A Glass Doctor ® Publication
Edition 1 2017
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CONTENTS Edition 1 2017
3
It’s a Great Time to be Part of Dwyer Group®
4
President's Message: Tools Are Amazing!
4 TOOLS ARE AMAZING By: Mark Liston
7 9
Life’s Defining Moments
Leading with Values
10 12 14 19 20 21 23
We’re in this Together!
What Does Marketing Success Look Like?
Franchisee Spotlight: Russell and Brenda Black
Patience in the Workplace
Neighborly™ and People Like You
ProTradeNet® Update: Making “Dollars & Sense”
Register for Reunion
CONTRIBUTIONS:
DWYER GROUP, INC. Mike Bidwell, President, CEO Dina-Dwyer Owens, Co-Chair Mary Kennedy Thompson, Chief Operating Officer
10
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER By: Michael Gai
Robert Tunmire, Executive Vice President GLASS DOCTOR, LLC Mark Liston, President
Michael Gai , Vice President Diana Lovshe, Brand Manager PROTRADENET LLC Kathleen Seaman, Communications Specialist PRODUCTION Michael McCullough , Creative Manager Joshua Tynes, Graphic Designer Kimberly Denman , Senior Communications Manager
LinkedIn.com/company/glass-doctor YouTube.com/GlassDoctorCorp Facebook.com/glassdoctor
Twitter.com/glassdoctor1 GlassDoctor.com/blog/ GlassDoctor.com/blog/feed/rss/
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RUSSELL & BRENDA BLACK By: Mark Liston
Send Reflections ideas to Kimberly.Denman@DwyerGroup.com
OUR VISION
OUR MISSION
To be a world class company admired for the excellence that customers, franchisees and associates experience with Dwyer Group .
To teach our principles and systems of personal and business success so that all people we touch live happier and more successful lives.
It’s a Great Time to be a Part of Dwyer Group ®
By: Mike Bidwell
W e are at the dawn of a new day at Dwyer Group® . With great anticipation, we have launched our new overarching brand, Neighborly™ (known as Neighbourly™ in Canada), that we conceived prior to Reunion last year. This is a bold step forward to realizing our long-standing vision that we all benefit from being members of a common family of franchised brands. We have experimented over the years to find ways to expose customers from one brand to other Dwyer Group brands. However, each proved to be too burdensome, too inefficient and too expense. In retrospect, we had to wait for technology and how people use technology to catch up – including the Dwyer Group ecosystem – to be able to execute on this vision in an effective and sustainable way. As the marketplace has evolved, the full breadth of Dwyer Group’s service brands’ offerings has become more meaningful to homeowners. The dream was initially to leverage our individual customer silos that each of you have in your perspective local markets and expose those customers to other Dwyer Group brands. Since they are buying services from you, they are likely using many of our other service offerings as well to meet their needs. Unfortunately, our data says that less than 2% of the time they are using more than one of our brands. I suppose this makes sense when you consider market share in each market, and the fact that we do nothing to make it better. What nowmakes this possible is: • Our Dwyer Group Culture • Single Point of Sale (POS) system used in each brand, with API connectivity • Centralized data warehouse at Dwyer Group to consume all POS data • Universal customer surveying system (reviews and rankings)
• Dwyer Group Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and strategy • Our consumer content library • Robust brand consumer websites • Find a Neighbor (FaN) mapping system • Talent (internal and external) to orchestrate • Capacity – 2400 North American franchisees in eleven service verticals
• Evolving consumer shopping preferences • Financial capacity to make the investment • Vision and leadership to make it happen
It is a great time to be a part of Dwyer Group , now our Neighborly network. Our research and pilot test indicate the market is ready for Neighborly , and we are now ready to execute and deliver. Its purpose is to lower your customer acquisition cost, increase your customer count, shorten your customers’ purchase cycles, and reduce customer defection or attrition. All of this helps enhance your profitability. There is another reason as well. While this reason did not exist when we envisioned this dream, as market dynamics have evolved, it does today. If we don’t do this, someone else will – and they are attempting to do so now. Now, our motives are also protectionist. The good news is nobody has what we have. Nobody is better suited to execute and deliver the customer experience than us, so let’s get on with it… Neighborly,
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Message From The President
Tools Are Amazing! By: Mike Bidwell ARE
By: Mark Liston
To preface what I’m about to write, take five minutes to read Mike Gai’s article on page 10 first, as I’ll reference it. P odcast, TV, iBooks, Health, AT&T Passport, Pypestream, Speak, Wallet, Find Friends, Health, Waze, Regal, Guidebook, OneNote, iCloud Drive, Tripit, Dictation, Tips, Watch, CTRN Online, and Elements are all apps on my iPhone. I don’t know why they are there. Probably because someone told me that they were very good apps and I needed to get them. If you opened any of these, you will see that I didn’t set them up properly, if at all. For many, probably even many of you, these are extremely valuable. My wife, Mary Kay, won’t drive anywhere out of town
without using Waze. I went to use it recently while visiting kids in Cleveland and found it wasn’t even set up on my phone. Last time I used it with Mary Kay, on her phone, I took us to a donut shop instead of where we were heading 90 miles away. I pressed the wrong button because I didn’t know what I was doing. Now, look at the following words and see if all of them mean something to you: part notes auto, standardizing parts-flat, RARE Toolbox, Predictive Profiles, Home Advisor, Angie’s List, Listen 360, MPG, Shower Design Guide, MobilePRO, Status Codes, Clarity phones, Nationwide, Key Metrics, the Budgeting Tool, Mainstreet .NET version, ADAS, Opti-Aim, Facility Maintenance Companies, Networks, Glaxis, EDI, CE classes, Apartment Program, and Insightly CRM. To emphasize my point, listen to this K-Mart radio ad from “Dick & Bert”. You can find it on YouTube at “Dick & Bert K-Mart-Commercial” .
