Franchise Times describes how Frantz Group works with franchisors and franchisees to improve communication and get new technology deployed quickly and effectively.
That’s where the Frantz Group comes in. Think of the Wisconsin-based business-to-business marketing company as a business translator. The company has been helping quick-service restaurants and hotels integrate technology for 15 years. And it helps franchisees implement technology mandated by franchisors, while bringing their concerns back to the corporate office. Jennifer Minogue, vice president of marketing and strategic services for Frantz Group, says communication among franchisors, franchisees and technology vendors is crucial during technology implementation. “If the communication around the rollout isn’t there, it can be a source of animosity and ultimately mistrust,” she says.
Technology implementation is a frequent cause of animosity between franchisors and franchisees. Franchisors want new technology in their stores because they want to increase revenue, improve customer service, and reduce costs, Minogue says. But they sometimes don’t consider what the franchisees want and fail to clearly communicate the reason for the changes—they see the system-wide picture, but franchisees are focused on store-level impact.
One of the most common reasons franchisees balk at technology mandates is a lack of understanding of the technology itself, Minogue says.“They don’t know how it relates to other technology they might have or how the pieces fit together,” she says.
Resistance can also be the result of “sticker shock,”—a $25,000 POS system is a substantial investment for a single-unit owner who has sufficient technology he’s already comfortable using.