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THE MAGAZINE OF THE QDOBA FRANCHISEE ASSOCIATION | FALL 2019

Read up on Franchisee

Maria Salgado’s journey with Rojo Caliente Idaho Inc. in the Franchisee Spotlight. page 8

Turn to page 12 to read more on onboarding best tips and practices from fellow QFA members.

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table of contents QFA Board of Directors

Columns

Ron Stokes Chairman

Michael Scott Vice Chairman Randy Key Secretary/Treasurer

Chairman’s Column by Ron Stokes, QFA chairman

Departments 3

QFA Member News

John Ghirardelli Director

Franchisee Spotlight

Tom Lewison Director

Look, Listen, Read

One Topic: 10 Facts

Leo Stathakis Director Elizabeth Lowman Association Manager Christy Williams Elevanta CEO

QFA Editorial Board Jessica Loeding Editor-in-Chief jessical@qdobafa.org Sean Ireland Managing Editor seani@qdobafa.org

Directories 9

Associate Member Listing

Inside Advertisers Guide and Editorial Calendar Back

Features 12

Tips on Creating an Impactful Onboarding Experience by Morgan Fitzgerald, QFA Administrative Assistant

Is Lack of I-9 Compliance a Threat to Your Franchise? by Douglas H. Duerr, Elarbee Thompson Sapp and Wilson, LLP

Advertising Sales

Montserrat Almaraz Sales & Development Manager montserrata@qdobafa.org 678-439-2284

Decisions, Decisions! Just Make One Already! by Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro®

Seven Ways to Make Your Customers Feel Valued by Dennis Snow, Snow and Associates Inc.

The Main Ingredient of Leadership and How to Get More of It by Dan Coughlin, The Coughlin Co.

Rachel Jackson Communications Coordinator rachelj@qdobafa.org

Design and Layout Kristen Thomas KT Graphic Design ktgraphicdesign@gmail.com

On the Cover Franchisee with Rojo Caliente Idaho Inc. Maria Salgado grabs the Franchisee Spotlight to discuss her journey in the restaurant industry and how her family has been by her side every step of the way as she grows with the QDOBA brand.

Headquarters 1701 Barrett Lakes Blvd. NW, Suite 180 Kennesaw, GA 30144 Phone: 678-797-5160 Fax: 678-797-5170

www.qdobafa.org Qdoba Franchisee Association publishes Flavor. Any reproduction, in whole or in part, of the contents of this publication is prohibited without prior written consent of Qdoba Franchisee Association. All Rights Reserved.

chairman’s column

As we prepare to ring in the new year, now more than ever is the time to come together as franchisees and build off one another to further strengthen our business and the QDOBA® brand as a whole. 2020 is quickly approaching, bringing with it opportunities, challenges and changes, and the chance for us to continue to deliver the quality, flavor and service QDOBA is known for. Let’s close out 2019 strong and carry that energy into another decade. QFA members and our vendor partners alike have the perfect opportunity to set the tone for the future during the 2020 QFA Franchisee Convention in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 27-29. Your representatives on the QFA Board of Directors have been working

Your representatives on the QFA Board of Directors have been working diligently to set our organization up for success as QDOBA aims to take the brand to new heights. 2

diligently to set our organization up for success as QDOBA aims to take the brand to new heights. With the new year ahead of us, there’s uncertainty, but you can rest easy knowing there is a strong, unified association representing the franchisee community regardless of what the future holds. No matter what comes our way, it is important for our system to continue to support the QFA as it brings together the franchisee community to share our ideas and best practices, and what better way to bring our knowledge and talents together than by attending the 2020 QFA Franchisee Convention? As QFA’s third convention, this year’s event promises to provide exclusive access to representatives from corporate as we welcome QDOBA brand leadership back. I urge you all to take advantage of the opportunities provided during this annual gathering to strengthen your relationships with business suppliers, network with fellow franchisees and learn from their best practices. Because the unmistakable flavor of QDOBA is one of the many things for which we are known, the 2020 convention will center around the theme of Bringing the Flavor. Join us as we discuss how to further enhance the quality of our food, our businesses and our brand! flavor FALL 2019

While the convention offers valuable insight and education, QFA continues to provide members with additional opportunities to share information geared toward improving your business. As franchisees, we do our best to stay ahead of the game, but there is still work to be done. With an economy still going strong, our employee turnover rate continues to outpace other industries, making it more important than ever for us to tackle this issue and rise above it. This issue of Flavor discusses proven onboarding practices from franchisees like you! Read up on helpful tips to enhance your business and create an impactful onboarding experience for new team members. As we cross the finish line of 2019, I encourage you all to reflect on all the brand, your association and YOU have accomplished this year. Think back on how you’ve grown, what lessons you’ve learned and what best practices you can bring into the new year to help fellow franchisees with their business as well. I look forward to seeing you all in Orlando! l

