Franchises’ Success in Confronting Negative Reputation

Franchisors are slightly more detached from whatever negative occurrence happens with any of their franchisees. However, even when it is obvious upper level management has nothing to do with an accident, serious bad reputation harms the overall brand as well. On the other hand franchisees are more than motivated to take care of the problem, because being their own bosses, they can only gain from diminishing the impact an injurious event has on their business. Those two factors contribute to the promptness, with which franchise business face their problems.

This month a disastrous happening was exposed, when a Burger king employee used social media to anonymously post a picture, showing them standing with both their legs in boxes full of lettuce, commenting that this is the food customers are about to receive when going to the fast food joint. Fellow forumers were quick with a response, pinpointing the original poster’s whereabouts. Within 20 minutes their address was posted and both Burger King headquarters and the local news station were informed with the photograph being re-sent multiple times. The next morning the manager of the restaurant commented about the person of the photo being recognized and about to be fired.

In that case the great infrastructure the organization has, as well as the popularity of the brand helped avert the scandal in its beginning. The franchise having a solid enough notification system allowed for the news to spread within the company and its franchisee’s staff just as quickly as it did outside of the system. Measures were taken before the public opinion managed to take a negative turn and the violator was punished in time. This comes to show the franchisor’s structure and the franchisee’s initiative joined efficiently to prevent a crisis of trust.