Three Ways Franchises Can Better Utilize Technology to Improve Customer Experience

Regardless of what you sell or what industry you’re in, customer experience is always the key to running a successful business. While the needs and expectations of customers will vary widely, they all come back to three core principles: convenience, value, and quality. In today’s market, creating a seamless, engaging experience is not just a nice-to-have; it’s essential. And technology can play a major role in delivering on those expectations.

Convenience

In today’s world, convenience is king, and technology is one of the best ways to deliver. While the core product or service may require an in-person experience, many touchpoints before and after can be digitized to make life easier for customers. There are two parts to this equation: the expectations of technology and your audience’s pain points. You need to balance both to get things right. Technology needs are universal; people want things simple, intuitive, and fast. It shouldn’t have to come with an in-depth manual to get things done. The second part, customer pain points, needs to be tailored to the specific needs of your customers.

Let’s say your primary audience is parents. They don’t have a lot of free time; they’re typically juggling multiple schedules, and things often change at a moment’s notice. Looking at these points, you’d want to prioritize features that alleviate these pain points. Speed, ease of use, flexibility, and access to information are important factors because parents are often on the go and don’t have the time to dedicate 15 minutes to achieving one task or finding the information they’re looking for. The fewer steps it takes to get something done, the better the experience.

Value

People want to know what they’re getting out of a product or service. In the short term, value, such as a meal, a product, or a service, is easy to provide. But that value only lasts in the immediate term. Once it’s been used or consumed, the value is gone. So, the question becomes, how do you get that customer to come back and keep coming back? Here is where technology can help your franchise not only provide prolonged value but also help keep your business top-of-mind while your customers are away.

Everybody has an app these days. It provides businesses with detailed information on their customers while enabling customers to keep all their information in a central location, often in exchange for rewards. But it’s important to know what information your customers find helpful. The answer for food and retail franchises is relatively simple: keeping track of orders and payment information in exchange for personalized offerings is the basis of any effective rewards program.

But what about service-based franchises? Here is where franchise owners must get a bit more creative. Consider what your customers are trying to do or achieve. For example, if you run a gym, your customers are probably interested in knowing how many calories they’ve burned or want to store information on weight loss. If you provide HVAC service, trackers and reminders for when service is due would be very helpful.

Quality

Technology should never replace the human element of customer service, but it should enhance it. A high-quality experience often hinges on a franchise’s ability to be flexible, responsive, and proactive, especially when dealing with busy or diverse customer bases.

This is where back-end systems come into play. By tracking metrics like appointment attendance, rescheduling patterns, customer inquiries, and feedback, businesses can make informed decisions about staffing, scheduling, or service adjustments. These insights allow franchises to tailor offerings to what customers actually need rather than relying on guesswork.

For franchises, packaging these systems and providing comprehensive, ongoing training is also key. Franchise owners have the same technology needs as everyone else. They want something fast and easy to use. Getting operations up and running is paramount.

Ultimately, technology only works if it’s built on a foundation of understanding your customer. That means doing the research, collecting the data, and continuously refining your approach based on real-world use. When your tech solutions align with your customers’ needs, you’re not just improving the experience—you’re building long-term loyalty.

Casey Morford is the chief technology officer of Big Blue Swim School.