Ron Stokes Chairman

member news

North-by-Northwest Celebrates Success at Christmas in July Dinner T

his year has been full of milestones for QDOBA® franchisee North-byNorthwest. At the 2019 QFA Franchisee Convention in Tuscon, Arizona, in February, the Hillsboro, Oregon, QDOBA location received an award for top catering store with an astounding 26% of sales in catering. On July 19, general managers, catering managers and spouses gathered at The Stockpot Broiler in Portland, Oregon, to celebrate this accomplishment. Due to scheduling conflicts around the holidays, the company decided to host this “Christmas in July” dinner as an opportunity to visit with each other, enjoy a meal and reflect on the past year. Company leaders thanked the managers

for their success. Over the past year, QDOBA Hillsboro has focused on teamwork and extraordinary service to reach this milestone. Although the staff faces challenges in the kitchen such as limited equipment and space, they take their talent outside of the store to make sales happen. The staff attends many community events to network, market the restaurant and build personal relationships with customers. North-by-Northwest is extremely proud of this achievement. “I believe the system average for QDOBA is around 6 to 8%,” said Stan Kramer, owner of NorthBy-Northwest. “While our average store does 20% of sales in catering, this is still an extraordinary number, even for us.” l

Stan Kramer, owner of North-by-Northwest, presents an award to the company’s Hillsboro, Oregon, staff for its top catering store award.

QDOBA Casper Plays in Rotary Golf Tournament I

tournament raised awareness n July, staff members from and funds to eradicate polio, QDOBA® Casper particiwhich is an international pated in the annual Rotary platform for the Rotary Club. Golf Tournament in Casper, Funds were matched by the Bill Wyoming. The Rotary Club and Melinda Gates Foundation. is a worldwide, international QDOBA Casper is service organization that proud to have helped the brings together business and Casper community in many professional leaders to provide ways throughout the years. humanitarian service and to The company has raised over advance goodwill and peace $200,000 within its two stores around the world. and helped organizations such Nick Hill, director of as Court Appointed Special hospitality at QDOBA Casper, Advocates, Children’s Advocacy has been a Rotarian for over Project and the Boys & Girls 10 years and involved the QDOBA staff and Rotary Club members enjoy a game of golf, raising Club. This fall, QDOBA Casper franchise group at the time of money to eradicate polio. participated in a Festival of its founding. The company has Trees event to raise money for been participating in the annual Special Olympics. Involvement golf tournament for seven years with charitable organizations and plans to stay involved for QDOBA Casper sponsored the event like these is a tool that the company uses to many years to come. “As an active Rotarian by donating a large catering order as an member, QDOBA in Casper will always be connect with the community and bring in auction item. Over 200 people were in part of Rotary as long as I am alive,” said more customers, all while leaving a lasting attendance, including former governors Hill. impact on the city of Casper. l and politicians from Wyoming. The flavor FALL 2019

member news

Jed Fresh Sponsors Central Florida Employment Council Job Fair J

ed Fresh, LLC, owned by Wade Oney and Wade Gosnell, has consistently supported the Central Florida Employment Council (CFEC) – an employment and career network that assists central Florida businesses in filling job vacancies with qualified candidates – for well over a decade. In addition to providing an online gateway to link job seekers and employers, the CFEC hosts six job fairs per year to provide networking opportunities for members of the community. Gosnell, operating partner for Jed Fresh, has served on the CFEC advisory council for over 20 years, and he helps plan annual meetings and set agendas.

20 interviews from the job fair. “Attendance at these job fairs provides a few benefits for Jed Fresh,” said Gosnell. One is brand recognition. “When we speak with applicants who haven’t been to QDOBA before, we provide them free entrée cards to visit our locations,” he said. Recruiters get to try the meals and will hopefully come into the restaurant later. The job fairs also enable the company to keep its applicant flow current when it is

opening new locations. In addition to the job fairs, Jed Fresh also provides catering to the all-day training sessions that CFEC hosts. Staff from QDOBA restaurants can attend these events as well because most of them are SHRM-eligible and help to keep the company updated on HR rules. Occasionally, the company hosts its own events and does lots of network hiring from relationships formed at events. l

The Central Florida Employment Council has six job fairs a year, each sponsored by Jed Fresh, LLC.

Jed Fresh staff members collected résumés and applications at the job fair in September.

Jed Fresh sponsors and attends all six job fairs each year, providing QDOBA® catering to the recruiters. On Sept. 11, the company attended and catered a job fair with 95 companies and 3,500 potential employees. Jed Fresh was also networking and hiring for two of its QDOBA locations: Lake Buena Vista and downtown Orlando, which are set to open within the next several months. The company received 14 applications and 10 résumés and conducted about 4

QDOBA provides catering for recruiters at each CFEC job fair.

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member news

QDOBA Hillsboro Recognizes Outstanding Staff

ola Fernandez, catering manager for the Hillsboro, Oregon, QDOBA® location, has been an integral part of the recent success of North-By-Northwest. Fernandez has been with the company since 2008 and has provided the Hillsboro restaurant with hundreds of thousands of dollars in catering sales. Fernandez was recently rewarded for her success at a companywide celebration. Window decals In her catering are just one way manager role, that QDOBA Fernandez is responHillsboro promotes sible for coordinating its catering. orders and drivers, participating in local events and recruiting new clients to try QDOBA catering. According to Bill Nelsen, chief operating officer of NorthBy-Northwest, Fernandez’s commitment, dedication and people skills have made her a great asset to the team. “I have gone on deliveries with Lola, and when she enters the business, school or hospital, the people come out of their offices to give her a hug because they are so glad to see her,” he said. Fernandez began her career in the restaurant industry with Baja Fresh. After

