Ongoing franchise support: how to organise it in Argentina

Franchising an existing business does not end when the first outlet opens. The franchisor must be able to support operations when questions, faults or situations arise that the team does not yet know how to resolve. Building a sustainable franchise network requires clear responsibilities, resources and a defined scope of support. Organising this before offering franchises helps avoid promising support that later proves impossible to deliver.

What Argentine law requires

In Argentina, franchise agreements are specifically governed by Articles 1512 to 1524 of the National Civil and Commercial Code, enacted by Law 26,994. They should not be treated as agreements without their own statutory framework, nor should draft legislation be presented as law currently in force.

Article 1514(d) requires the franchisor to provide technical assistance to help the franchise operate effectively throughout the term of the agreement. Transferring know-how and explaining how the business works at the outset therefore does not fulfil the entire support obligation.

The legislation does not prescribe a universal number of visits or a single deadline for responding to enquiries. These details must be defined according to the nature of the business and the parties’ agreement, without undermining the substance of the legal obligation. It is advisable to have a legal professional check that the support promised in sales materials aligns with the contractual obligations.

Define which problems support will cover

The first step is to look at the help your own business currently needs. Review the enquiries the owner receives, recurring difficulties faced by managers and problems requiring specialist intervention. This information will help you design a service based on real needs.

Organise the scope into three categories:

• Operational enquiries: applying procedures, using the franchise system’s tools and questions about service delivery.
• Business continuity incidents: faults that prevent the outlet from operating or significantly disrupt customer service.
• Performance improvements: analysing recurring difficulties and recommending ways to apply the business model more effectively.

Define the limits too. The franchisor’s assistance does not automatically replace the accountant, solicitor or technician engaged by each franchisee. Where an enquiry falls within a third party’s remit, there should be a clear referral process.

For example, if the ordering system fails, the franchisor might coordinate diagnosis and provide a workaround while the technology supplier carries out the repair. What matters is that the franchisee knows who is responsible for each task.

Assign responsibilities and response times

An email address or telephone number does not, on its own, constitute a support service. Each type of request needs a designated person responsible, someone to cover their absence and an escalation process if the initial response is insufficient.

Prepare a simple matrix setting out:

• The designated channel for submitting enquiries.
• Support hours and arrangements for urgent issues.
• Who receives and categorises requests.
• Which specialist a request can be referred to.
• The agreed timeframe for an initial response.
• How progress and closure will be communicated.

Distinguish between response time and resolution time. Acknowledging a request promptly does not mean the problem has been solved, and some incidents depend on external suppliers. Promising an immediate solution in every case creates expectations that are difficult to meet.

Before taking on franchisees, check your available capacity. Estimate the time needed for enquiries, meetings, travel and follow-up. If all support depends on the founder, you still lack a structure capable of supporting growth.

Document the service and its costs

The agreement should describe the scope of assistance, how it will be delivered and each party’s responsibilities. It is also worth specifying the information the franchisee must provide to enable diagnosis: a description of the incident, when it first occurred and what steps have already been tried.

Clarifying costs helps prevent disputes later. Identify which services are included in the regular fees and which may incur additional charges, such as certain travel expenses or exceptional services. Any additional charge should be subject to clear, agreed terms; it should not come as a surprise when a difficulty arises.

These boundaries must not be used to turn all technical assistance into an optional service. The financial and contractual arrangements must respect the obligation established by the Code.

Log cases and improve support

Keep a shared record of requests, assigned responsibilities, actions and outstanding tasks. You do not need a complex tool to begin with: the essential point is to prevent enquiries from getting lost in individual conversations.

Review recurring problems, unresolved cases and effective solutions regularly. If several outlets need the same explanation, an instruction may be unclear or a tool may need adjusting. Sharing useful lessons strengthens the franchise network without disclosing confidential information about individual businesses.

In practice: before offering your first franchise, define the scope of support, who will provide it, response times and costs. Then test the process using real enquiries from your own operation.