1851

While no one knows how or when the global economy will bounce back from the fallout following the coronavirus crisis, there’s one thing that businesses — including franchises — can all agree on: Communication is key.Because things are so uncertain right now, it’s more important than ever for franchisors to be communicating and supporting their franchisees, regardless of what industry they’re in.Jack Child, founder and president of <a href="https://www.veteranonlyfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-franchisors-can-stay-in-touch-with-franchisees-during-the-coronavirus-crisis-2712792" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">G-FORCE</a>, said, “Every industry is so different. Some are able to bring in income, even if they had to change their business model like those in the food industry.”Those types of changes — even if they aren’t as significant as altering an entire business model — require a lot of communication between franchisors and their franchisees. First and foremost, this type of communication should include how to engage customers while brick-and-mortar locations are closed.Paul Pickett, chief development officer for <a href="https://franchise.wbu.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-franchisors-can-stay-in-touch-with-franchisees-during-the-coronavirus-crisis-2712792" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Wild Birds Unlimited</a>, said, “We created multiple layers of marketing collateral so that our franchisees could begin communicating with their customers on two different levels. First, we knew that our customers would have more time to be at home and birdwatch, so we wanted to focus on getting the message out that this activity can help give you some reprieve from the current situation. Second, we created a whole new set of marketing materials for people who needed to continue getting product in a safe way in order to continue feeding birds. That meant creating signs for stores and digital collateral for websites and social media for our franchisees.”Franchisors also need to be communicating with franchisees regarding their own business-centric questions. Pickett continued, “We set up a specific coronavirus email address so that all of our franchisee requests go through that and a hotline number. That’s helped us focus on emails and calls that need to be streamlined. We have a schedule of who monitors that inbox and hotline on a regular basis, too, so that we can be more productive internally.”Justin Waltz, vice president of operations for <a href="https://www.bigblueswimschool.com/franchising/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-franchisors-can-stay-in-touch-with-franchisees-during-the-coronavirus-crisis-2712792" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Big Blue Swim School</a>, agrees, noting that the first thing his system did was get all of their franchisees on a call together.“When we first decided to close our corporate pools, we did a State of the Pools address with franchisees, which is our State of the Union. Typically, we do that every quarter in order to get in front of our franchise system and tell them not just what we’re working on, but what our beliefs are,” said Waltz. “Our next steps are to work with our franchise advisory council as a coronavirus committee to get in front of our community.”Because the situation is changing rapidly, the conversations that franchisors are having with their franchisees need to continue indefinitely.“Because things are changing so fast, we want to be in front of our franchisees. That’s why we’re having our local owners submit questions for a town hall that we’re going to do with our leadership team. This way franchisees can ask us about things that they’re seeing in their own locations and see what we’re handling on our end,” Waltz said.In addition to coaching franchisees through the current situation, it’s also important for franchise brands to be preparing to come out on the other side of the coronavirus crisis. That means speaking with franchisees about how they’re going to ramp back up once consumers are spending again.“A lot of people are also thinking about life post-coronavirus and what the consumer response is going to be,” said Waltz. “It’s important to communicate how we’re going to hit the ground running on the other side of this.”

How Franchisors Can Stay in Touch with Franchisees During the Coronavirus Crisis

1851 Franchise

Three franchise executives tell 1851 Franchise why it’s more important than ever before for franchise brands to be providing support for their local owners. 

how-franchisors-can-stay-in-touch-with-franchisees-during-the-coronavirus-crisis

ServiceMaster Restore

ServiceMaster Restore - Disaster Response - 1851 Franchise

When Disaster Strikes, ServiceMaster Restore Moves

servicemaster-restore-disaster-response-carmen-coleman

Children's Lighthouse

How Children’s Lighthouse Stands Out Among Other Children’s Education, Childcare, and Daycare Franchises

how-childrens-lighthouse-stands-out-among-other-childrens-education-childcare-and-daycare-franchises

The Growth Coach

The Growth Coach Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

the-growth-coach-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-for-2025

One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning

Why One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning Sees People as the Power Behind Franchise Growth

one-hour-heating-air-conditioning-franchise-growth

Lawn Doctor

Design with photo of John Perry and Lawn Doctor logo

How a 20-Year Industry Veteran Tripled His Sales With a Lawn Doctor Franchise

lawn-doctor-franchise-success-story-john-perry

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Design with American and Federal Reserve flags against light blue background

Federal Reserve Expected To Cut Rates by Quarter Point, a Move That Could Boost Franchise Growth

fed-rate-cut-boosts-franchise-growth

Potbelly to be Acquired by RaceTrac in $566 Million Deal 

racetrac-acquires-potbelly-in-566-million-deal

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities - 1851 Franchise Agg

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities 

health-care-hiring-slowdown-in-home-care-franchise-opportunities

Caribou Coffee Names Scott Kennedy CEO, Eyes Continued Growth

caribou-coffee-names-scott-kennedy-ceo-eyes-continued-growth

McDonald’s Launches New Extra Value Meals as Consumer Demand for Value Continues to Climb

mcdonalds-launches-extra-value-meals

Technomic Releases Annual Ranking of the Top 15 Fast-Food Chains in the U.S.

technomic-releases-annual-ranking-of-the-top-15-fast-food-chains-in-the-us

Power Eats: Smoothie King Rolls Out Food Nationwide To Fuel Franchise Growth

smoothie-king-food-menu-power-eats

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

1851 Keyword - The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

part-time-franchises-picking-the-right-model

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ricki Oberoi and Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

How Franchisors Can Stay in Touch with Franchisees During the Coronavirus Crisis

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS