3 Reasons Why Every Great Franchise Starts With a Culture of Learning
Think about your favorite franchised business. Whether it’s a restaurant, hotel, gym, or other service, one thing is for sure: the customer experience is consistently high-quality, regardless of which location you visit.
In the customer’s eyes, this kind of consistency is what builds their trust in the brand, reinforcing brand recognition and loyalty. For employees, a culture of continuous learning can boost motivation and workplace productivity.
When a franchisor first establishes a franchise business, he or she places focus on building a franchise model and rolling it out for a few franchisees. This model will include some type of training program for new franchisees.
This article will explore how franchise owners can leverage workplace training to create a consistent customer experience and a positive work culture.
Why is online training important for franchises?
The value of training is no secret to franchise owners, who cite attracting and retaining high-quality employees and owners. By providing training, franchises can empower employees to provide excellent customer experiences, while also giving employees and owners the tools and knowledge they need to streamline operations.
Franchise Business Review predicts a boom in multi-unit opportunities for franchisors in 2024. This, along with a rise in remote and flexible work models in franchising, may make online learning a higher priority. To keep owners and employees informed and aligned, regardless of their location, franchisors should opt for virtual instructor-led training (VILT) or video-based learning that can be accessed from any device.
Who needs franchise training?
When a franchisor first establishes a franchise business, they may focus on building a franchise model and rolling it out for a few franchisees. This model usually includes some type of training program for new franchisees.
Two groups within a franchise need quality training opportunities:
- The franchisee owners and managers who need to understand how the franchise operates from top to bottom, and how their business can be successful within this system.
- The employees of the franchisee who need training to understand how they can individually contribute to franchisee success.
Take McDonald’s, for instance. Perhaps the world’s best-known franchise, McDonald’s has always taken a proactive approach to learning across its network. It revolutionized business learning by opening its ‘Hamburger University’ in 1961, designed to teach managers and franchisee owners the secrets of opening and running a high-quality franchisee.
Since then, McDonald’s has maintained its forward-thinking approach to training for franchisees, managers and their employees, and the approach has undoubtedly contributed to ongoing success. The result is a totally consistent customer and employee experience, from Paris, Texas to Paris, France.
Training is the key to creating a strong franchise brand and employee experience. Here’s why fostering a strong culture of learning can contribute to a franchise’s success:
1. Training creates consistent, replicable standards
You’ve heard the phrase, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” The same applies to franchises and their “links”: the franchisees. A franchisee running their business sub-optimally can damage the franchise’s reputation, which can dilute the brand and decrease both employee and customer retention.
One crucial way to avoid this situation is to ensure better learning systems are in place. Franchisors should not expect franchisees to already possess all of the skills required to run a particular business. Identifying learning gaps, and creating training that franchisees and employees can access from a centralized learning solution can help franchisors address areas for improvement before they translate into poor performance.
2. Training improves communication, adaptability, and innovation
A culture of learning can’t happen without communication and planning. So, while a franchisor could simply take the “set it and forget it” approach to training, the most successful ones use training initiatives as an opportunity to gain actionable feedback from managers and employees. Effective training provides opportunities for franchisors to learn what’s happening on the ground from franchisees and their employees, which can ultimately improve their understanding of customer needs.
3. Training empowers franchisees to perform better
For a franchisee to be successful, its owners require a certain degree of freedom to be able to meet the specific needs of the business. Franchisee owners often encounter challenges specific to their circumstances, and they will need access to the tools required to overcome these challenges without having to report to the franchisor. Including just-in-time resources in franchise training programs can help give franchisees the skills required to solve problems in the moment, without needing to take an entire online or in-person course.
Using an LMS for franchise training is a good starting point for fostering a culture of learning because it can easily support a number of successful franchises, while also seamlessly delivering and tracking learning goals across the broader business.
