Franchisee support: put your service structure in place before expanding

Before turning a business into a franchise, you need to decide how to support those who will run it away from the founder. Answering questions on a personal phone may work for a company-owned outlet, but it does not provide a replicable support structure. In a franchise network, ongoing support needs a defined scope, designated staff and resources that match what is being offered. This structure should be ready before you start selling the first franchises.

1. Turn the idea of support into specific deliverables

Start by identifying which difficulties will require guidance from the franchisor after opening. Review records from the existing operation and speak to the people managing the outlet: which problems recur, which require specialists, and which could be resolved using guidance that is already available?

Organise these needs into categories, such as operational queries, system use, campaign implementation and performance analysis. The aim is not to create an unlimited list of services, but to define what the franchisor can consistently deliver.

For each category, record:

• Deliverable: what guidance or assistance will be available.
• Responsibility: who receives the request and who can resolve it.
• Channel: where the franchisee should submit the request.
• Availability: the days and hours when support will be available.
• Limits: what remains the responsibility of the franchisee or an external provider.

For example, explaining how to interpret performance indicators does not mean taking over the outlet’s financial management. Similarly, helping to diagnose a system fault does not mean guaranteeing an independent supplier’s repair times. These distinctions need to be clear from the outset.

2. Set priorities and avoid informal support arrangements

Not every request needs the same speed of response. A question about a future campaign should not compete indiscriminately for attention with a disruption that prevents an outlet from operating.

Create priority categories based on operational impact, the availability of a temporary workaround and urgency. Set separate targets for initial response and resolution: acknowledging a support ticket is not the same as solving the problem.

Avoid promising a solution within a fixed timeframe when it depends on third parties or technical investigation. In these cases, specify when the franchisee will receive an update and who will follow up on the issue.

Establish an escalation process as well. If the first support team member cannot resolve the issue, they should know whom to contact, what information to pass on and who will stay in touch with the outlet. Franchisees should not have to work out for themselves whom to approach.

A central system for logging requests reduces information loss. Phone calls and messages can complement support, but the request, the guidance provided and the closure of the case should all be documented. This helps identify recurring problems and prevents different team members from giving conflicting answers.

3. Calculate capacity before committing to availability

A support structure should be sized according to the work required, not simply the target number of franchises. Newly opened outlets may need a different level of support from established operations.

Run a simulation using real problems from the business. Record the time spent understanding each request, gathering information, advising the operator and checking the outcome. Include regular meetings, preparation of analyses and travel where on-site support is provided.

Use these findings to estimate the workload for each type of outlet, then compare it with the team’s actual available hours. Keep some capacity free for unexpected issues; filling the entire schedule with planned activities leaves the support service vulnerable.

Also decide who will cover for each person responsible during holidays, absences or site visits. Support that depends entirely on one person cannot provide reliable continuity.

Before accelerating expansion, monitor straightforward indicators: request volumes, initial response times, outstanding cases and how often cases are reopened. Also assess whether the guidance was understood. Closing a ticket quickly does not, in itself, show that the problem has been resolved.

4. Align support with the franchise disclosure document and agreement

In Brazil, Law No. 13,966/2019, known as the Franchise Law, governs business-format franchising and repealed Law No. 8,955/1994. Article 2, item XIII, requires the Circular de Oferta de Franquia (COF), Brazil’s franchise disclosure document, to state what is offered to the franchisee and on what terms, including support, network supervision and services.

Generic phrases such as “comprehensive support” are therefore no substitute for an objective description. The COF must reflect the structure available, and the franchise agreement must be consistent with that offering. Specify the forms of support, the conditions for site visits and any additional charges, with legal review.

If fees are charged for support or specific services, also comply with the legal disclosure requirements covering fees and other payments, how they are calculated and what they are for. Do not allow foreseeable costs to emerge only after the agreement has been signed.

In practice: before offering your first franchise, test the entire process for handling a support request. You will be better prepared for expansion when franchisees know where to ask for help, who will respond and what they can realistically expect.