Organising Ongoing Support for Franchisees

Successfully running your own business does not necessarily mean you are ready to support franchisee-owned outlets. After opening, franchisees will face day-to-day problems that need practical answers, not simply access to a manual. Before franchising a business in Indonesia, define the ongoing support you can realistically provide. Across a franchise network, clarity about support helps maintain trust while preventing franchisees from relying on the brand owner for every minor decision.

1. Translate legal obligations into a defined scope of support

Indonesia’s Government Regulation No. 35 of 2024 on Franchising provides that franchise activities must be based on an agreement between parties of equal legal standing and governed by Indonesian law. The agreement’s minimum required content includes the assistance, facilities, operational guidance, training and marketing support provided by the franchisor to the franchisee.

This means statements such as “franchisees receive full support” are too vague to serve as an operational guide. Set out the assistance available once an outlet is trading, not just during preparations for opening. Examples include advice on implementing standards, discussions about stock issues, guidance on using systems and reviews of local marketing activities.

Distinguish between these three categories:

• Routine services: support included in the franchise relationship and provided according to an agreed schedule or agreed needs.
• Additional services: work outside the routine scope, subject to separate charges and approval where applicable.
• Franchisee decisions: matters that remain the franchisee’s responsibility, such as staff scheduling in line with applicable rules.

The regulation does not prescribe a single response time for all support requests. Service standards need to reflect both the outlets’ needs and the franchisor’s capacity. Distinguish legal obligations from any additional service standards you choose to promise.

2. Create a service list you can deliver

Prepare a service sheet for each type of support. Specify who can submit a request, the information they must provide, communication channels, service hours, the person responsible and the outcome the franchisee can expect. Deliverables should be concrete, such as written recommendations, a discussion session or a visit with a list of follow-up actions.

Do not make the founder’s personal phone number the only route to support. Use official channels that allow cover staff to access conversations and retain their history. That way, a change of staff will not force franchisees to explain the same problem from scratch.

Also distinguish between initial response time and resolution time. An initial response means the request has been received, assessed and assigned. Resolution means the agreed support has been delivered or the issue has been addressed within the franchisor’s scope of responsibility. The two do not always happen at the same time.

Set priority categories according to impact. A disruption that prevents transactions clearly differs from a request for advice on product displays. For safety concerns or suspected breaches of the law, provide an escalation route to suitably qualified people or relevant authorities; routine franchise support is no substitute for emergency assistance or professional advice.

3. Test your capacity before promising support

Draw on experience from your own outlets to record support requests arising during normal operations. Note the types of problems, the time needed to handle them, any visits required and the involvement of specialists. The aim is not to reassess the outlets’ success, but to measure the support workload you will take on once franchisees begin operating.

Make a simple estimate of the time required: multiply the number of outlets to be supported by the expected frequency of requests and the time needed to handle each one. Add travel time, documentation, follow-up and a buffer for urgent incidents. This is an internal estimate that needs updating, not a fixed figure set by the government.

Also test what happens when the main support contact is unavailable. Who takes over? Does that person have access to the issue history and the authority to make decisions? A promise of regular visits is unrealistic if every visit depends on one person who also handles new outlet openings.

For paid additional support, explain from the outset when charges apply. For example, an unscheduled visit requested by a franchisee may require approval of travel costs. Do not turn support already promised as a routine service into an extra charge without an agreed basis.

4. Document outcomes and review them with franchisees

Ensure that descriptions of support are consistent across your offer, prospectus and agreement. If service details appear in an appendix to the agreement, make sure both parties agree to it and can access it. Avoid verbal promises that go beyond the support capacity set out in writing.

Each request should have a brief record covering the issue, its impact, the staff member responsible, actions taken, follow-up deadlines and final status. Ask the franchisee to confirm that the support has been received. Confirmation of receipt does not automatically mean that all business consequences have been resolved or that the franchisee has waived their rights.

Review recurring issues regularly. Repeated questions on the same subject may indicate unclear guidance, while recurring delays may suggest insufficient support capacity. Discuss findings with franchisees without using the number of support requests as a reason to shame individual outlets.

Practical step: before offering a franchise, prepare a support service list specifying the scope, responsible staff, response times, cost limits and evidence of completion. Promise support you can deliver consistently, then use service records to improve it.