transitioning to North-By-Northwest, she brought some of her previous clients with her to QDOBA. “I remember the first time I did a big event at Intel, one of the senior executives recognized me,” said Fernandez. “She greeted me and told me that she remembers the first meal she had from QDOBA at her daughter’s school function. She enjoyed it so much that she recommended us for the Intel party that day.” Working alongside Fernandez is Troy Beltran, the general manager for the Hillsboro QDOBA, who has also contributed a great deal to the restaurant’s success. He has been working at the Hillsboro store since 2012. At 16, Beltran helped his father open a Mexican restaurant in downtown Portland and has worked in the industry ever since. “Every day is a great experience – from working with my crew and catering manager to developing a strong customer service base,” Beltran said. “Lola saw I was right next to her to move forward with the catering business to increase sales for the Hillsboro location.” In 2018, despite closing for a remodel, the duo made $531,955, which accounted for 33.48% of total restaurant sales. Since 2015, Fernandez and Beltran have brought in over $2.2 million in catering sales for the store. “These two people are such an

Troy Beltran and Lola Fernandez proudly stand in front of one of their catering vans.

outstanding team, and they have each other’s back in all that they do for NorthBy-Northwest,” Nelsen said. The hard work and dedication that Fernandez, Beltran and the rest of the QDOBA Hillsboro team have put forth is something to marvel at. “I am grateful to be part of this team and cannot wait for what’s still to come,” Fernandez said. “Every day is a new opportunity to meet new friends and introduce them to the QDOBA world.” l

QDOBA Casper Thanks Dedicated Staff Member M

Michelle Jacobsen has been with QDOBA Casper since its opening in 2012.

ichelle Jacobsen started out as a line server at QDOBA® East in Casper, Wyoming, in 2012 when the restaurant first opened. Seven years later, Jacobsen is now the general manager of the restaurant. Jacobsen has worked all positions in the QDOBA realm – cook, line server, caterer, supervisor and now manager. She was even recognized as one of the fastest burrito rollers in the country by her training team. Nick Hill, director of operations at QDOBA Casper, notes that Jacobsen is an essential team member because she is loyal, dependable and dedicated. Employees at her store treat her with respect and see her as the mother of the team. She loves managing her store and her employees and flavor FALL 2019

is proud to have worked her way up in the company. Even regular customers know Jacobsen and her story and look forward to seeing her when they visit the restaurant. The company has shown Jacobsen appreciation throughout the years for her hard work and dedication. Jacobsen was even there to help when QDOBA Casper opened its second location across town. Hill said Jacobsen always knows what he expects from her and lives up to those expectations. She is a vital part of what makes the QDOBA Casper restaurant successful. “We would like to thank Michelle for all her work and dedication to QDOBA Casper,” Hill said. “We could not have done it without your help.” l 5

2020 QF A

G N I G N I BR THE

NDO

, FL •

7FEB 2

N TIO

HISEE CONV C N EN RA

2020 QFA Franchisee Convention Brings the Flavor

he 2020 QFA Franchisee Convention promises to be another spectacular event as the Qdoba Franchisee Association brings together franchisees and business vendors alike in Orlando, Florida. Join franchisees, the QFA Board of Directors and QDOBA brand leadership as we dive into an insightful agenda full of brand updates and best practices. Find out what’s coming up next for QDOBA Mexican Eats®, enjoy time with fellow franchisees and vendor partners, and kick back and relax at our closing event. The annual convention provides key takeaways you can carry back and implement in your businesses right away. Whether it be marketing best practices, executing third-party and back-line orders, or creating an award-winning culture to increase retention, this convention offers every attendee valuable information that helps ensure the continued success of your business! Held Feb. 27-29 at the luxurious Omni Orlando ChampionsGate, the 2020 QFA Franchisee Convention affords you the perfect opportunity to engage the association that supports you as well as the vendor business suppliers that back your business!

flavor FALL 2019

Keynote Speaker: Jim Knight

long with hearing from QFA and brand leaders, QFA is proud to announce that Jim Knight will be the keynote speaker for the 2020 QFA Franchisee Convention. A training and development veteran for over 30 years, Knight speaks on a variety of interactive topics, including sessions about organizational culture, world-class service, building rock star teams, hiring and retaining “rock stars,” employee branding, performance management, philanthropy and facilitation training. Jim cut his teeth in the training field through the hospitality industry, starting out in the snack bar at Gatorland Zoo and as a restaurant staff-level employee for Olive Garden and then Hard Rock Cafe. He eventually became the head of the School of Hard Rocks, running point on all learning and development functions for Hard Rock International. Although part of a small training group that supported all cafe, hotel and casino properties, Knight’s role at Hard Rock involved many facets of organizational training, including creating/managing all staff and management training materials and programs, facilitating its corporate university, overseeing management training locations, producing training DVDs, directing company e-learning initiatives, facilitating leadership transitions and traveling to property locations to deliver on-site classes and measure standards. Knight is also the best-selling author of “Culture that Rocks! How to Revolutionize Your Company’s Culture.” A portion of his book, monthly report and speaking proceeds goes to No Kid Hungry to eliminate childhood hunger in the United States and the LEAP Foundation, which supports severe trauma victims through wilderness therapy.

flavor FALL 2019

franchisee spotlight

Maria Salgado Company name: Rojo Caliente Idaho Inc. Number of restaurants: 4 States your restaurants operate in: Idaho

How did you become a QDOBA® franchisee?