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We Have People In
Who WANT to Help
those years, I’ve worked with a group of amazing franchisees – people who risked everything and reached the highest pinnacles of their brand. I’ve also worked with franchisees who failed. In most instances, it is because they chose not to use the tools that were available to them. What I see happening now with the Glass Doctor® support team – from marketing to SEO to ProTradeNet® to your Franchise Consultant (FC) - is different from what I’ve witnessed before. We have people, in every department, who WANT to help franchisees… to the point of going over and above what is expected. I love this about our team. For our tools, I see a focus on continuous improvements when possible. An example of this is our WE (weekly excellence) sessions at 1:11 on Thursdays. The team, with Mike Gai’s guidance, is taking virtually every tool and dissecting how to use it. I can’t even imagine how iPhone savvy I’d be if someone was guiding me on using all of the apps I named above. My message is simple. We have a team of people who will help – over and above the help you get just by asking your FC for help. Your FC may be very knowledgeable on one topic, but will direct you to another FC because they are the Subject Matter Expert (SME). For me, it is important WHAT we deliver – not WHO delivers it. If I were a Glass Doctor franchisee, it is exactly the support I would want – again, understanding that it was I, as a franchisee, who will do the heavy lifting. Tools can be amazing – especially when one understands what they do and why they should be used.
I first heard the K-Mart commercial in the early 1980s and it has reminded me how important it is to know how to use something. (Plus, they are outrageously funny, too!) Did the commercial make a point to you? We think it is ridiculous that someone would return the chainsaw or table lamp simply because he didn’t understand how either one worked. Yet, there are franchisees who would say similar things to fellow franchisees if they aren’t using MPG, Status Codes, the Budgeting Tool, our Apartment Program, or other important tools designed specifically to help them grow. I am fortunate. I’ve had a chance to work in the world of franchising for more than 35 years in a variety of roles – both on the franchisor side and the franchisee side. Over
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LIFE’S DEFINING MOMENTS By: Mary Kennedy Thompson
H ow we offer services to our customers can be one of those daily actions that over time becomes the defining moment that makes us great. At the start of my career, each time I met a successful person, I would ask what they did to get there. I always expected to hear them say it was some significant occasion that created the change and growth toward excellence. It took my asking about 10 really successful people before I saw the real pattern. It was not a big decision nor a clear moment where a special event occurred that created the defining moment for achievement. I learned, instead, it is consistently practiced daily habits that help us grow into successful businessmen and women - and in doing so, we grow successful businesses. For our service brands, the defining moments happen each day on the phone and in our customer’s home. It includes all parts of our frontline service, a quick and friendly greeting when our customer first calls, and even doing the small things on each service call. It’s the basics – that’s why they’re called the basics - that grow a company. Ask yourself, “Are we using the basics in building everyday actions to create success?” Vince Lombardi once said, “Winning is a habit. Watch your thoughts, they become your beliefs. Watch your beliefs, they become your words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become your character.” I believe great companies are built by great people who think “How can I improve my interactions with my customers?”
That thought becomes the belief that outstanding customer experiences will drive the business. And cheerleader customers become the character of the organization that help us recruit the right people. Exceptional customer interactions define the relationship, which builds the company. Below is a good place to start. • Cheerfully and efficiently answer the phone using a script to stay on point and build a great service call Offer convenience to our customer (such as a clear appointment time). • Conduct ride-alongs and randomly check up on our service providers when they are on service calls. You are the quality control manager for your business. • Coach invoices to help your service providers to see opportunity and follow up on customer needs. • Closely read the customer surveys to see how you’re really performing. Let’s win!
