“Honesty builds relationships, which is the cornerstone of any successful business,” says CEO of multi-brand franchise chains, Restoration 1 and bluefrog Plumbing + Drain, Gary Findley
In today’s world, there is one common trait between all successful brands – integrity. It’s something we hope to find in every business we interact with, whether it’s our own or not. And integrity plays a large part in brand growth, especially in franchising. The larger the franchise, the more important it is to establish a consistent truth throughout every location, and that starts at the headquarters level. Here are three ways to ensure the integrity of your brand.
1. You have to be open and honest
Always be truthful with customers and employees, whether it’s with advertising, direct conversation or other forms of communication. Honesty builds relationships, which is the cornerstone of any successful business. It’s important for the customer to trust your product or service – and this is how you can foster integrity for your brand.
2. Make customers your top priority
All brands exist to serve customers in some way shape or form, whether it’s through a product or specific service. That’s why it’s important to keep customers at the forefront. Your manner, words and actions need to demonstrate to customers that you are there to serve and understand them. It’s our job to show them how much our brand values them. A win in customer satisfaction is a win for the entire brand.
3. Build a team with integrity
Once integrity is established in the top levels of the brand, you want it to permeate throughout the whole organization. This starts with being very thoughtful about who you hire. When talking to potential franchisees, bring up conversations surrounding integrity. Ask about their goals, their values, and how they would handle certain situations.
Integrity is the cornerstone of any strong business looking to grow its network. It may not happen over night, but done right from the beginning, the journey to success will be a whole lot smoother – benefiting you, your franchisees and your customers as a whole.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gary Findley, the self-proclaimed “Redneck CEO”, oversees one of the fastest-growing multi-brand franchise chains – Restoration 1 and bluefrog Plumbing + Drain. Both headquartered in Waco, Texas, Restoration 1 is an award-winning brand with more than 250 locations, while bluefrog, acquired in 2017, serves as the perfect complement to Restoration 1.
