Franchisors should take control of online reviews. The reason is really quite simple. You have spent years growing your brand. You've developed all of the standards, from how full a box of french fries should be, to what the outside of their building looks like. Why wouldn't you do the same for online reviews and customer engagement? In fact, you even hire mystery shoppers to make sure brand standards are being met, so that everyone can recognize your brand no matter which location they visit. Here are a few really good reasons that franchisors should internally manage reviews for all of their franchisees. You may have negative reviews on Google, Yelp, or Trip advisor that you haven't responded to? Leaving those reviews unanswered is costing the franchisee and the franchisor in a major way. 86% of people read online reviews before visiting a restaurant for the first time. Unanswered negative reviews will repel them-right into the front doors of your competitors! Keep it consistent! The response of your online reviews should always carry the same tone, no matter which location is being reviewed. Franchisees don't have time. They don't often do it, or realize how important it really is. Sometimes they will respond to one platform, like Google, but ignore Yelp, Trip Advisor, or other valuable platforms. Franchisees can sometimes get too emotional. Having a dedicated person to handle all reviews helps keep emotions out of it. When a bad review comes in, they can sometimes take it personally, so having someone handle all of the reviews is ideal. Having one central spot for all guest complaints is ideal. If the same person is managing all reviews, they will always direct guests to reach out with more details by contacting one central Guest Relations department. And then, the reviews could be passed down that way. It keeps everything all neat and tidy. Supporting franchisees by taking over responding to their reviews will help them help you. They will make more money, and in turn, so will the franchisors. Now, just because the franchisor should take control over it, doesn't mean that this is something you have to take on at your corporate office. Outsourcing to a company that has been trained in responding to reviews is usually more cost-effective than dedicating a team member on your staff to do it. Did I mention that franchisees are really busy? They simply don't always respond. ACE Your Reviews is a fully "done for you" managed Reputation Management service. When we quickly respond to your online reviews, it sends a notification to the customer-- and it shows them that you genuinely care about their experience. A satisfied customer can be your best evangelist... and an angry customer can do untold damage. Let us slay those dragons FOR YOU! If you would like to reach out to find out how we can help you respond to reviews, with a unique response for each situation, please reach out to Julie@ACEMysteryShopping.com or visit www.ACEYourReviews.com.

Mystery Shopping can be a scary word for employees. So we penned a letter just for the you, the employee. Dear Employee, So you just found out your company is going to be mystery shopping you. Congratulations! Please don't mistake my congrats for sarcasm. I really mean it! I wanted to let you know why you should be thrilled and also clear up any misconceptions you may have about the industry and what you are about to embrace. Your employer has poured his/her heart and soul into this company. It is their livelihood. They want to make sure that it continues to thrive. They also care about YOU. Without you, they would not be able to do what they do. If sales are down, they need to know why so that they can fix it. If they are getting bad online reviews, they need to discover what is happening so that they can coach, correct and get back on track. Mystery Shopping will give YOU the chance to shine. It will give you the opportunity to show your employer that you are going above and beyond. It will show your employer that you understand their mission statement and core values. Have you ever listened to an audio recording or watched a video of yourself? Most people, probably not. Let me tell you how powerful it is to see your own self in action through the eyes of others. It will change the way you think about how you are interacting with others. If you've ever played sports and gotten to watch how game film helps athletes, then you probably understand. That's what this is all about. It's not to be critical or to look for employees to be terminated. It's so that you and your co-workers can learn from these interactions, better understand the company processes and make your team stronger. Your managers will coach you and everyone will learn from this. If you're in a commissioned sales position, you will thank your mystery shoppers for providing you with this valuable feedback. Not only will you put more money into the pocket of your company, but your OWN pocket as well. If you rely on tips, you will also thank your mystery shoppers. You will not only increase the average check size but increase the tip when doing so. If your dreams are to get off the front line and onto a management position, this will help you tremendously. HERE'S WHAT WE DON'T DO: We don't attempt to fluster you to throw you off game. Our shoppers are your average customers. We don't enjoy negative reports. It's not a game of cops and robbers where we like to catch bad guys. You won't see your video on YouTube as a viral video showing the world when you had a bad day. We respect your privacy. We don't see it as a "free meal". This is our profession and we take it seriously. WHO YOUR MYSTERY SHOPPERS ARE: Your mystery shoppers are young. Your mystery shoppers are middle aged. Some are older. Some are male, some are female. Some are rich, some are not so fortunate and some are middle class. Some have experience in the industry you work in. They are all your average customers. Some are even regular customers. Some end up becoming regular customers. Are you ready to learn some things about yourself? I suspect you are and you will do great. Just make sure your mindset is always positive and you will really shine. Your mystery shopping reports can help you fast track your career and you will finally able to get noticed. We are rooting for you! Your Mystery Shopping Provider For more information, contact Julie@acemysteryshopping.com or visit us online at www.acemysteryshopping.com

Are your restaurant employees sabotaging your profits? Most of us don't think so. We've got great people, right? If you think that they are not sabotaging your profits, think again. Even great employees, while they don't mean to, continue to sabotage the profits of the company they work for. We even do it ourselves! I'll give you an example where one minor change could have resulted in an additional $15 sale at a restaurant. My husband and I were traveling, and it was going to be a late lunch. We didn't plan on eating again, so we stopped at a great little Mexican chain restaurant we always go to when we are in the area. The restaurant employees there are always so friendly and helpful. We were famished! With our busy schedule, this was probably going to be our only meal and it was almost 2:00. We didn't notice the lunch special menu. It didn't matter though, because as hungry as we both were, we weren't planning on getting a small plate! We both ordered from the regular menu. Only when we got our very small plate of food, and then our ticket, did we realize what had just happened. While the server probably thought she had our best interest at heart, she put in an order for two lunch specials. The lunch specials were about 50% less than the regular menu item for dinner. We left not completely full, which probably wasn't a bad thing. But the restaurant lost about $15 in sales. We would have ordered the regular menu items and possibly even shared a dessert if she had offered it. Below are 3 ways profits are sabotaged Making Assumptions: Don't assume the customer wants the least expensive/smallest item. Simply not selling: Front line employees are not traditionally salespeople. They need to be coached and they also need to know enough to care. Simply asking them to say, "Would you like fries with that?" is not going to be enough. Set sales goals and encourage competition. Who can sell the most desserts today? Not adapting: Here's just one example of not adapting. Most parents with small children, too young for a meal but old enough to chew on something, share their food with them. Often, moms and dads will tend to order non-spicy food because they have to share with their baby. A side order of baked carrots or green beans will keep a 9 month old occupied, plus even adds a slight amount to each ticket. While there are many other ways your staff unintentionally sabotage your own profits, these will give you a few to have your frontline staff work on immediately. If you need help evaluating and/or using mystery shopping as a diagnostic tool, we would be happy to help! Click here to get in touch! Julie Simbro, President & Corporate Cheerleader ACE Mystery Shopping 660.383.0069