Stan Phelps
A purple goldfish is any time a business goes above and beyond to provide a ‘little something extra’ for the customer. It’s that unexpected surprise that’s thrown in for good measure. Also know as marketing g.l.u.e (marketing by giving little unexpected extras).
This list is part of a crowd sourcing project. Stan Phelps and Tiffany Dodson are collecting hundreds of examples for the upcoming book, Purple Goldfish Franchise Edition (2018).
#364. Submitted by Jed Langdon from a comment on the post “What’s Your Purple Goldfish?”.
http://theexperiencefactor.com/whats-your-purple-goldfish/795/
My girlfriend’s father is a HUGE Pizza Express fan and I can now understand why. I’m not sure if you have Pizza Express in the US, but in the UK it is a large Pizza restaurant franchise with over 300 restaurants in the UK (it is called Pizza Marzano in some other countries). He visits his local Pizza Express on average about once a fortnight and is on first name terms with a lot of the staff there. When he walks in the chef usually begins to make his favorite dish, but what is even more impressive is that this is a starter that is no longer on the menu. This is a relationship that has been built up over time through him visiting the restaurant and not because he knows any of the staff, which is often the reason for a customer getting this treatment.
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, my girlfriend’s father was admitted to hospital (fortunately he is going to be ok) and on hearing about him being in hospital the manager of his local Pizza Express took it upon herself to surprise him with his favorite pizza! She contacted the Pizza Express which was closest to the hospital and asked them to make and deliver the pizza to the hospital, free of charge. This is one of the kindest and most generous acts I have seen from a business, and nobody had expected this sort of thought and effort. Talk about making a customer feel valued, special and delivering service way above and beyond expectations!
See all comments on Kelly’s post here:
http://theexperiencefactor.com/whats-your-purple-goldfish/795/#comments
The Great Harvest Bakery is a relatively small franchise chain of wonderful American-style bakeries that is growing slowly on purpose–they want to make extra sure that every new Great Harvest Bakery is top notch and fully reflects the ethos of the original one.
Lagniappe is what Great Harvest Bakery is all about– it comes across in a dozen ways. But the first one any visitor will notice immediately is the free bread tasting every time you come in the door.
Yep, everyone who even stops by gets a free slice of their choice of the day’s fresh-baked bread. A generous free slice. Whether or not you buy something. Whether or not you even stay in the bakery after you take their bread. Whether or not you say thank you. Free bread, every visit!
Of course, there’s a catch: the bread is unbelievably good. That free slice of bread will convince you to buy a whole loaf. We do, almost every week. The panini sandwiches are pretty amazing too, by the way (but not free).
The franchise sub shop features daily trivia. Prizes yesterday included a free cookie if you could answer this riddle:
“What’s brown and sticky?”
Answer: A stick
Free Racquets for Youngsters Attending WTT Matches
The New York Sportimes and USTA Eastern Section have announced that they will provide free tennis racquets to the first 2,000 children aged 12 and under who attend one of the team’s seven July home matches at Randall’s Island.
The free racquet promotion is the latest in a series of fan-friendly promotions the Sportimes, captained by John McEnroe, will stage in July. The Sportimes will provide free shuttle bus service from several stops on the East Side of Manhattan, starting two hours prior to each match and returning to the same locations following the conclusion of each night’s events.
For the matches on July 5th, 11th and 12th, the team will also reimburse Sportimes ticket holders who drive to Randall’s Island for these Sportimes matches for their RFK bridge toll. Ticket holders who submit a paid toll receipt, or who show an EZ-Pass badge, will have the cost of the toll subtracted from their ticket price and those who purchase tickets in advance will have the cost of the toll reimbursed on site.
You shouldn’t give for the accolades
...or the back pats, or the tax breaks. At Jersey Mike’s, we think you should give for one reason and one reason only: to give. Our culture of giving at Jersey Mike’s is as much a part of our heritage as oil and vinegar. We believe that making a great sub sandwich and making a difference can be one in the same. Every store we open starts by partnering with a charity in the local community. Because the way we see it, a sub’s job isn’t done at simply tasting good. A sub should do good too.
During the month of March, customers are invited to come into our restaurants and donate to a local charity partner. The campaign culminates in a nationwide event, Jersey Mike’s "Day of Giving" on the last Wednesday of March, when 100% of the day’s sales are donated to the local partner charity.