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LEADING WITH VALUES By: Dina Dwyer-Owens
I n September 2015, Dwyer Group® Chief Operating Officer, Mary Kennedy Thompson and I had the pleasure of meeting US Representative, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, at the International Franchise Association’s Action Network meeting to talk about the most pressing issues facing franchisors across the country. We were excited to meet the highest ranking woman in the Republican Party and - wouldn’t you know it - our discussion turned to living and leading with values. How Dwyer Group® Leveraged Values to Build a Billion-Dollar Company It’s been a little over two decades since Dwyer Group implemented its operationalized Code of Values and a series of principles that support our organization. Live R.I.C.H (Respect, Integrity, Customer focus and Having fun in the process) guide our business decisions. We strive daily to keep these values front-and-center ensuring that everyone in the company, from the leadership team to our franchisees on the front lines, know and embrace them. After a record year of historic growth in 2016, our organization now includes 16 consumer brands, more than 2,800 franchises and over $1.4 billion in annual system-wide sales that stretch across 11 countries around the globe. People routinely ask, “How can we create that kind of successful growth for our own organization?” The common thread behind our growing, collaborative and collective success is the Dwyer Group Code of Values. It’s a topic that speaks to my heart and one of the reasons I wrote my last book Values, Inc. I wanted to provide insight for organizations interested in what we are known for at Dwyer Group - helping businesses stay the course as they grow. In addition, I wanted a road map to help small business owners, including franchisees and their teams, navigate their business
through the use of their own Code of Values. Helping others define a Code of Values that can live and breathe in their organizations is a passion of mine and it has been a privilege to share the journey of Dwyer Group with other franchisors, businesses, the public. And yes, even government. A Code of Values Can Energize Any Workplace - Even Our Government At that first meeting with Rodgers, our Code of Values message really resonated with her, so she invited me to return to Washington, DC, later that year to give a “Values in Business” seminar to her entire congressional staff. The end result of the workshop was that her office wrote out their own Code of Values…something they have begun following over the last year. Taking a page from our Live R.I.C.H message, her office now has a message to S.E.R.V.E. Cathy wrote a guest column for TIME Magazine , in which she shared a little about her team’s Code of Values: “On Capitol Hill, which is often the epicenter of partisanship and egos, my team and I established a system of values, a motto called, 'Have Fun While We SERVE' — Seek Excellence, Everybody Matters, Responsibly Own It, Vigilant Integrity, and Embrace Change — and at staff meetings, we talk about how we are living these values, and where we fall short.” In the last year, since having their own values, Rodgers' office has found several ways to put them into practice. In doing so, it has helped the team reflect on how their actions impact those around them and how they can strive to be better public servants, teammates and citizens. Other leaders on the Hill have asked for copies of her Code of Values to begin implementing in their own offices. Additionally, because of the reputation and culture created by their values, her office has attracted resumes of people seeking to work in their environment. Values Truly Know No Boundaries All of this is music to my ears. Living and leading with values knows no boundaries. It can serve a small business, it can serve a large organization, and it can even serve our country’s highest offices. For any organization, a strong code of values, put into action, provides a roadmap to the future. The bottom line (and a profitable one, too) is that a company that lives and leads with values will always outperform, outshine, outdo and outlive competitors who put ethics on the back burner.
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We’re In This Together
Building Our Brand Is a Team Effort
By: Michael Gai
I introduced the enhancements we were making with Franchise Consultants (FCs) at the Glass Doctor® Conference and in the March Doctor’s Digest . In this article, I want to give you the “why”. I believe HOW this helps you as a franchisee is what is most important to you. It would be to me. Remember, I was in your shoes as a franchisee in Seattle, Washington, for seven years. Brad Roberson was a Glass Doctor franchisee for 12 years in Brookhaven/Jackson, Mississippi. Ben Beridon was the General Manager for our franchisee in Newport News, Virginia, for three years. We have more direct, company-experienced internal staff than any other Dwyer Group® brand. Because of this experience, our team’s focus is what we can do to help your bottom line. This is what a great, not good, field support team does for their franchisees. They provide the support necessary. A few years ago, we identified what we believe would be a dictionary meaning for a Franchise Consultant (FC): Business coach trained to look at your Glass
Doctor operations and help you identify opportunities to make you as successful as you choose to be. We knew the value of an FC. We also realized FCs could help and guide franchisees – but the franchisee's had to do the heavily lifting. We also knew of other situations in the network where the FC was not able to give any help or support, whatsoever, because a franchisee chose not to grow or really be part of the brand. This hurts all franchisees and diminishes the benefits of being a franchisee. To best support you, we needed a team of experts who became SME (Subject Matter Experts) in various projects, while at the same time, working with their group of franchisees. We identified that this is the best way to support Glass Doctor franchisees. Below, once again, is an overview of each team member’s specific focus. Please give me a call at (254) 537-0643 if you have any questions regarding this chart.
