
Ok – sorry but you missed the point. I think you guys that do all this are great! Take care & best of luck!
Jeff..I think they got the point.
I, on the other hand am wondering when the training was for dying a carpet, steretching a carpet and hole repairs in carpet was given in Rexburg?
Not to mention restoration and cleaning of carpeting from backed up sewers, etc.?
Does anyone remember the word “liability”.
On the HB website however, Cody does have the carpet & upholstery cleaning, tile & grout cleaning and wood floor cleaning and polishing called out as offered services. Do all franchisees offer each of these? We do, however, I doubt all do.
It might be appropriate to add in the website that perhaps not all franchisees offer all of the listed services…unless that is changing as well.
Jeff, by the way…the country is regionalized. What sells well in Texas may be a near dud in Pennsylvania…and vice versa. Shoo-fly pie might not go over so well in San Diego, but in Lancaster County it is a staple.
Jeff…one more thing you commented on that does make sense…consistency.
It is apparent that over the years, the operators have different equipment and appearance due to changes from the home office as well. Our second van had totally different fonts and size lettering from the van package of 3 years ago…I paid to have it look like the original, 3 year old van, due to the two of them being parked at our home and larger jobs in nice neighborhoods….it would have looked absolutely dumb to have 2 vans from the same company with 2 different displays.
We took the initiative to change it to look like the other.
Consistency is important and this van logo change will make that happen.
I thought that carpet repairing lay more in the carpet installation area.
Thanks for discussion on these issues! As a franchise I think consistency is one of the key elements to success! As an example, you wouldn’t walk into McDonalds ‘anywhere’ and order Nachos just because the franchissee really loves them and makes good ones – so he decides to sell them. McDonalds doesn’t ‘do’ nachos. Ha! They call that “go and be an Independent”! Mom & Pop businesses do whatever they want and can be very successful, but a franchise needs some regulation and uniformity! I personally believe we have some operators who do business more as an Independent than as a franchissee. In the long run, this WILL negatively affect the company!! If we are going to offer services – there needs to be opportunity for everyone to participate and uniform training & equipment!! If HB isn’t willing to certify a service, it should NOT be offered by any of our franchissees!!
When it comes down to franchises I bet that the McDonalds “exactly the same everywhere” philosophy is pretty exclusive. I can think of several franchises in my area that cater to regional & local tastes (even in food franchises). My wife manages a Marriott here (a very restrictive franchise) and they allow certain regional and local variances.
One of the reasons we chose HB was because it allowed some flexibility for the operators. I do like everyone offering the same services, but I signed on to clean carpet, not stretch it. I have no desire to stretch it, much like I have no desire to dye it or to clean tile floors either. I know others do and they make great money doing it and I say to them keep doing it. I, on the other hand, have built a network of businesses that I refer people to if I don’t do that particular type of work. I agree that uniformity between operators is very important, but I think the look uniformity that coorperate is focusing on right now is much more beneficial than uniformity in services offered (outside of carpet/upholstery cleaning). I think the only time you may find problems with uniformity of services offered is if a customer moves from one side of town to the other and now has a different operator. Even with this though I think most customers will be understanding if you explain it to them and have someone you can recommend to them for that service.
FYI, I have been in a McDonalds that had pizza on the menu, and if I remember right the Taco Bell in Rexburg sells tater tots which I have seen no where else. They both still had the staple tacos and hamburgers, which is ultimately what the customer is probably visiting them for in the first place.
ddevlin wrote:One of the reasons we chose HB was because it allowed some flexibility for the operators. I do like everyone offering the same services, but I signed on to clean carpet, not stretch it. I have no desire to stretch it,I agree with you, I to signed on to clean carpets not to stretch or dye them, I have discovered a new market in tile cleaning and will do it, I also discoverd a new market in hardwood floor cleaning but hate doing it so I will not advertise it.
My pont is I recommend people to dye and stretch carpets and they reccomend us to clean it!!
ditto to Daves remarks…
Also, being originally from Indianapolis, I can tell you all this. McDonald’s would try out many different sandwiches over the years in Illinois and Indiana to test market them before going to the coasts and elsewhere. Many failed never to be heard from again!
McDonalds’s, never, ever to my knowledge ever would enter a new item to the menu without first test marketing it. And they never ever changed the golden arches since the beginning.
I like to clean carpet, upholstery and wood floors (in good repair). tile is not as satisfying at all and very frustrating and messy.
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