The rise of Covid-19 and the current lockdowns and restrictions have impacted almost every industry in Australia, and franchises are no exception. But while we cannot control lockdowns, many Australian businesses have been exploring innovative ways to stay open.
As a messaging platform, Podium have been at the forefront of some of these effort and have gathered some learnings that franchises can use to lockdown-proof their operations. As we start to look at coming out of lockdowns, there’s still time to implement changes and provide your franchisees with extra support to take them to the end of the year.
Rethink how you can deliver your service
Franchises have the special advantage of a local presence, and local communities are keen to support them. As we start planning to open up, reaching out to local, loyal customers is an important step, but can you be offering them something different right now? We’ve seen hairdressers customising and hand delivering treatments, plumbers implementing no-touch text-to-pay options for nervous customers, retailers offering video consults and personal shopping experiences, and so, so much more. What can your franchises do to deliver their service differently?
Use video where you can
Podium customer Jax Tyres and Auto realised early in the 2020 Victorian lockdown that they needed to do something different. Podium Videochat allowed them to deliver their Peace of Mind Driving promise by offering remote inspections over video, giving their franchisees a new way to support customers in a tough time.
Most franchises, in any industry, can learn from this idea! At Podium we’ve seen customers from jewellers to dentists using Videochat in new ways to deliver face-to-face service, from a distance.
Frame promotions around what local communities are battling
While national campaigns have major advantages, they need to be tweaked for local delivery. Communicate with your franchisees and look for local stories and needs. If you’re promoting a discount, help them frame it around what their local community are facing, and customise your message accordingly.
It could have been a text
In an era where customers will always have their mobile next to them, sending them an email or asking them to pick up a call is a missed opportunity. Text has a 98% open rate and you need to be taking advantage of that. A tool like Podium facilitates all your customer interactions, even payments, via text message. This ensures your message gets seen and minimises the need for close contact between your teams and your customers – a massive benefit during current restrictions.
Big business happens locally
Staying on top of all of your locations, and their teams, has never been more crucial. With many Australians now facing WFH situations, communication is quick to break down. If you’re now funnelling queries via national channels, you need to be sure your local teams are picking them up.
At Podium, we know that big business still happens locally. Whether you have ten locations or hundreds, you can manage every interaction in one platform. Which means no lost leads, no team confusion, and no customer frustration.
Find out more about how Podium helps franchises across Australia.