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Ben Beridon Besides supporting 33 franchisees, his expertise will be: • Front Line Service – MPG – Shower Design Guide • Tablets – MobilePRO • Status Codes/Work Flow • Cleveland Clinic Systematizing for the Network Paul Hardcastle Besides supporting 42 franchisees: • Training and Support • Call Centers – Nationwide Inbound, Service Station, Clarity and RDI • Performance Wise • Internal Administrative Operations Jay Vahle Besides working with 37 franchisees which includes all the Canadian franchisees: • Glass Doctor Budgeting Tool – Software Development with Mainstreet, Quick Books, MPG tool and an upcoming Shower Design Guide App • Unit Level Economics – which includes benchmarking and Key Metrics • Mainstreet’s SchedulePRO • Auto Glass Committee Facilitator Austin Malone Supporting 31 franchisees plus: • RARE Toolbox • Mainstreet Commission Profiles and PFP Reporting • Listen 360 • Lead Generators such as PPC, Home Advisor and Angie’s List • Local Marketing Tactics Kay Jacobsen Besides working with a handful of franchisees: • Outside Sales Training and Support – Insurance Agent Programs – CE – Apartment Program – Lowe’s Front Line Program • Account Management – National and Regional – TPAs – Lowe’s In-field Personnel Brad Roberson Focus on New Franchisees • Works closely with Shirley Witt • Subcontractor Usage • Franchisee Phases of Development • Distressed Franchisees • Train the Trainer Franchisee Implementation • Part and Inventory for Auto and Flat
Shirley Witt Sure Start Training • Phase I & II • Mainstreet Support • Ops Manual • Flat Glass Networks – Includes Facilities Management Tommy Patterson Technical Training • Field Support for all franchisee • Trade Vendor Coordinator • Industry committees – NGA, AGSC • Technical issues – Parts notes – ADAS
Financially, healthy franchisees offer more to their communities than others. They hire better staff, typically take better care of customers and, frankly, are more fun to work with every day! Simply put – by working closely together we become a better brand.
What Does Marketing Success Look Like? By: Diana Lovshe
I f I had a U.S. dollar for every time someone asked me this question through my career, I’d be a millionaire by now. However, I was never given a U.S. dollar every time someone asked me this question, so here I am! With much delight, I landed in Waco, Texas, at Glass Doctor® in August 2016, and I am blessed every day to help Glass Doctor work toward answering this important question. So, what does marketing success look like? Is it the number of website visitors? Is it the number of calls to your locations? Is it the number of views of an online ad? Or, is it the number of times Glass Doctor is appearing in organic search? I believe marketing success looks like these items combined; however, ultimately success defined by dictionary.com is the accomplishment of goals. If we use this definition, I must say that Glass Doctor had marketing success in 2016!
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Below are just some of the highlights of Glass Doctor’s success in 2016, and it is the marketing team’s aspiration to hit, or surpass, this success in 2017.
GOALS
2016 RESULTS
Increase organic traffic 25% year-over-year
33% Increase 89% Increase
Achieve 33% increase in conversions year-over-year Obtain 20 million impressions across all campaigns
39.8 Million
In addition, although not specific 2016 goals, the results below continue to show Glass Doctor's overall success : • Total website visits increased 30.33% • Total unique website visitors increased 30.70% • 41,000 incoming calls from YP.com listings • Yelp provided franchisees with over 14,000 leads Success Measurement in 2017 With all of last year’s success on the record books, Glass Doctor marketing has a big job ahead of us, but I know we are up for the challenge. We are excited to be able to work toward the following 2017 objectives and goals for the success of all franchisees!
2017 OBJECTIVES
2017 GOALS
Build and Execute Strong Brand Strategy Successfully Execute on Campaigns Proactively Drive Customer Relationship Management Execute Neighborly™ Strategy Collect and Share Local Marketing Best Practices Leverage Subject Matter Expert Plans and Continue Digital Strategies
Fully Implement the New Brand Management System Deliver Marketing Materials for Four Campaigns Increase Customer Email Acquisition from 32% to 63% Increase Cross Marketing from 2.76% to 5% Share at Least Eight Best Practices Across All Franchisees • Increase organic website traffic by 10% year-over-year • Increase website conversions by 10% year-over-year • Increase conversion by 10% through lead optimization • Increase accuracy rates for directory listings to over 76% for the U.S. and over 85% for Canada • Get 100% engagement from eligible franchisees advertising on Angie’s List • Obtain over 54,000 incoming calls from YP.com • Reach at least 16,000 leads from Yelp
With full support from your engaged Leadership Council, the Glass Doctor marketing team looks forward to further defining what marketing success looks like in 2017. We are honored to be a part of such a great group of leaders and franchisees.