Long story short, my father was the DOP in Idaho for 10 years. My first job when I was 16 was at QDOBA as a line server, and as the years went by, I enjoyed the business and slowly worked my way up in the restaurant. The owners of the franchise in Idaho wanted to sell their Idaho market, and they offered it to my dad and I first since they knew my father had invested over 10 years of his life in the Idaho QDOBAs. It was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up, so we took it. And, five years later, I’m a franchisee with my father. How did you meet your business partner?

My business partner is Adam Gonzales. He previously owned the Idaho market before it was sold to us. Gonzales continues to be part owner of the Idaho market with me and has taught me a lot. He has been so patient with me in teaching me everything I need to know within the business. I am so appreciative of Gonzales. Thanks to him, I was able to become part owner for the Idaho franchise. In your opinion, what stands out about the QDOBA brand?

In my opinion, QDOBA has diversity, and that’s what helps it stand out. When I say diversity, I mean it in many forms, from flavor to the personnel working within QDOBA. There’s a flavor for everyone in QDOBA, whether that’s something spicy or something sweet. As for the personnel working at QDOBA, we have many people working within the restaurants and corporate who offer a different perspective and help bring new things to the table. What is the best piece of business advice you have ever received?

The best piece of advice I’ve received is treat others how you want to be treated no matter your position, whether you’re the owner of a franchise or the manager. I think treating others with the same respect they treat you with is very important when 8

running a business. You build some of the greatest relationships when treating people fairly. We have amazing employee retention. I have employees who have been working with us for as long as five years and others for even more. I think the biggest reason why they’ve stayed with us for so long is because of the culture we’ve built within our franchise. We talk with our employees daily and ask them how they’re doing and if there’s anything we can do for them. We’ve built a genuine relationship with each of our employees, and that has made an impact on them wanting to work with us and continuing to work with us. I work alongside my employees at times in the restaurant, and it builds that relationship with them and shows them I’m there to help and to work shoulder-to-shoulder with them, not just boss people around and send a couple emails a day. It doesn’t just apply within the restaurant, but also with anyone because you never know who you could be talking to. My father has the biggest network in Idaho; if you need a realtor, baker, lawyer, mechanic, you ask him for it. He knows a lot of information from various industries, and it’s because he treats everyone the same and has built a genuine relationship with a lot of people by doing so. This is something I admire, and I hope to also build a great network with genuine relationships like he has. Looking ahead, what are your top three business goals for the company?

My top goals are building our catering business, making an impact within our local communities and creating a bigger culture within our restaurants.

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What do you feel is the biggest challenge currently facing franchisees?

Finding employees who still have passion. I feel like it’s getting harder and harder to find employees who care and have passion. We try so hard to motivate employees from PTO to gift cards for coffee, and they just don’t seem to care. I’ve had a lot of employees apply for a job and request to work Monday through Thursday only. I feel like employees now lack that care and passion to have a job, and it’s not just in the restaurant industry, it’s in every industry. I talk to a lot of local entrepreneurs, and they seem to be having the same issue. What is the biggest industry change that you have seen since you started?

Social media. It has become such a huge part of the business industry, and it’s very scary. I get scared because things go viral on social media whether it’s a simple picture or video. It’s a very powerful platform, and if used correctly, it can be a very beneficial one. Tell us a little bit about your family.

I come from a large, united family. A lot of my aunts and uncles work in the restaurants with us, which is a good thing for the most

part. It can be a hard thing at times to work with family, but I know my family means well in everything they do. I have a 4-year-old daughter, Melody Roze, and my partner (her dad) is Marco. He is my biggest fan in everything that I do and has been very supportive from the start. When I first told him about the opportunity to become a franchise owner, he said, “OK, what do we have to do?” He was on board the whole time and reassured me the whole time to not fear such a big opportunity. I feared failing as a franchise owner and failing those around me, especially my employees within the restaurants. Three years later, I’m extremely proud of how far I’ve brought my franchise, and I’m forever grateful to those who believed in me from the start and reassured me along the way that this was something big. If I weren’t a franchisee, I would be …

An accountant. I’m currently going to college for accounting, and I love it. I get told all the time I’m wasting time by going to college when I’m already in the restaurant industry, but I feel like there’s so much more to learn. I’m only 22 years old. I have a lot to see and learn still, and I don’t think we should ever stop learning, whether it’s by reading articles, talking to people or going to college. l

Support the Vendors

THAT SUPPORT YOUR ASSOCIATION

COMPANY NAME

LEVEL

CONTACT NAME

PHONE

Avanti Restaurant Solutions

Sapphire

Bolt Bolton

bolt@avanticorporate.com

916-378-0337

SSDC/Ecolab

Sapphire

Jack Helton

jack@ssdcsoap.com

214-533-9793

Cargill Foodservice

Pearl

Michael Huemoller

michael_huemoller@cargill.com

714-290-4321

Keurig Dr Pepper

Pearl

Chad Dohlman

chad.dohlman@dpsg.com

480-279-4396

ADT Commercial

Assoc. Mbr.