After the initial franchise fee, 1-800 Water Damage tells franchisees to put the checkbook away! The franchisor lowers the ownership risk by buying the trucks and equipment, renting the office, paying the employees, and handling almost all of the back office paperwork. The franchisor also offers a salary, benefits and 401K plan to owners.
Worried about getting customers with a new business? The Cleaning Authority cleans up on that worry for new franchisees with a marketing program that drives approximately 80% of local customer acquisition. TCA combines tools like Direct Mail, a Digital Strategy and other tools to make the franchisee’s phone ring.
What if your pay was determined by your direct customer? Two Maids & A Mop set a mission to clean up common challenges in their industry- employee and customer retention. The Franchisor created a Pay for Performance Plan that it credits for increasing the pride a cleaning team takes in caring for a home. The customer rates their level of satisfaction with each service on a scale of 1 - 10. The rating given determines the compensation the cleaning team receives for cleaning the home. The Pay for Performance Plan has been so successful that it has been used for over 10 years. The franchisor notes that the plan creates an ownership mentality in employees, reduced employee turnover, and has increased customer satisfaction.
It is one thing to find customers, something better to have customer retention, but it is an incredible feat to mint customers as true brand ambassadors! Two Maids & A Mop created a trademarked process called The Complete Experience to do just that- turn customers into coveted brand ambassadors. The process relies on six steps 1) Qualifying the Prospect with a proprietary lead generation method, 2) Attracting the Prospect using the core value of customer feedback, 3) Converting the Prospect into a Customer with a systemized sales process, 4) Providing Great Customer Service with employees motivated through a pay for performance plan, 5) Converting the Customer into a Brand Ambassador through ensuring satisfaction and making public conversations easy for the customer and 6) One Customer Creates Another Customer as the public discussion refers more customers to the franchisee.
Some franchise owners tell you that it takes kicking and punching through roadblocks to get customers, especially in the start up phase. But nothing could be farther from the truth according to franchisee Nelly Delgado of the ILoveKickBoxing.com franchise. In the first four months, Delgado says that she had over 400 web sign ups and 150 memberships for her new gym. And she credits the franchisor's corporate office for the sign ups. That is one way to take the sting out of a startup punch!
Often, would-be-franchisees look to ownership, specifically franchise ownership, to provide additional time with their family. With a range of results, some find new lifestyles that leave the neighbors envious for their work week. According to ILoveKickBoxing.com franchisee Peter Peck, he has turned over about 85% of his work load to employees. Walter Rowe has a similar tale, offering that he works five-hours per week on the business, leaving plenty of time for family. Now that is an unbalanced work week most would envy.
When most describe Chick-Fil-A they describe a clean restaurant with warm and welcoming service. Whichever store you visit, the store is just a little brighter and the smiles a little wider than other places. And when a new store opens, customers will line up for a chance to win free food from the chain. Sometimes a smile makes food taste better!
Giving Neighbors a Helping Hand: After the August 2017 Hurricane Harvey unleashed floods across many Texas cities, Liberty Tax Franchisees came together to help. Franchise owners without flooding offered community members a place to recharge electronics and a safe place to bring the kids to watch a movie and have a brief moment of reprieve from the flood and destruction.
Keeping Kids Busy
When it comes to giving back, Buffalo Wild Wings found a way to help keep teens on the right path, by giving them jobs at local restaurants. One franchisee took the program to a local high school creating a 16-week program teaching students how to become restaurant owners and managers. While employee turnover can be high, with this program and investment in teens, BWW enjoys a lower than average turnover for their investment in the young employees.
Customer Retention Grows Green (Marketing System)
Customer retention is a key to success for any business, including the franchise industry. So when a seasonal business boasts 80% customer retention; business owners take note. Lawn Doctor has 80% customer retention earned through a focus on technology and superior customer service. The franchisor notes that with high retention, franchisees may use their funds to expand their business instead of using it to constantly replace customers. And that is some serious green turf!
Partnership Through and Through (Investment)
Funding a business challenges most entrepreneurs, especially for new ones. Lawn Doctor is helping franchisees achieve the American Dream with franchisor funding up to 60%. In addition to a helping hand with financing, this franchise model does not require a main street brick location, so the franchisee achieves breakeven faster with lower expense.
