Helping Franchisees Through COVID-19

Helping Our Employees Through COVID-19

The effect of the global pandemic associated with COVID-19 is causing disruptions across many worldwide industries. While several of our franchise locations are closed, many more of our stores, designated as essential businesses, are currently open and serving our customers during this time of uncertainty.

We previously detailed how Moran Family of Brands locations were taking care of our customers during these difficult times. This week, we’d like to share how we’re ensuring the safety of hundreds of employees at our franchise locations, and how we’re assisting them during the times of COVID-19.

How Are We Helping Franchisees?

Once we determined that many of our franchise locations would be staying open, we began increasing franchisee support in early March.

While lead flow in many stores is down, work is still being performed. We have increased social media marketing efforts in franchisees’ local markets, highlighting our pick-up/drop-off and contactless vehicle services. We have also increased PR efforts in these same local markets, giving franchisees the opportunity to discuss proper vehicle disinfecting techniques on television in order increase awareness for their local franchise locations.

We’ve been communicating with our franchises daily via email, phone, and webinars covering a wide array of topics including operating strategies, cost-cutting strategies, marketing strategies, funding sources and landlord communication for rent relief. At the corporate level, we are attending webinars and meetings in order to learn what is available to us and our franchisees to help us get through this time.   

How Are We Helping Franchise Employees?

Since most of our franchisees and their employees are considered “essential,” they continue to work at their facilities. For the Moran Family of Brands locations that had to temporarily close because they were deemed to be “non-essential,” they are continuing to pay their furloughed employees. 

All our franchisees plan on filing for Paycheck Protection Program loans in order to help each franchisee continue to pay their employees during this time of either no revenue or reduced revenue coming into their stores. Our employees are also being provided with safety equipment like gloves and masks for when they work on vehicles or interact with our customers.

How Are We Helping Corporate Employees?

For employees at our corporate office, we set up our teams’ ability to work remotely. While the majority of our team is working from home, in the beginning we offered the option to work from home or at the office. 

For those who are still working at the office, our corporate headquarters have been thoroughly sanitized by a third-party cleaning service, and we have purchased air purifiers for every office and department to reduce air pollutants inside the office. Hand sanitizers are readily available throughout the offices and in all common areas.

What Does This Mean Going Forward?

While we’re adapting to this “new normal,” it has allowed the Moran Family of Brands to evaluate their business and marketing strategies to improve operations going forward.

“I think after this we will continue to communicate at this heightened level with our franchisees as well as developing more social media and marketing strategies,” said Barbara Moran-Goodrich, CEO and Founder of Moran Family of Brands. “We have found this engagement to be very positive for our relationships and letting our franchisees know how important they are to us. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, I am confident our franchisees will continue to offer the services of pick-up and drop-off as well as electronic communication of their findings with diagnostics.”

Although this is a difficult time for everyone, we are working together every day to support our franchisees and continue to provide the highest level of service to our customers.