FRANCHISE NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2024
In This Issue:
P2. Ops Manual Q4 Updates
P3. Opening Day in Philly
P3. Service Announcement
P4/5. Featured Franchise
P6/7. 5-star Feedback
P7. Monthly Reminder
P7. New Big Box Collateral
October 2024 quarterly Operations Manual Update
On October 4th, the latest updates to the OperationsManualwillofficiallytakeeffect.To ensure you're prepared, we’ve put together a preliminary breakdown of the key changes. All franchisees will have 30 days to fully implementtheseupdatesandnewprocedures.
This quarter’s changes focus on several important sections of the Operations Manual. Here'swhatyouneedtoknow.
• SectionB:EstablishingMyBusiness
• SectionI:CRM
• SectionM:ShowroomRequirements
• SectionJ:FinancingProcedures
Section B changes explained:
-> Using Vendors and Suppliers - No Franchisee may purchase any Generac products or equipment from any company other than Generac Power Systems, without written approval from a member of the Generator Supercenter Franchising Management Team. It is not permitted to subcontract installations or plumbing without written approval from the Generator Supercenter Franchising, LLC. Management Team.
Section I changes explained:
Introduction to Salesforce - Salesforce has automation features that will send customer follow-ups, confirmation emails, and more. These automations are required to be used by every franchise location. See Salesforce Automations in Franconnect for a list of automationsand Automatic Emails for quotes and Home Consultations for examples of the automatedemails.
Section J changes explained:
-> SynchronyTransact- Each sales rep is required to have their own login and device assigned to them with the Synchrony Transact application installed and ready for eachconsultation.
Section M changes explained:
-> Independently Owned and Operated Signage– Youarerequiredtopostasignfor yourfacility,inpublicview,thatadvisesyour customers that your business is independently owned and operated and that identifies youasa memberof the Generator Supercenter Franchising, LLC. franchise network. Display this sign prominently –typically, Generator Supercenter’s locations willhavethissignonthemainentrance.
The sign can be found on TexPrint through The Hub. Here is an image and link for reference.
-> ApprovedShowroomPosters- As part of the showroom experience, each unit size offered must be displayed along with your current market pricing. The pricing for your longest finance options with a 10% down paymentmustalsobeincluded.
Doors Now Open: Generator Supercenter Arrives in Mainline
Philadelphia
In September, Isaac Esseku and his team proudly celebrated the official grand opening of Generator Supercenter of The Mainline, located in King of Prussia, PA. The event was a resounding success, drawing a crowd of new customers, local city officials, family, and friends
The beautifully arranged showroom created a warm and inviting atmosphere, adding to the enjoyable occasion. In attendance were Isaac's wife and children, alongside General Manager Kahiga Tiagha and several members of the Generator Supercenter corporate team.
Congratulations to Isaac and everyone involved. We extend our best wishes for continued success and a prosperous future within the community.
SERVICE TEAM REMINDER
ServiceTeamsareUrgedtoRenew Generac Certifications Before Year-EndDeadline
Astheyeardrawstoaclose,service teams are reminded to renew their technicians' Generac certifications to maintain Dealer status. All certifications must be updated by year-end to meet the required technicianstandards.
With classes filling up fast, it's important to secure time slots as soon as possible. Log in today to avoid missing out on available sessions. Don’t delay ensure your teamisfullycertifiedandcompliant beforethedeadline!
Central Texas in the Spotlight!
This month, we spotlight two standout franchises in Central Texas: Generator Supercenter of College Station and Generator Supercenter of Waco. Both locations, launched in 2022 and 2024, are owned by Lisa Littlefield.
Lisa is a true entrepreneur who began her journey at the age of 23, when she started her first business. Her efforts were quickly successful, and the business grew from just 10, to over 75 employees. She had gained valuable experience in office management and accounting while working for family-owned businesses during her teens and was able to use her knowledge in shaping the procedures for her own company.
Today, she balances her business ventures with family life, proudly watching her eight grandchildren and1on the way(enough to fieldher own baseball team) grow. Looking forward to some downtime, Lisa is excited to take on the role of “ coach,” guiding them to victory. Please read below to learn more about Lisa’s Generator Supercenter story
How did you first hear about Generator Supercenter?
An old friend knew I had been looking out for a good investment opportunity and knew Doug Dixon. They connected me with him.
When did you know you wanted to be part of the Generator Supercenter family? What sealed the deal?
Once I had time to look through all the information provided and saw the profit margins involved, I knew I wanted to team up with GSC –and you all know Doug Dixon…. Doug sealed the deal!
In your opinion, what is the best change GSC has implemented in the past year?
The team has stepped up their game over the past couple of years. Implementing the HUB, FranConnect, updating the training documents and adding the new territory representatives have all made a huge difference.
What were the biggest obstacles you faced getting your Franchises up and running? And how did you overcome them?
There are a lot of moving pieces to getting started in GSC. There are a lot of different programs to set up and operate. When we first opened GSC and the build out was complete, our first obstacle was to tackle all the frantic customers wanting a generator installed yesterday due to the freeze. We had just opened and a big challenge for us was that we were still in the process of putting together our team of sales, office, installation, etc.
We were able to overcome the various challenges by pushing through with persistence and determination. (continued)
Do you have any “getting started” tips or lessons learned you wish to share to newer franchisees?
Take full advantage of the training from corporate and ask questions until you understand things fully. Learn your customer base and know what they are going to need from your business.
What do GSC of College Station and Waco do differently that might be helpful for other franchises to incorporate into their operations?
