Opening a franchise location requires a lot more than just a solid business model, the right amount of capital, and ambitious zeal to succeed. It’ll also require a degree of hard work and perseverance in order to get your location off the ground, and running smoothly. Thankfully, that’s part of the fun, especially if you’re the sort of entrepreneur who constantly enjoys optimizing day-to-day operations for better flow.
Training and development are essential when it comes to making a success out of a franchise location, whether it’s your first, or tenth. You’ll still need to apply the same rigorous principles to make sure staff are operating at peak efficiency, thereby increasing the quality and accuracy of your menu and service. Here’s why it’s so important.
QUALITY IS KING
Nobody enters a restaurant establishment with the intention of eating a bad meal, loathing the ambiance, or feeling offended by the service. However, it’s not enough to simply have good intentions. The best franchisees understand that the secret sauce is made by constantly pushing for improvement across the entire spectrum of operations. From the moment patrons enter the front door, they ought to feel as if the franchise has put a platinum standard of quality at the top of its list.
You can achieve this by training staff to be quick when it comes to seating and taking orders, prompt when addressing concerns, and constantly pushing for top shelf food sent to each table. Quality may slip from time to time, but it shouldn’t be ignored. Rather, look at every negative customer reaction as a reminder that quality should always be a primary priority from the moment the doors open, to when they close in the evening.
CONSISTENCY IS CRUCIAL
As part of a restaurant franchise chain, you’ll need to abide by a lot of standards and rules laid down by the head office, all of which are designed to maximize success and profit across the board. Deviating from these standards isn’t just a bad idea; it may also be a breach of contract. However, beyond the possible legal implications of violating company policies and standards, it can have a trickle-down effect that causes patrons to take notice.
For instance, your favorite restaurant franchise became so by giving you what you want, every single time. It doesn’t matter if you dined at a local location, or one from another city. You expect standards and quality to remain the same, regardless of where you are in the world. As a franchisee, you need to think the same way, but in reverse. Brand and menu consistency is beneficial not just for your franchise, but all. Make sure to train your staff to understand that company branding and menu standards need to be upheld at all times.
ROI IS THE END GOAL
Investing in the training and development of your team will pay off in a big way, so make sure to implement the moves necessary to make it happen. Your franchisor has already done a lot of the hard work for you. The rest is up to you to execute within your franchise location so that it can hit the ground running. Don’t neglect investing in the people that make your location run, or it may come back to haunt you later on.
Rather, be sure to take the time necessary to do the job properly, so you can generate an ROI that will pay dividends well into the future. It’s also important to remember that the initial investment you put in can be replicated with less cost if you decide to open another location, since you’ll already have learned what works, and what does not.
EMPLOYEE RETENTION
An improperly or poorly-trained team is one that will fragment at breakneck speed, and that can lead to all sorts of problems, from internecine warfare to high employee turnover. Training sets standards, boundaries and expectations on staff that also make them feel part of a well-oiled machine. This, in turn, leads to happier, healthier and more productive employees who are less likely to throw in the towel after a bad shift.
Remember, there will always be good days, as well as bad ones. Your job is to create as many of the former as possible, while preventing the latter from creeping in. Proper training and development is something of a magic wand that, while not perfect, will drastically reduce the amount of headaches you’ll suffer as a franchise owner, while avoiding the costly and potentially chronic problem of employee turnover.
WORD-OF-MOUTH MARKETING
Modern day patrons are hardwired to notice everything about the way a restaurant franchise operates, and they’re busy scrutinizing the service, as well as the food. It’s easy to spot an uncoordinated, non-communicative team that can’t take an order or provide timely service, while delivering subpar food. Skipping on training and development is akin to begging for negative customer feedback that can extend far beyond the location, and into the realm of digital social media.
Conversely, a well-trained, poised and professional team that exudes confidence and friendliness while dishing out amazing food will have the precise opposite effect. This can lead to word-of-mouth marketing that costs you absolutely nothing. Your team should be trained to understand the importance of keeping operations running optimally, day in and day out. It’s better for the patrons, it’s better for the business, and it’s better for them.
CONCLUSION
Be real – you knew that training and development was really, really important to the success of a franchise location, but did you know just how much? If you didn’t, you certainly do now! It’s always good to take a step back and analyze the benefits that many entrepreneurs rarely think about when opening a franchise location, so they can be extra-aware of it when the doors finally open.
Speaking of which, if you’re interested in opening your very own restaurant franchise location, then St. Louis Bar & Grill wants to hear from you. Our business model has reaped massive success in Canada, but we still have so much more territory to cover. Hence, we’re always on the lookout for determined, ambitious and positive franchisees to join our family, and share the success. Contact us today!
