Confronting and Resolving Franchisee Issues Part 1

In this installment of Successful Franchising, we begin a series of detailed instructions for the Franchise Support Representative, to give the Support Representative a set of tools for confronting and resolving issues with franchisees. The first step is to define the problem and find a means to solve it.

1. Define the issue with the Franchisee, and establish what needs to be changed or improved.
Your discussion with the Franchisee should be framed from the outset by a clear definition of what the problem is. In addition to working through the immediate problem, you will be modeling a straightforward approach to dealing with conflicts for the Franchisee.

In order to define the issue at hand, describe in specific terms what you've observed and experienced. Or ask the Franchisee to begin the discussion by doing the same. He/she may need some prompting on your part through questions which elicit facts and feelings and serve to focus the discussion. A key point to remember is that the focus should remain on the issue, not on the person. Avoid sweeping statement such as "Our communication has not been very good." Explain your position tactfully, specifically, and non-aggressively.

Avoid attributing conflict to the other person's "bad attitude" or "personal style". To keep the focus off personality, track the conflict back to its roots, citing concrete and specific work activities. This approach should lead you toward a solution and away from further conflict.