I wouldsaythatestablishing arelationship withother electrical contractors in the area has been helpful to us, especially in dealing with the permit offices. After the freeze, the permit offices in our area were overwhelmed with generator installations and most of them had changed their processes. One good example was the city of Waco. We noticed that their rules for generator installations kept getting stricter and it was very difficult to keep up with all the additional steps. It wasn’t until May, when we hosted the Generac Technical training with Brian King, Generac's Senior Manager of Technical Applications, we were able to forge collaboration between GSC and Waco City Officials. Being able to adapt to their own set of rules and join in as a team is what helped us the best.
What is your fondest memory from your time spent with the GSC family?
I think getting to meet everyone at the conferences and Generac Power Experience trips and developing the relationships from there -Pretty great group of people!
One of the most important parts of any successful business is their people. Please tell us about your team at GSC of Central Texas.
I’m sure all other franchises would agree - our team is much like family. The team I have here prove to
me every day how much they care about not only GSC but the work that they put in. Every person on my team contributes to the overall success of the business. Over the last 4 years in business, I’ve begun to slowly refine and understand what ingredients make the perfect team and how to foster a community that thrives.
How do your Franchises incorporate the GSC Mission Statement into your operations?
We all genuinely try our best to help each other and every customer that we encounter Whether it is giving them info regarding generators, billing or providing service, etc. I feel that everyone goes the extra mile to help the customers in every way possible.
Five-Star Feedback: GSC of Upstate New York Stands Out in Latest Review
Tony Hettinger’s team is known for their high standards, and GSC of Upstate New York, the 2023 Outstanding Operations Award recipient, continues to uphold their reputation. The evidence is quite clear in their outstanding reviews. We are proud to share one of these testimonials with you all and extend recognition for the dedication and hard work of their team.
“Wow, what a fantastic overall experience! I'm visiting upstate NY to help out my folks andwas worried with all of the power outages my parents had this last year so I started researching whole house generators. My parents said it was a waste of time because all providers that came before said the property and location made installation and hook-up totally impossible. After reviewing generator pamphlet details during a trip through Costco, I requested additional info through their site. I was contacted by Terry at Generator Super Center the next day andhe set up avisit withme at my parent's house to go over details.
I have never, ever, in my life, met a more patient, selfless, knowledgeable, and helpful rep than this man when dealing with service providers. This really is no exaggeration...the dude is legit. He walked the property with me, explained information in the most granular detail like he invented the stuff, and devised a solution to placement issues that four other generator contractors actually said was impossible. He also developed a solution to help with the main breakerpanel(s)consolidationandreplacement to fix a long-standing issue with box overcrowding. His calculations and explanations of power draw/demand, detailed info on servicing, warranty, performance, and the Costco Program were impressive. I easily set-up an installation time that he arranged perfectlytoallowprepandtogetbackhomeout of state and return for the install.
Terry managed all the details with the city and propane company, called multiple times to confirm installation details and scheduling, and even made the 45 minute drive back out to answer some final install questions. Everything was very seamless, professional, and stress free.
“All of the crew members were skilled, polite, respectful, and clearly professionals.”
On the day of install, the entire team of Jaime, Josh, Zac, and Nick all arrived at 8 AM on the nose and started right away after Terry introduced them all to me. They coordinated with thepropanecrewthatalsoarrivedexactlyontime to get them going. Within 3 hours trenches were dug without impacting previously buried lines, tree roots, and drains, Generator was placed, propane hooked up, transfer case installed, and wireswerebeingrun.Atthesametime,Terrywas dissecting/dismantling the old breaker panel and physically installing a new one with Jamie in a much better location for my aging parents to deal with. Yeah, Terry was working alongside his crew and getting his hands very dirty. The chatter between them all was hilarious, warm, professionally sarcastic, and put my parents at ease with the whole install. At every step, Terry checked on the crew, informed me of next steps, and kept the entire operation moving very efficiently. All of the crew members were skilled, polite, respectful, and clearly professionals.
The entire team finished at exactly 4PM with a spotless clean-up inside and out, and property returned to nearly original condition. (continued)
Terry stayed back for another hour to go over details and the operation of the generator. He didn't leave until I was fully informed, answered all of my operation questions, had the service app installed on myphone,anddidone lastcheckaroundtheproperty to ensure completion.
I'm aware this is a long review, but Generator Supercenter, Terry, his crew, and Costco deserve much more praise and recognition than I could write forhowwelltheentireprocesswashandled.Thecost of the entire system was extremely reasonable for the peace of mind my parents finally have, the warranty and service period is best in industry, and I have zero worries at all based on how I was treated by everyone involved and the quality of install that occurred. Huge kudos to Generator Supercenter and massive thanks to Terry, Jaimie, Josh, Zac, and Nick fortheirhelpandhardwork.Icouldn'tbehappier,and no kidding, my parents miss Terry and his crew...they're that good. Hope this review helps anyone on the fence concerning generator purchase and install with Generator Supercenter...the generator is awesome but the service is priceless from these guys.” J Carlson
Don’t forget to turn in your mandatory monthly closeout reports
The link to the reports is on thehome page of theHUB in the Quick-links section. For any questions about your monthlyreportspleasereach out to your regional territory managers or read through the How-To in the Franconnect Library
Upping the Game with Costco
Last month, the training team added several valuable Costco resources to the library. These assets are designed to guide you smoothly through the program. Key additions include:
• A comprehensive guide explaining the differences between qualifying for Program 1 and Program 2.
• A sales sheet featuring tips on selling to Costco program customers.
• A step-by-step document detailing how to complete a Costco Job Order.
To access these new materials, please visit the Franconnect library.
Franconnect > Access > Library > Big Box Programs > Costco