Keep It Simple (Operating System)
Keeping it simple makes it easy to explain the customers and to employees. And clarity adds to margin when all parties know what to expect and how to apply the materials for the job. Lawn Doctor has a proprietary piece of equipment that applies the right amount of product every time regardless of how fast the employee moves. This means better margins for the operator by not wasting product and better results for the customer through correct product application.
Low Cost Entry to the American Dream (Investment)
For many first franchisees, finding the capital to own a business represents the biggest block to achieving their dream. So, some franchisors have mastered a model that provides a low cost of entry to the American Dream. Liberty Tax Service offers a franchise opportunity that runs about $71,900 in the US. Recent Liberty Tax franchisee surveys indicate that low cost was deciding factor in entering the business.
Aged to Perfection (Operating System)
Experience rises as one reason that individuals look to a franchise opportunity versus DIY. I like to say that in business, you either pay tuition to the school of life, or you pay royalties. In a franchise system, typically the experience equates to efficiency and profitability. At Liberty Tax Service, the executive team boasts over 600 years of experience in its industry. And that is over 2.5 times the age of our country- that’s some serious experience!
Removing Barriers (Investment)
Ongoing royalty payments can be a concern for new franchisees. When starting a business, cash flow is the number one reason that businesses fail. So Money Mailer, removes one of the upfront costs of the franchise- no royalties for the first two years! While providing the service and national know brand, the franchisor is not collecting royalties to make break-even and profitability a faster reality!
Business Ownership with a Guaranteed Salary? (Investment)
Giving up a full time salary prevents some from capturing the business ownership dream. With Money Mailer, a lack of salary is no longer a barrier. Money Mailer provides a monthly performance-based check of $2,000 with the first opening of a virgin unmailed territory. And there is more, Money Mailer covers operating expenses for the first six months plus additional incentives, and working capital subsidies for the first two years.
Monday – Friday 9 – 5 exists? (Lifestyle)
Often, employees turn to franchise entrepreneurship to escape long hours and weekend work so that they have more time with family and friends; a better quality of life. Often, the first years of business ownership require long hours, but some service models are able to operate strictly on a Monday through Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm. One example of this model is Fish Window Cleaning. Fish franchisees and employees enjoy a five-day work week with time in the evening for family and a new lifestyle.
A Little Help from my Friends (Investment)
As entrepreneurs gather funds to start their first business, a ready funding source is a big bonus. That is why Budget Blinds offers up to $40,000 in franchisor financing to help the new entrepreneur spread their money farther.
Community Steaks
Many franchisee prospects look for a business that is the fiber of the community; one that gives back. At Quaker Steak & Lube, a casual dining franchise, giving back is part of the franchise. As a popular location with bikers, the restaurant auctions off premier parking spots on popular nights with the proceeds going to support various children’s organizations. The franchise also supports veterans and families of fallen soldiers through various events and a round up program where customers round up their tab with the additional amount going to charity.
Keep It Simply in the Age of Technology (Technology/Operating System)
Great Clips uses technology to keep their model simple. A digital database called Clip Notes allows stylists to review technical information about a customer's previous clips and check in becomes a breeze with the ability for customers to check in right from their phones. The check- in app has over 5 million downloads. The simplicity in technology is considered a contributor to 48 consecutive months of growth and helping the franchise grow to 4,000 locations.
Stan Phelps is a Forbes Contributor, IBM Futurist, and TEDx Speaker. His keynotes and workshops offered at PurpleGoldfish.com focus on how to create meaningful differentiation to win the hearts of both employees and customers. He’s the best-selling author of: Purple Goldfish -12 Ways to Win Customers and Influence Word of Mouth, Green Goldfish - Beyond Dollars: 15 Ways to Drive Employee Engagement, Golden Goldfish - The Vital Few, Blue Goldfish - Using Technology, Data, and Analytics to Drive Both Profits and Prophets, Purple Goldfish Service Edition - The 12 Ways Hotels, Restaurants and Airlines Win the Right Customers, and Red Goldfish - Motivating Sales & Loyalty With Shared Passion and Purpose. Connect with me at stan@purplegoldfish.com or +1.919.360.4702.