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This month, we interview Russell and Brenda Black, owners of Glass Doctor® of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Last year, the Blacks received the Rookie of the Year Award at Reunion. Enjoy this interview! Russell & Brenda Black Franchisee Spotlight
MARK: Let me take you back to Reunion last year in San Antonio. You hear your name announced as Rookie of the Year. What were your first thoughts? RUSSELL: My initial thought was one of shock. I was sure I had heard incorrectly. Once I realized this was really happening, I felt a tremendous honor. It was so great to be recognized this way in front of our fellow franchisees. All of the hard work and positive changes we made hadn’t gone unnoticed. BRENDA: No freaking way! (laugh out loud) After the initial shock, I just felt deep gratitude, especially for Russell. I knew he had worked so hard - and often wondered, “does anyone notice?” Apparently, someone noticed. (Thank you again for this incredible honor.) MARK: We first met almost two years ago. If memory serves me right, you were about to get married as well as move to Tulsa, right? Wow – talk about change! Tell us about it.
BRENDA: Yes! We first met you, Mark, at the Glass Doctor Conference in March of 2015. Russell moved to Tulsa in January of 2014 and we got married October of that year. I opened my private therapy practice in August of 2014, two months before we got married. We were newlyweds when we began to explore the opportunity of joining the Glass Doctor team. We were super happy together (umm wait… we still are!) and excited about a brand-new endeavor as business owners. In July of 2015, we were the new owners of Glass Doctor Tulsa! #teamtulsa I’d definitely say we had a lot of changes in a short period of time. RUSSELL: Brenda and I had been dating long distance for several months. We both felt we wanted to take our relationship to the next level; however, we also knew only seeing each other on the weekends was more fun than real. So, I moved to Tulsa from Northwest Arkansas in January of 2014. Then, in October of that year, surrounded by our kids and Brenda’s mom, we were married on a beach in Mexico by one of Brenda’s dear friends. In March of 2015, Brenda and I attended our first Glass Doctor conference. We then purchased Glass Doctor in July of 2015. So, yes, there was a lot of changes and big decisions made in a relatively short period of time. MARK: You worked for Monster, Russell, correct? What did you do there?
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recently started my own business (counseling practice) and had tremendous support from Russell. When the Glass Doctor opportunity came our way and we began to explore it, I felt peace. I knew it would be a step of faith and uncertainty, but it seemed worth the risk. MARK: Okay, then how did you find Glass Doctor ? RUSSELL: It was through a friend of mine who is in the insurance business. He knew I was looking for opportunities and one of his customers was John Vestring. He told me he thought John might be interested in selling his business, but he wasn’t sure. I asked him to explore it with John. He did, and then he helped facilitate my first meeting with John. If my memory serves me correct, our initial meeting was in September of 2014. MARK: I knew John had been in his location for many years. I’ve never seen anyone who has been in a certain location for over 10 years have such a habit of collecting anything glass related. When you took over for John (after he moved to his other operation – Oklahoma City) , did you find the same? MARK: Your FC, Ben Beridon, said that in the past 18 months you’ve made several changes aesthetically. What did you do and why did you do it? RUSSELL: We focused on a couple of areas… the shop and the office. Changes we made in the shop weren’t as much about aesthetics as they were about safety and efficiency. The changes we made to our office and waiting area were about the customer experience. The first thing we did was to remove all the old carpet. Next, we painted the walls. After that we rearranged the desks and threw away a lot of old cables, wires, etc. that were no longer useful, we bought new chairs for the waiting area. That was phase one of our office transformation. Since then, we have made several additional improvements. We’ve added a TV, painted the floors and took out a wall that gave the office a more open feel. We now have a more expansive waiting area, and more RUSSELL: We were up to our you-know-what in glass.
RUSSELL: I was the Vice President and Team Leader responsible for all aspects of Monster Energy’s Walmart and Sam’s Club business. I was there for three and a half years. During that time, the team and the business grew tremendously. We were named Supplier of the Year at Walmart in 2013. Supplier of the Year is a very coveted award for any supplier doing business with the world’s largest retailer. Managing the Walmart/Sam’s Club business certainly helped prepare me for owning my own business. MARK: Brenda, are you still a counselor? Do you work in the Glass Doctor business? If so, to what degree? BRENDA: Yes, I have a private counseling practice, and love what I do! I am so thankful for the flexibility it allows me so that I can be part of Glass Doctor in whatever capacity I can best help. So far, Russell has given me a variety of titles: CUO (Chief Uniform Officer), CTO (Chief Treat Officer), CHRO (Chief Human Resources Officer), just to name a few. (laugh out loud) Mostly, it’s fun to experience business ownership together with my husband. RUSSEL: Yes, don’t let her sell herself short! Brenda still has her counseling practice. Her practice has also been growing fast. She has, however, helped out in almost every area of the business you can think of. She hasn’t done her first install yet; however, she has done a chip repair or two. She’s happy to help wherever help is needed. She will tell you she wears a lot of hats around Glass Doctor . MARK: Doesn’t sound like you had careers preparing you to own a glass company. First, why did you two want to be entrepreneurs? RUSSELL : I had grown weary of Corporate America from all the bureaucracy and politics among other things. For many years, I wanted to own my own business and be my own boss. I guess it started in third grade when I bought my first motorcycle with money I made that summer mowing lawns. With my dad’s help, of course. My views regarding owning a business evolved over the years from one of I need to do something different, something nobody else is doing, to one of I don’t have to start a business, I can purchase an existing business. I had been close to purchasing an existing business on a couple of different occasions. One was a franchise. BRENDA: I knew from the get-go that Russell had an entrepreneurial spirit and I believed the timing was right to take the step toward being a business owner. I also saw how weary Russell had become of the corporate world. I had
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importantly, we have a small showroom. This was something we didn’t have before. We wanted to utilize glass throughout our office, waiting area and showroom. The work surface and walls of our new work stations are all glass. We added glass doors to each work station to help separate the customers from the employees. We also purchased new computers and monitors for our ISR and Dispatcher. Both have two monitors on their desks allowing them to work faster and more efficiently. While we have more improvements planned for our office and shop, the improvements that have been made to date have been remarkable. We are constantly hearing from our customers about how much they love the changes we’ve made.
