5 Things to Ask Before Choosing your Franchise Technology Partner

I have read we are the sum of the five people closest to us.

Whoever is in your inner, personal circle matters.

The same concept applies to your brand. The services that are supporting your franchise behind-the-scenes influence how you appear to customers. If your providers are made up of experienced and reliable teams of trained professionals with an understanding of your vision, the choice will positively reflect on your company.

If they’re not, well, you get the general idea.

Before making any firm decisions for a future technology partner, conduct initial research and talk to several providers to develop a list of questions tailored to your company.  

Ask the following to confirm you’re making the right choice:

- Does this solution provide a remote 24/7 unlimited helpdesk without hidden costs?
Slow troubleshooting can give customer satisfaction a serious hit. Most of today’s payment solutions are cloud based. If your Internet is down for five, 10 or 30 minutes, how will this affect purchases and customer experience? Setbacks occur outside of the Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. window. Who will be there for you before and after work hours?

- Does the solution offer a financing option for equipment?
Inefficiently dividing a monthly allocation of funds among all the planned and unplanned services required to operate a franchise can deteriorate performance overtime and impact a franchise’s bottom line. An IT and communications financing option can help alleviate the monthly strain on your spending.

- How will you be able to ensure all of your franchises are equipped with the same technology layout so your brand experience remains consistent no matter the location?

Does your IT and communications provider have a proactive approach to standardization for every feature your business needs? This method will strengthen your brand’s overall image.

- Do installers travel nationwide to ensure consistency and quality?
Will the technicians make it a point to drive or fly to your franchise’s locations to ensure proper installation instead of simply hiring a third-party within an unknown background to get the work done?

- Do they have a WiFI backup plan?

Most of today’s payment solutions are cloud based. Find a full-service technology group that uses a backup “plan b” solution when your internet cuts out. If the connection drops, your Internet access will immediately bounce to a backup Internet service until the issue is resolved.

So who’s in your circle?

It’s a big decision but asking the right questions will lead you to the right answers and the best provider.

WIRED is a smart, cost-effective IT solution for franchises.  Experienced technicians travel to your U.S.-based restaurant, store or business, no matter the location, to install a standardized system for VoIP phones, WiFi, surveillance cameras and much more.

 Get your free quote today. Connect with WIRED National at info@wiredtelcom.com.