After all, we’ve all got better things to do than deal with that minority of people who are rocking the boat. We want to spend time on the big issues and focus on what we’re good at, not rush around putting out fires. It can easily drag you down – that caller ID you dread seeing pop up on your phone, those awkward meetings that don’t seem to achieve anything, the inevitable waste of time and resources when it all comes to a head.
We’ve all pulled that face, haven’t we? What we wouldn’t give to just wave a magic wand and make it all disappear… sadly, that’s just not the way the real world works, is it?
Meeting the problem head-on… with a little help!
Unfortunately, delaying dealing with a problem, or burying your head in the sand, is absolutely the worst way to handle problem franchisees in my experience. Even small problems have a tendency to fester and can grow into real monsters as time goes on.
For example, I recently acted as a mediator between a franchisor and a problematic franchisee. As everyone had avoided tackling the issue for 11 months already, what was a serious, but addressable problem, was quickly turning into a potential disaster. What was a prickly relationship was rapidly evolving into total estrangement, and suddenly it seemed there was no easy solution.
Every single franchisor I have ever worked with – no matter how incredible their business is – has had to deal with this exact dilemma at least once, if not more. Difficult people, while hopefully a small minority, are an unavoidable fact of life when it comes to running a business, and franchisees are no exception.
So, what can you do about it?
Well, my first piece of advice is that you’re always much better off addressing conflict as early as possible.
However, it’s not always that easy. Perhaps you’ve already let things get too far simply because you’ve given greater priority to the tasks you really should be spending the most time on. Like, running and growing your business! It’s completely understandable.
When that happens, you might find you need to bring in some outside help. Which is where our Franchise Relationship Management and Support Service comes in. Bringing a 3rd party to take care of disputes or other problems not only means you don’t have to, but can be very advantageous in terms of outcome, too.
If you’d like to find out more about whether or not it can work for you, why don’t we have a chat? No pressure, no obligation, and absolutely no cost to you. Just 30 minutes of your time to explore the possibilities for you and your franchise.
Just click the link to schedule a call.