most important element in any relationship. It is the foundation everything else is built on. We trust Ben implicitly. He always has our best interest in mind. We are hungry and eager to grow, and Ben sees that. If I were an FC, I would spend my time and energy with those that are engaged, willing to listen and follow through. Our relationship with Ben is more than a franchisee and FC. We have become great friends. Having said all of that, the truth is, Brenda’s raspberry bars were probably the single biggest factor. MARK: Tell me about your staff – howmany Specialists, ISRs, etc. are on your team? RUSSELL: We have a great team. The team that came with the purchase had over 100 years of combined experience in the glass business. Richard French , Tommy Barnes and Denise Collins are still with us. These three have worked at Glass Doctor in Tulsa for a combined 37 years. They know what they are doing. This made it easier for two people that had zero glass experience to take the plunge. Currently, we have two people in the office. They both have clearly defined roles; however, because we are a small shop, both team members can perform any task
in the office. Denise Collin’s primary role is that of ISR while Julio Vega is pinch hitting in the Dispatch role. I can tell you these two do far more than just ISR and Dispatch. We currently have five specialists. Jarrett Knight works on Auto exclusively. Jarrett is a young, talented guy. Richard “Gere” French can do it all and frequently does. We gave him the “Gere” nickname because of his silver hair. He’s our MVP! We have a degree of flexibility you won’t find in all shops because of his vast skill set. Lastly, we have Tommy Barnes , Robby Walker and Hunter Capers who work on flat only. Tommy has a vast knowledge of the flat glass business having worked in the
"WE ARE CONSTANTLY HEARING FROM OUR CUSTOMERS ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY LOVE
THE CHANGES WE'VE MADE."
industry for many, many years. Robby is a new hire and came to us from one of our flat glass suppliers. He is our “go-to” guy when it comes to shop fabrication. Hunter is also a new hire and is helping lead the charge on light commercial. Commercial work is his specialty. We plan to add an OSR position to our team in the very near future. MARK: Ben mentioned Julio Vega is a key member of your team. What does he do? RUSSELL: Julio is definitely a key member of our team. Aside from the fact I would have to think about it for a while, I think it would be quicker to list what Julio doesn’t do for us. We are truly blessed to have Julio on our team. He has done virtually
MARK: Speaking of Ben – he mentioned that the two of you have this great relationship and speak often. For those reading this, how did you create such a strong bond with your FC? I know this can be very important. RUSSELL: We clicked with Ben from the get-go. We saw in Ben somebody who was very knowledgeable regarding the Glass Doctor business and someone who cared deeply about our success. I think he saw in us two new owners who were very motivated to learn and willing to listen. I think trust is the
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every job since he joined us in October 2015. He has been with us every step of the way. His business card says Operations Manager, but a more accurate title would be Mr. Everything! I don’t know what we would do without him. He is selfless and treats the business as if it were his. Don’t any of you get any ideas. Julio has no interest in leaving Tulsa! MARK: What percent are you in auto vs. flat? RUSSELL: In Quarter 1 of 2017, we are at 35 percent Auto and 65 percent Flat. We use Service Station to field the majority of our Auto calls. Jimmy and his team do an outstanding job! MARK: Are you doing showers yet? RUSSELL: You better believe it! This was an area we identified very early on as an opportunity. Our volume isn’t where I would like for it to be yet; however, it is growing consistently. We are being very intentional about growing our shower business. We are running 15-second spots on TV. We have directed more of our PPC budget toward this initiative. We just participated in our second annual Tulsa Home & Garden show where our biggest focus last year and again this year was on showers. Finally, our new showroom will be dedicated to showers. MARK: Are you using status codes? RUSSELL: Yes, we are. We were an early adopter of the status codes. Ben encouraged us to implement the status codes as soon as possible and we did. Julio was instrumental in getting our shop up and running on status codes. This was the right thing to do for our business, and I would encourage anyone who isn’t currently using status codes to get on board. MARK: What about MobilePRO? RUSSELL: We have used it in the past. We believe in it. This is an area of opportunity for us. I’m big on technology and using technology as an enabler in your business. As we help our Specialists become more tech savvy and the capital is there to invest, we plan to equip all of our Specialists with MobilePRO. MARK: Culture. With every transition comes a transition in culture, too. How did the team adapt to the different culture you created?
