Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue I, 2014 | Page 74

L oya l t y T H R O U G H S E R V I C E
“There is one way and one way only for any company to ensure its financial
security: by creating satisfied, loyal customers. A satisfied, loyal customer is one
who re-purchases, again and again, and recommends a product to friends as well.”
—The One to One Future, Don Peppers & Martha Rogers, 1993
elements they can control—while still
growing sales. But there is a structural
challenge franchisees must overcome.
“Customer service is a heads-up business, but there’s a gravitational pull to
become eyes-down to achieve throughput
and efficiency. You need some exceptional
people who learn to look up, smile, engage, and reinforce the positive—even
if it’s only a slice of pizza,” says Edwards.
“When we think of service and hospitality I think the words get used interchangeably and they’re not,” he says.
“We have incredible service standards,

Gary Edwards

but rarely see true hospitality. The compromise is we won’t see the true service
standard.”
He says these are trade-offs we’ve
made as a culture: sacrificing true hospitality for order accuracy and speed.
The good news for franchisees, he says,
is that the bar is set so low, “Anything
done thoughtfully in the consumer’s
interest tends to stand out.”
Speed still counts, but it’s no longer
a big differentiator, says Dave Melton,
who operates four high-volume Domino’s
Pizza stores in Manhattan, where speed
is everything. “As long as you’re within
the 20- to 30-minute time frame, then
you’re providing what people expect. If
you can consistently do 15 or 20 minutes,
that’s ratcheted up customer service,” he

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Multi-Unit Franchisee Is s ue I, 2014

says. Still, he adds, “I think speed has
been commoditized.”
When most elements of the customer
experience become commoditized, consumers tend to be constantly looking
for deals, pushing the price point, says
Edwards. When that happens, “I feel
sorry for the franchisees; margins tend
to be so thin.” And while he praises the
“brilliant engineering” by franchisors
and franchisees in operational efficiency
and food quality, he says something is
lost in the process.
While making helpful menu suggestions or pointing out the deal of the
day matters, “Little things, along with
showing some genuine enthusiasm for
the product choices that guests make
can go a long way,” says Edwards. “QSR
brands, no matter the specific type of
food, are fighting for the same customers. To conveniently find great product
at a good price with a little unexpected
flair makes the experience stand out,
and that really drives consumer loyalty.”
In fact, the study