Bill Rose

williamrose@adt.com

704-791-7052

Bluetree Casework

Assoc. Mbr.

Kraig Arthur

karthur@gobluetree.com

816-369-8344

Bunge Oil

Assoc. Mbr.

Michael Middendorf

michael.middendorf@bunge.com

623-810-7745

GP Pro | Georgia-Pacific, LLC

Assoc. Mbr.

Mike Carroll

michael.carroll2@gapac.com

949-981-1930

Hughes

Assoc. Mbr.

Neda Noorani

neda.noorani@hughes.com

858-452-4650

Lingle Design Group

Assoc. Mbr.

Carl Lingle

carllingle@lingledesign.com

815-369-9155

Masters Gallery Foods

Assoc. Mbr.

Gary Arlt

garlt@mastersgalleryfoods.com

816-506-1393

Michael Foods

Assoc. Mbr.

Liz Nerhus

liz.nerhus@michaelfoods.com

612-280-7994

Spellbound

Assoc. Mbr.

Christopher Terry

c.terry@spellboundinc.com

888-331-9001

Tundra Restaurant Supply

Assoc. Mbr.

Joel White

jwhite@etundra.com

303-545-1328

Valley Proteins

Assoc. Mbr.

Ron Rogers

rrogers@valleyproteins.com

540-877-3220

Villa Lighting

Assoc. Mbr.

Steve Barker

steve.barker@villalighting.com

800-325-0963

flavor FALL 2019

LOOK LISTEN READ L

ook, Listen, Read is a quarterly compilation of some of the most highly rated and reviewed apps, podcasts, books, websites and other resources. QFA does not support or endorse the use of these tools, which merely serve as a guide to exploring a new level of knowledge and productivity for your business.

ABUKAI Expenses eliminates all the cumber-

some work associated with creating expense reports, including typing data from receipts, categorizing expenses and looking up exchange rates. Simply take pictures of your receipts and have them transformed into a finished expense report. Improve your productivity, stop carrying receipts in your wallet and turn in your expense reports on time.

Are you craving success in other areas of your life besides your career? Do you feel overwhelmed balancing work and family? If so, Lead to Win could be a great tool to help you achieve multidimensional success. 10

In this weekly podcast, Michael Hyatt, former chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, best-selling author and successful entrepreneur, helps provide necessary clarity and tools to escape the frenzy of day-to-day life.

Known for his New York Times best-seller, “The Power of Broke,” and his role as a “shark” on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” Daymond John knows all about pushing yourself. In “Rise and Grind:

Outperform, Outwork and Outhustle Your Way to a More Successful and Rewarding Life,” John explores routines

and secrets of business owners who have overcome life challenges and truly demonstrated a “rise-and-grind” lifestyle. He also discusses his personal journey of persistence and achieving success.

flavor FALL 2019

Alan Stein Jr. is a world-renowned speaker and corporate performance coach. In his book, “Raise Your

Game: High-Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best,” Stein empowers

readers to rise to the top of their game by implementing habits and small changes into their lives. NBA star Kevin Durant calls the book “a must read” and gives kudos to Stein for his role in Durant’s development on and off the court.

LastPass is a unique tool that stores all your passwords in a digital vault, accessible with one master password. The app also has a tool that enables you to share passwords with employees and remove access when necessary. It also helps generate safe passwords for each account, making them very hard to hack.

Reid Hoffman made his mark on the business world by co-founding LinkedIn. His podcast, Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman, features guests from across the business industry and tests his personal theories about company growth. Guests on the podcast include Uber’s Dara Khosrowshahi, Google’s Eric Schmidt and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg.

Inigo is a real-time contact solution for individuals and businesses. This app allows you to create a digital business card with websites, social networks, résumés and more. Send your card digitally to anyone using SMS, email, Twitter, QR and more. Go green, go paperless, shrink your wallet and save money with virtual business cards.

Moovly Video Maker is a software system that eliminates the need for a team of editors to create engaging online content. Moovly has a selection of professional templates that can be used to easily create videos by simply dragging and dropping files.

“Restaurant Owners Uncorked” is a

collection of interviews with chefs and restaurant owners from across the nation, including Phil Roberts of Bucca de Beppo, Hell’s Kitchen cast member Scott Leibfried and more. The experts share their experience working their way up in the restaurant business industry, pros and cons, and tips. By reading this book, you’ll learn from some of the best about what works and what doesn’t in the restaurant world. l

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TIPS ON CREATING AN IMPACTFUL ONBOARDING EXPERIENCE 12

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t’s a common misconception among employers that the hiring journey ends after the new hire signs an offer letter. However, a company’s onboarding process can directly impact its retention rates. Restaurant employees turn over at a higher rate than their counterparts in any other industry. Last year, the National Restaurant Association reported the hospitality industry turnover rate has been increasing for six years in a row. The average cost of staff turnover can be as much as $5,864 per employee, which means restaurateurs should be actively working to decrease employee turnover. Studies show the top reasons employees decide to end their employment early are a poor onboarding experience and a lack of clarity surrounding their job description. According to the Aberdeen Group, 69% of new employees are likely to maintain a job for at least three years if given a welcoming employee onboarding experience. It’s important to make your new team member feel that they’re being set up for success from the very beginning. While fine-tuning the onboarding process won’t cure all turnover headaches, it’s an exceptional place to start. Here are a few easy fixes to consider when onboarding new employees: Keep the information quick and concise.

