franchisee satisfaction consulting
Published May 31, 2016

Leverage Survey Data to Boost Your Brand’s Culture, Media Presence, and More

This month I participated in several discussions focusing on best practices in surveying. The first was hosted by Boefly and the second was lead by three of Franchise Business Review’s clients as part of our 2016 Ops Series.

Franchisors who lead their sectors are proactively seeking feedback from franchisees, customers, employees and/or candidates. They understand that analyzing and strategically acting upon it positively impacts their bottom line.

Here are just few ways to leverage franchisee satisfaction survey data to positively impact your brand:

Use data to

  • Laser focus improvement efforts: Identify areas of concern that need to be immediately addressed and devise a strategic plan to do so.

“Building a business is a lot like growing a bonsai tree. You begin with a seedling, water and fertilize it. At some point the seedling gets to a size when it needs to be trimmed and shaped. Figuring out how to trim and shape it correctly is crucial. The FBR survey helps us to decide how to trim and shape our company so it will flourish.”

Leeward Bean, CEO of Big Frog

  • Measure corporate team’s performance. Tie team members’ performance to how franchisees rank certain survey questions year-over-year.

 Share results to…

  • Boost corporate culture: Though you may want to only share positive responses, being completely candid about all the feedback you receive demonstrates a willingness to address concerns.

 “Our franchisees want to be affiliated with a high-performing brand. They take pride in being part of a strong team that seeks their input. By surveying our franchisees and sharing the results, as well as what steps we are taking to improve our brand based on their feedback shows their opinion is valued and that we are committed to strengthening our brand. Doing the same internally ensures our corporate staff understands where we stand and are aligned on where we are headed as well.”

Paul Pickett, Chief Development Officer, Wild Birds Unlimited

  • Obtain positive media exposure. Highlighting how your brand scores better in certain areas (e.g. training, corporate culture etc.) than other brands within your marketplace or against benchmark is a great angle. You can tweet out data points individually or group them together in a press release.

If you aren’t surveying your franchisees now, sign up to participate in our research. You’ll receive confidential data regarding how your franchisees are validating your brand and how it compares to the industry benchmark – all other franchise brands.

If you are surveying your franchisees, are you getting the most out of your data as you can? Ensure you are by contacting me to review your survey questions and to discuss how you are currently leveraging your data.

About the Author: Michelle Rowan

Michelle is the president of FBR, the former Chair of the International Franchise Association’s Women’s Franchise Committee. and a Certified Franchise Executive. She is the recipient of the 2022 Crystal Compass Award, has facilitated CEO Performance Groups and Executive Networking Groups and is also a mentor of UNH college students. When she is not at work she is usually reading, playing outside, or hanging out with her husband and daughter.
Want more like this? Connect with us...