1. Have Conversations with Your Customers

“Let your customer be your University.” Through conversations with customers, you can find new ways of delighting them. Opening up direct communication with customers allows you to ask calculated questions that give you insight into what your customers are thinking and experiencing when interacting with your franchise.

This is an opportunity to recreate and adjust the customer experience based on information directly from the source. Direct contact with the customer cuts out any guess-work about what will intrigue and convince the customer to spend money more frequently with the franchise. The user experience should be designed precisely around what they want. An example is Starbucks who used customer information to restructure their loyalty/rewards program.

2. Study The Competition

Understanding what your competition is, or is not doing is another important way you can easily improve and gather new data on customer experience.

There is an old success principle that states the best way to succeed is to model those that have been successful. In other words, there is no need to re-invent the wheel by designing a brand new system, or sales funnel if your competition is using something that is already working better than the system you have in place. Just incorporate their system and work on improving it.

Sales grow as your systems and customer experience gets simpler and easier to navigate. The customer wants it to be as easy as possible to buy from you.

3. Be Part of Your Community

Not surprisingly, everyone likes a franchise that is involved in the community. It helps your customer see you as trustworthy, caring, and willing to give back.

One franchisee shared that every marketing action you take must be about how you will serve your community. Raising money for a local cause or opening a scholarship fund is a perfect way to give back and to become a visible leader in your community. Rewards to customers help build your brand’s reputation which leads to a more trusted brand which leads to better sales and customer loyalty.

Study your competition and use customer feedback to course correct and enhance your customer experience. Equally as important, being a visible leader in your community bolsters your customers’ confidence in your brand and leads to better franchise success.