The main goal of an onboarding program is to assimilate employees into their new work environment. Start with the basics – familiarize new hires with your company’s history, inform them about relevant policies (key word: relevant) and outline the expected workplace behaviors. Be mindful of the fact they won’t be able to remember everything at once. Help them avoid feeling overwhelmed by giving them paper or digital copies of the material you go over with them and follow up with them over their first few weeks.

Joseph Lizer, a longtime manager with QMG Venture, LLC, which is owned by Matt Herridge and Grant Wharton, said his onboarding process usually takes by Morgan Fitzgerald about an hour. The key to quick but effective onboarding begins with preparation. Employees often forget to bring the required documents that are needed to complete onboarding. A quick reminder phone call or email before they come in can prevent them from having to go home to retrieve them. This also shows that your company is prepared for them to join the team and sets the company’s expectation of the employee from the beginning. Encourage connection.

Incorporate current team members as much as possible into the onboarding process. This helps your new hire get a feel for the workplace dynamic. “We pick our best employee on the shift and have the new employee shadow them,” said Mark Miller, owner of MPQ Inc. Assigning a mentor who can show them the ropes and introduce them to their peers will help the onboarding process feel more comfortable. It also helps the new employee feel like an active member of your team during their first shift. “I pair them with an impactful employee who is outgoing and knows their stuff,” said Lizer. “This gives the new employee the chance to create a more personal connection with a team member. New employees can be shy or unsure of themselves, so being with an outgoing employee helps. It also helps the new employee to see how the employee they’re shadowing interacts with the customers. This shows

“New employees can be shy or unsure of themselves, so being with an outgoing employee helps. It also helps the new employee to see how the employee they’re shadowing interacts with the customers. This shows them the kind of engagement we expect employees to have with our guests.” – Mark Miller owner of MPQ Inc.

Continued on page 14

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Onboarding Continued from page 13

“Our restaurant is in a smaller community, and it is so important to make the guest feel welcome and part of our QDOBA® family.” – Debbie Peterson Q Loco, LLC

them the kind of engagement we expect employees to have with our guests.” Shadowing a current employee is an excellent way to create a hands-on training experience. Encourage team members to be friendly and assist in the training process. In fact, one of the first things Lizer does is make a joke when introducing employees to a new hire. “I try to keep it lighthearted to make the new employee feel included and ease their nerves,” said Lizer. Including socialization in the onboarding experience helps the employee further understand company culture, which can improve their efficiency. Comradery within the company and knowing who does what will also make new hires feel more comfortable asking questions. In fact, 2018 BambooHR information showed that 56% of employees want a friend or mentor to have as a guide during this process. By encouraging a team-oriented environment, current employees will begin to take initiative in assisting with a new employee’s onboarding process. This will also encourage the new individual to grow into becoming a mentor to future hires and establish a personal investment in your company. Show them the impact of their work.

One of the most difficult things for employees to understand is how their individual performance affects the whole business. It’s easy to get them excited over new co-workers and their future with your company, but the key to their success will be cultivating excitement around the job itself. To do that, show them the big picture. When explaining their dayto-day tasks, make sure they understand

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how their specific work affects everyone on your team. This helps them get a better understanding of the expectations set for them and encourages them to see their job as exciting rather than mundane. Debbie Peterson with Q Loco, LLC, advises employers to emphasize the importance of hospitality. “Our restaurant is in a smaller community, and it is so important to make the guest feel welcome and part of our QDOBA® family,” Peterson said. “We continually stress that the guest is paying their paycheck, not us.” Help your new employee find a “why” so that they may find a sense of purpose in their job. This plays an important role in retention because it gives employees a sense of ownership and pride in your company. Peterson suggests role-playing during the first few shifts. “Role-playing different situations and menu items helps them with different situations and feel more confident in their role.” Follow up.

Finally, remember to follow up with the new employee after their first month or so. This allows for a phase-in period after they’ve been onboarded so that they’re able to gain more insight and experience in their role. Evaluate how they’re feeling about their job situation and ask for feedback on their onboarding experience. “We follow up with them over the next two weeks,” said Lizer. “Two weeks is about how long it takes the standard employee to get trained on all the basics. This is a good time to check in with them. I ask them how they’re feeling and progressing with the company.” These follow-ups cover skills, benefits and the company culture. Throughout the new employee’s training period, Miller suggests you “ask them lots of questions as they are going through the process and

encourage them to ask any questions.” This will help you identify common questions and determine what topics to focus on more. Implementing a post-onboarding followup strategy helps assess the effectiveness of the employee’s onboarding. It also establishes stepping stones into the employee’s future with the company. If you want employees to invest in their jobs for the long haul, take the right steps in the beginning to show that you’re invested in them, too. Remember, a good onboarding process establishes the foundation on which they will continue to build throughout their time with your company. As you evaluate your current onboarding practices, keep in mind that building confidence is key. “If they are confident, we find they

are more at ease with the guest and talking to them,” said Peterson. “I feel that our job is to do everything we can do to make them feel confident.” This is the time when your new hire establishes their first impressions of your company, and your goal is to make them positive. Just as it costs more to get new customers in the door than to maintain your current base, it costs more to train new employees than to retain the staff you have. Setting your staff up for success ultimately leads to the success of your business as well.” l

“If they are confident, we find they are more at ease with the guest and talking to them. I feel that our job is to do everything we can do to make them feel confident.”

