Multi-Unit Franchisee Insight – Raising The Bar & Using Innovations To Build Your Company

We talk to successful multi-unit operators regularly here at Franchise Update Media. These busy on-the-go people share great insight and wisdom with us through our profile stories in Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine. Here, from our archives, are some insightful responses from some of these franchisees.

How have you raised the bar in your own company?
We have a saying in our company, "It's all about the people." You can have the greatest products in the world, but if you don't have the people to serve the customers it doesn't matter. We focus on hiring, training, and retaining the right people to provide what I call a Star Experience, which I developed. It stands for Stellar service, Timeliness, Accuracy, and Repeat visits to continue to build sales and grow transactions. We make sure we embed what it means to give the customer a Star Experience in everything we do. We are also investing and reinvesting in the business to modernize our physical plants and give our customers a new experience with technology and new product offerings as part of McDonald's Vision 2020.

What innovations have you created and used to build your company?
We are always trying to get better at being better. As we grow as a multi-unit franchisee, we look for ways to streamline processes and find effective ways to communicate all the key initiatives throughout our organization. We hire people and put them in the right positions to drive the business.
 Paul Booth, Jr., multi-unit franchisee of McDonald's

How have you raised the bar in your own company?
We have stressed the importance of effective communication as we have moved from single-school ownership to multi-unit operations. What we once took care of ourselves, we now must rely on our staff to accomplish. So we have raised the bar (and our expectations) on developing and using communication tools that assist us in addressing issues before they become problems.

What innovations have you created and used to build your company?
Several years ago, our parent surveys indicated there was an unmet need in our market for a private first-grade program. Working with the Primrose Schools education team, we developed and implemented a first-grade program at our Kelliwood school. The program is in great demand and has been very effective at preparing children for success, both academically and socially. Primrose Schools designated it as a School of Innovation, as it is the only school in the system offering a first-grade program.
 Lou Ann McLaughlin, multi-unit franchisee of Primrose Schools