On Tuesday May 10, Simplicity Car Care held its first performance conference for franchise members.

Taking place in Mississauga, Ont., the event covered a wide range of topics including DRP programs and insurer relationships, the impact of ride sharing on collision repair and developing strategies to position both the network and its members for long-term strategic growth.

A panel discussion, moderated by Simplicity’s CEO Paul Prochilo, generated some very interesting conversations including the importance of teamwork and culture.

Simplicity President, Domenic Ieraci, discussed prospect development and some of the initiatives the network is putting in place to help its franchisees including tools and training.

The franchise system

Keynote speaker for the event was Larry Jefferies of Jefferies Consulting. With extensive experience in the industry including a role as a founding member of the CARSTAR franchise in Canada, Jefferies talked about the value of the franchise system, the current insurance landscape, the growth in OEM certification programs and how shops and MSOs can position themselves to win in the marketplace, both today and into the future.

He talked about effective communication between franchisors and franchisees and aspects such as competent and committed leadership and how successful franchisors are committed to helping their members build a long-term, profitable business.

He discussed OEM certification programs and how auto manufacturers are now discovering the impact of a collision on brand loyalty and overall customer satisfaction. “Fixing a vehicle is now part of the brand experience,” he said.

He also said that in order for shops to succeed in this new world they need to make the investments required to repair today’s and tomorrow’s vehicles and that’s where having a good franchise partnership is critical.

Exceeding expectations

Customer service is also a key component of any successful business and Craig Snelgrove, Vice President and General Manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Toronto discussed how exceeding customer expectations should always be a top priority. Snelgrove talked about being prepared for customers and the importance of feedback to measure performance and look for areas that can be improved. He also noted that today’s technology allows us to be more informed about our customers, including their requirements and likes/dislikes. “If we know details on the customer, we can then better meet their expectation,” he said.

The event also featured a special awards ceremony for the Simplicity Founder’s Club members as well as discussions on topics for future meetings.

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