MORGAN FITZGERALD is the QFA administrative assistant. You can reach Fitzgerald at 678-540-6202 or morganf@qdobafa.org.

– Debbie Peterson Q Loco, LLC

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Is Lack of I-9 Compliance a Threat to Your Franchise?

Here’s what you should be doing ...

by Douglas H. Duerr

workers are authorized to work in the United States. Have you reviewed your processes and paperwork?

Background

he federal government has dramatically increased its enforcement of I-9 compliance and worksite enforcement (i.e., inspecting worksites for unauthorized workers). In fiscal year 2018, the compliance and enforcement activity increased by 300% over 2017, and it appears that enforcement activity in 2019 is on track for similar increases. However, it is not just the federal government that is looking at compliance with I-9 requirements: In June 2019, Restaurant Business, a news outlet for the commercial food service industry, reported that Dunkin’ Donuts filed three lawsuits in federal court against franchisees that were continuing to operate despite having their franchises canceled for failure to properly vet their workers for authorization to work in the United States. This follows similar lawsuits in 2018. What does this have to do with you and your franchise? You face a double threat of fines and penalties from the federal government as well as potential loss of your franchise if you (or your managers) fail to adhere strictly to the tedious (and sometimes confusing) requirements of verifying and documenting that your

In 1986, to address growing concerns about the number of illegal immigrants in the United States as well the perception that they were depriving U.S. citizens of jobs, the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) was passed into law. While IRCA did several things, including provide a path for some to obtain lawful resident status, it made illegal the employment of persons without first verifying their identity and authorization to work in the United States. However – in what some consider a Catch-22 – to prevent discrimination against individuals because of fears or perceptions that someone who appeared foreign would not have work authorization, IRCA also put into place rules prohibiting employers from, among other things, requiring new hires to present certain documents or combinations of documents or more documents than are minimally necessary to establish identity or work authorization. In short, IRCA placed employers into a situation in which they must do just enough to establish identity and work authorization without doing more than the minimum. To enforce these requirements, IRCA implemented a series of fines that range from a low of $548 for each worker that was knowingly or recklessly engaged, up to $21,563 depending upon a

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variety of factors, including whether the employer had been previously found to employ unauthorized individuals. There are also fines, ranging from $220 to $2,191 per individual for not properly completing (or having) the appropriate paperwork (the Form I-9), and fines topping out at $1,848 per individual required to provide more or different documentation than the minimum requirement for completing the Form I-9. Of course, these civil fines are in addition to potential criminal sanctions for related offenses (e.g., harboring of illegal immigrants). In more recent years, more than 20 states have enacted some form of a law requiring employers to use the E-Verify system of determining an individual’s authority to work in the United States. Basically, E-Verify takes information from the Form I-9, which all employers must complete and, to some extent, electronically verifies an individual’s work authorization. As you might expect, there are fines and penalties for failure to comply with those requirements.

Procedure It would take several pages to describe the entire process for properly (and fully) completing the Form I-9, and the United States Customs and Immigration Service (UCIS) publishes a Handbook for Employers M-274, which is available at www.uscis.gov/i-9-central, along with other helpful information. As such, I will just highlight some of the most important takeaways: 1. Section 1 of the I-9 must be completed as soon as the worker starts work or before, but after the offer of employment has been made. Collecting I-9 information beforehand risks a claim of unlawful discrimination. Only the worker should complete Section 1, and the instructions need to be available. Your manager/supervisor/co-worker should not do anything beyond review Section 1 to make sure it is completed fully. If any assistance is provided, then the person providing the assistance will need to sign where indicated. 2. Within three days of starting work, a supervisor or other responsible person must complete Section 2. This is where it gets trickier. The employee gets to choose what documents to produce: List A documents OR List B and List C documents. The instructions list the types of documents that fall into each category, and if the employee presents documents from all three lists, the supervisor must tell the employee to choose which ones to use. Also, documents verifying the information set forth by the employee in Section 1 cannot be required. Employers have been fined for “taking the extra step” of recording a document in each category. 3. If the employee comes in to work on the fourth day and has not presented the required documents, they should be sent home without pay until they bring in the documents. No exceptions are allowed. 4. Do not ask to see a Social Security card as part of the I-9 process. Many employers require a Social Security card to ensure that the name and number are entered correctly to reduce the likelihood of a “mismatch letter” (see my article in the prior issue of this publication). If you do ask for a card, make sure that the request is separate from the I-9 process and explain the reason why the card is required. 5. The person completing Section 2 must see the actual documents presented; photocopies, video, etc., are not permitted and considered a complete failure to comply with the requirements. The purpose of seeing the actual documents is to comply with the requirement that the documents appear to be genuine, to relate to

the person presenting them and to authorize the individual to work, which cannot be done with copies (except a certified copy of a birth certificate), videos or other methods of displaying the document. 6. Receipts for replacement documents are acceptable for up to 90 days, but these must be only for lost, damaged or stolen documents, not new documents (e.g., for a new Employment Authorization Document I-766). 7. Some work authorization documents are automatically extended, so if you are presented with such a document, make sure to go online and see if the document has been automatically extended and make sure to look at Section 4.2 of the Handbook for Employers M-274. 8. Make sure to complete Section 3, Reverification, no later than the date the document needing reverification has expired. Continuing to allow someone to work after their document has expired is treated as a “knowingly employed” violation.