happening. The team had been together for a long, long time. They were used to doing things a certain way. I think most of us have some degree of resistance to change. As you look at what I would call the “change continuum,” you have two extremes. At one end, you will find those that are unwilling to change. At the opposite end, you have the change agents, those who create change. I think I more closely resemble a change agent. When a change agent comes in, it can be very unsettling to people who have done it a certain way for many years. Changing policies and procedures pales in comparison to trying to change the culture. We do try to ensure the new people we bring on board are the right fit for the culture we are trying to create. I once heard a speaker say, “Culture eats strategy for lunch!” I couldn’t agree more. BRENDA: With resistance… Russell took the advice of many and implemented changes very slowly. So, it’s taken time to create the culture we want. We have an opportunity to build the “dream team” (#teamtulsa). Our goal is to be the employer of choice when it comes to a glass company in Tulsa. We have been amazed (and thankful) at the new employees that we have been able to add to the team. I think we are learning how to train our team and place a demand on our team to align with our culture. MARK: What type of marketing do you do besides pay per click? RUSSELL: We have been running ads on TV for over a year now. We joined the Tulsa Home Builders Association (HBA) and the Tulsa Apartment Association (TAA). The number of organizations you could join is unlimited. We felt these two groups would give us the biggest bang for our buck. Julio has been tasked with going deep and owning the TAA while I focus on penetrating the HBA. As I previously mentioned, we just finished our second Home & Garden Show. The savings we realize on our booth rental at the Home & Garden Show because of being a member of the Tulsa HBA pays for our membership. We’ve done some door hangers and we are planning a Grand Opening soon once we are finished with our remodel. We also do some print advertising, however, I have scaled that back considerably. MARK: Does anything produce bigger results than you anticipated? RUSSELL: Free cans of glass cleaner! Soon after we purchased the business, we made a decision to give away free cans of glass cleaner to all of our customers including potential customers. We give people a free can of glass cleaner when we do a measure, even when we don’t know if we are going to get the job or not.
RUSSELL: There are days when it feels like the transition is still
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We believe it is the best glass cleaner on the planet… and so do our customers! We gave away approximately 1,000 cans at the Home & Garden Show last year. We had people come back by our booth this year asking for a can of glass cleaner. We put our own label on the cans and at the very top of the label it says “Compliments of Glass Doctor of Tulsa”. We hope that this helps separate us from the competition, and when it’s too close to call, we get the nod because of a simple gesture such as this. It’s hard to quantify just how much goodwill we get from this, but we are convinced it’s the right thing to do for our business.
the valuation of the existing business. Don’t do this yourself if you don’t have the expertise to do it. Don’t make an emotional decision. It’s business and the numbers must work. Obviously, you want to gather as much information as you can on the business you are looking to buy; however, I would suggest you also gather as much information as you can on the competition. Make sure you understand what you are getting with your investment. Learn as much as you can about the employees. Try to understand the business’ reputation in the market place. A seller will likely want to keep the sale on the down low, however, there are certain questions you must ask, certain people you must talk, to and certain things you must know to be able to make an informed decision. Understand some things will be difficult to unwind and building the type of culture you are going to want to have will take time and likely require some big changes. There will be a fine balance between moving too fast and not moving fast enough. I could probably go on indefinitely here given everything Brenda and I have learned through this process… and we are still learning. You will have good days and bad days. You will likely have days when you ask yourself; What have I done? What was I thinking? At the end of the day, I like being my own boss. The Glass Doctor team is second to none and loaded with very talented people who are knowledgeable and eager to help. You and Mike complement one another very well and are great leaders of this organization. I’m not sure we could ask for much more than that. BRENDA: I think with any business, it’s important to know where you’re gifted. Be aware of your personality and how you communicate with others. It’s worth taking time to dive into a Myers Briggs or Strengths Finder and learn more about your leadership style. Position yourself where you are most effective, and know where you are least effective. If and when you are able to, put others around you that have strengths and gifting that you don’t have. I am personally drawn to servant leaders… leaders that don’t position themselves higher that others, and know how to serve those they lead. Be willing to do whatever it takes to build your teams trust, if you want them to follow you. And then, at the end of the day, be consistent. Sometimes, it’s a simple as showing up, being present, and doing your best. MARK: Thanks, Russell and Brenda! It is obvious to me that you certainly deserved your Rookie of the Year honors! We look forward to watching you grow in the years to come!
