Planning Ongoing Franchisee Support in Saudi Arabia Before Granting a Franchise

When turning an existing business into a franchise, it is not enough for franchisees to know how to get operations up and running. They also need to know who will help when they encounter an issue the operations manual cannot resolve. Within a franchise network, ongoing support becomes a practical commitment that affects trust and the stability of individual outlets. Design your support service before granting a franchise, rather than relying on a promise of ‘comprehensive support’ that your team may struggle to deliver and prospective franchisees may find difficult to assess.

1. Turn the legal obligation into a clear service scope

Franchising in Saudi Arabia is governed by the Commercial Franchise Law and its Implementing Regulations. Article 11 of the Law requires the agreement to include the franchisor’s commitment to providing the technical, marketing and other expertise required by the nature of the franchise granted. It also addresses technical support fees as part of the payments the franchisee must make. The meaning and cost of support should therefore not be left to verbal understandings.

Start by listing the services a franchisee will need after opening, such as clarification of operating procedures, help using approved systems, guidance on implementing campaigns, and analysis of recurring operational problems. For each service, set out what the franchisor will actually provide and what information the outlet must supply before work can begin.

Distinguish between providing expertise and doing the work on the franchisee’s behalf. Explaining a sales report is not the same as managing an outlet’s accounts, and advising an outlet manager does not mean taking over the management of their staff. This distinction prevents support from becoming unplanned day-to-day management and keeps both parties’ responsibilities clear.

You can organise the list into a service sheet for each service, covering:

• A description of the service and its expected outcome.
• The channel for submitting requests and the hours when support is available.
• The information required from the franchisee.
• The person responsible for handling the request and the limits of their authority.
• What the agreed fee covers and what requires a separate request.

These service sheets are a suggested management tool, not a mandatory template prescribed by law.

2. Design the request process from receipt to closure

Relying on the founder’s phone makes support dependent on one person’s availability and makes it difficult to establish whether an issue has been resolved. Choose a single channel for logging requests, even if it is a simple tool, and give each request a reference number, an owner and a clear status. Urgent calls can still be accepted, but their details should be recorded afterwards so that decisions are not lost.

Categorise requests according to their impact, not simply how urgently the sender presents them. A failure affecting a core process across all outlets is different from a query about how to display a product. Establish internal definitions for urgent, routine and advisory requests, and specify who has the authority to change a classification when new information emerges.

Also distinguish between response time and resolution time. A response means acknowledging receipt of the request and beginning to assess it; resolution may depend on additional information or an external technology provider. Do not promise to fix every problem within the same timeframe if you do not control its causes. Instead, commit to a clear follow-up process and appropriate updates.

For example, if an outlet cannot use an approved system, it should submit a description of the problem, the extent of its impact and the steps already attempted. The support lead reviews the request and refers it to a specialist where necessary. The request should not be closed merely because a reply has been sent, but only once the solution or agreed action has been documented and communicated to the franchisee.

3. Test team capacity and the cost of your promises

Before specifying service levels in the agreement, trial the process internally using requests from your existing outlets. Record the actual time spent working on each request, the number of handovers between staff and the reasons for delays. The aim is not to test the business model again, but to measure the franchisor’s ability to support franchisees once the relationship begins.

Calculate the support workload, including time spent diagnosing issues, following up and documenting outcomes—not just time spent on calls. Add any visits, subscriptions or specialist input needed to deliver the service. Then compare this workload with your team’s resources and the number of outlets you plan to support, allowing for requests arriving simultaneously during peak seasons.

Identify a deputy for each key person and a process for redirecting requests in their absence. If a service depends on an external provider, check the scope of that provider’s commitments before basing your own promises on them. Do not promise franchisees a higher level of support than you can actually deliver.

Make the financial categories clear: support included in the agreed fee, additional services requiring a separate request, and expenses requiring prior approval. Avoid describing a service as included and then imposing an unavoidable charge for accessing it without clearly disclosing that charge. Fees and the methods used to calculate them must be reflected in the agreement in accordance with the relevant legal requirements.

4. Set expectations and review service quality

Explain the scope and limits of support before entering into the contract. Include the core commitments and fees in the agreement, with a clear reference to detailed service information where needed. Article 7 requires the disclosure document to be delivered at least 14 days before signing or paying any amount in connection with the franchise, whichever occurs first, and requires it to be clear and accurate. During this stage, do not describe support in terms that contradict the commitments you will make in the contract.

Once the service is operating, monitor recurring requests, reopened requests, delays and franchisee feedback on how useful the solution was. Do not make speed of closure your only measure. Repeated questions may indicate an unclear procedure or a need to address the underlying problem rather than keep providing the same answer.

The practical takeaway: Before granting a franchise, prepare a service list, a documented request process, a team capable of delivering the support and a clear cost structure. Good support is not a promise to be available at all times. It is a defined commitment that the franchisee can understand and the franchisor can fulfil.