MARK: What are you working on for 2017 and 2018?
RUSSELL: From an Auto standpoint, we are going after small fleet accounts. We think this is good business and would like to grow in this area. On the Flat side, we are very focused on showers and store fronts. We have a tremendous opportunity in Tulsa to capitalize on the new construction that is going on as well as the remodeling that is taking place. We joined iSqFt just over a year ago. iSqFt is a Construct Connect company that provides commercial project leads. I receive daily leads in my inbox from iSqFt. I love the profitability opportunity in both areas. MARK: Look back now – anything you wish you could do differently in the business? RUSSELL: For sure! I wish I had started providing my monthly P&L to our Franchise Consultant, Ben, sooner. Ben is there to help, but there is only so much he can do without the visibility to a monthly P&L. It’s like trying to drive a car with a blindfold on. You make decisions without seeing the whole picture and we know where that can lead. MARK: Final thoughts. Any advice you would like to give other franchisees who purchase an operating location? RUSSELL: There are pros and cons to buying an existing shop. Having never opened a new glass shop, I can’t make a direct comparison based on experience; however, I do know there are a lot of things to consider when purchasing an existing business. Many of them we learned because of going through the process. Number one would be to make sure you understand
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Patience In The Workplace
So, what have I done about my impatience to try to become a little more patient? • Pray and ask God for patience. • Learn to stop and think things over for 24 hours before making a decision. While this is not always possible, I have learned to stop and think things through more often. • When working with people, don’t respond to what people say and how they act. My first response is normally not the best. I always remind myself that 90 percent of every human being is great. Judge them not by the 10 percent that we all have. • I always remind myself to slow down. Often, slower is faster in the long run. • It’s not always about my timeline. It doesn’t have to be done when Robert wants it done. While I don’t think I’ll ever be known for patience, just maybe by working on being more patient, I can say that I have learned a little patience.
By: Robert Tunmire
A nyone that knows me would probably agree that patience is not a virtue of mine. I am probably known more for my lack of patience. My lack of patience has probably caused me more challenges than I would ever care to admit. So, what have I learned about patience in my 58 years I've learned...
• Impatience most often than not leads to bad decisions. • Impatience harms relationships. • Impatience causes you to look at things from the wrong worldview oftentimes.
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PROTRADENE T ® UPDATE MAKING DOLLARS & SENSE By: Kathleen Seaman
Worldpay, Mike Albert Fleet Solutions, and TBC Corp (which is the parent company for Merchant’s, NTB, Tire Kingdom, and Big O Tires) to name a few — and there will definitely be more to come. For the most up-to-date list of PTN vendors, visit ProTradeNet.com . On the website, see our “New Vendors” post under the PTN Announcements section, which highlights the most recent additions to the vendor program. You might ask, what does all this mean for me? Based on 2016’s program participation — if you just keep doing what you’re doing — cumulatively PTN members will get back an additional $250,000 in rebates! But, the potential for more is significant and exciting! For example, when you look at the top 10 vendors that pay Glass Doctor® members the most rebates, on average only 38 percent of franchisees are using those vendors! Don’t leave money on the table. The PTN team is working hard to bring you more, but we need your help. The more franchisees that participate with PTN vendors, the more buying power we can leverage, which means better pricing, better rebates, and more value. Contact a franchisee relations coordinator today! They can run a Rebate Double Check to make sure all of your purchases are being tracked, and they can also discuss opportunities to increase your savings and rebates.
The ProTradeNet® Dollars & Sense initiative is all about providing more opportunities for our members to increase their bottom line. The first way we’re striving to do that is by increasing rebates with vendors you’re already using in the program. So far this year, we’ve already negotiated higher rebates with several vendors (and there will be more to come!). For example, Ignite Payments doubled its rebate, and Sunbelt Rentals increased its rebate by more than 700 percent. Another goal of Dollars & Sense is to add more opportunities for Rebate Stacking. We have rebate programs with several great distributors, but we’re also looking to create additional partnerships with key manufacturers. So, when you buy a product from one of our manufacturing partners through one of our distribution partners, that is an opportunity for Rebate Stacking — receiving a rebate from both the distributor and manufacturer! Finally, we’re also working on expanding your preferred vendor network. ProTradeNet (PTN) strives to offer a vendor category for every business need you might have, and we’ve already brought on several new vendor partners this year —
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22 REFLECTIONS® | EDITION 1 2017
It’s Time To Get Neighborly™
Join Us for the Annual Dwyer Group® Reunion
Sunday, September 24, 2017 through
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REFLECTIONS® | EDITION 1 2017 23
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