Recordkeeping You must keep the Form I-9 for whichever period is longer: three years after the employee is hired or one year after employment has ended. The best strategy is to keep the I-9s separate from personnel files in alphabetical order for current employees, and in order of the upcoming destruction date (i.e., the day you no longer have to keep them). Why destroy an I-9 after you no longer need it? If your worksite is inspected, and an I-9 has not been completed properly, you may be fined for it, even if you did not have to keep it at the time of the inspection.

Audits Finally, even if you believe that you have good processes in place for your I-9s, you should do periodic audits of compliance before you are selected by the government for one of its audits. Do you have an I-9 for all active employees? What about those who started work in the last three years or separated less than a year ago? Are the forms completed and signed properly? If not, then go back and work with employees to correct the I-9s using different-colored ink and dating and initialing all changes. (While this highlights that corrections were made, it avoids any allegations that you were fraudulently attempting to show that it was properly completed originally – something that could result in a criminal charge.) When the audit is over, write a memo to file describing the auditing process, what was corrected and what changes have been implemented to prevent a future violation.

Conclusion The current increased focus on immigrants, legal and illegal, in the United States is not just something in the news: It is also a real workplace issue that cannot only result in adverse publicity for business as well as fines and penalties from the federal government, but also the loss of your franchise. While completing the I-9 has been treated by many in the past as just one more piece of administrative paperwork that did not have any real consequences, that is no longer the case. Thus, if you have not done so already, take a closer look at your compliance. l DOUGLAS H. DUERR is partner at Elarbee Thompson, a national labor and employment law firm with an industry practice area focused on franchises. Learn more at www.elarbeethompson.com.

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s i o i n c s e ! d decisions, just ma ke o ne

by Laura Stack

ou’ve gathered all the information, you’ve researched alternatives, you’ve priced it, and now you can’t decide. The project sits in its manila folder and gathers dust. Another “half-done” project bites the dust. Indecision is a big-time bandit. Look at your desk and your email inbox. Many of the piles represent decisions you haven’t made yet. At some point, you stopped asking yourself, “What’s next?” Eventually, the only thing left to do is decide. For example, you’ve got the conference schedule, you know the price, have the hotel information and flight schedules ... but you can’t decide whether to go. Or you’ve passed those travel lounges many times and thought how nice it would be to have a membership. 18

You’ve compared different programs and researched cost differentials. Not knowing exactly how many times you’d be traveling in the coming year, and not wanting to pay for visits you didn’t use, the file just sat. And you continue to look wistfully at the lounges as you head to the boarding area … Examples abound of professionals who don’t demonstrate forward progress in their careers or daily activities because they stopped making decisions or were afraid to make one at all. Star performers know when to make a decision. I look at the rejection letters I received from other publishers, knowing that several publishers turned down “The Bridges of Madison County” because no editor would go out on a limb and back it. Ha! IBM couldn’t flavor FALL 2019

alr e

ady !

find a quorum that would back the idea that later became the Xerox machine. Why? In the old days, risk-averse workers knew that they’d never get in trouble for avoiding a tough decision. In fact, it might even have been the fastest ticket to a promotion because it’s one sure way to keep the dirt off your feet. But these days, if you can’t make a decision, you’re out of the action. Any decision that is likely to serve you and your company is better than no decision, but people avoid making a decision by saying things like, “I’m waiting to get more information,” or “I need more

input on this.” The truth is that you’re not willing to look the situation in the eye and make a decision, right or wrong. So, you put off acknowledging what you already know and acting on it. The project stalls and gets added to the pile of wasted time. You might wait until your boss or co-worker asks you about it, and you are literally forced to make a decision. But because you’ve already made the decision in your mind, the delay in making it official can mean staying up all night, making more mistakes or spending more money. Then you give me the old, “I work better under pressure,” comment. Let’s call a spade a spade. You’re stalling and wasting time. Before you put anything down, ask yourself, “What is the very next step required to see forward motion on this task?” Finally, the answer is going to be “make a decision.” At that point, take a deep breath, face the music and choose. It is only then that you are free. Productive. No leftovers, nothing “half-done.” Sometimes, you want to make a decision, but you can’t because you’ve made a bad decision that prevents you from making the new one. For example,

when I was “green” and first starting out as a professional speaker, I signed on with CareerTrack to present public seminars around the country. After a couple years of doing that, I felt I had learned all I could from the experience. I realized that as long as I kept allowing the company to book me, I was blocking myself from marketing my own services, working on my promotional and seminar materials, and taking engagements with private clients. I stayed in a comfort zone that kept me from making the decisions I needed to. Realizing your current situation is never going to get you where you want to go is the key to getting where you belong. A life-changing experience (missing my daughter, Meagan’s, first steps) forced me out of that comfort zone. Since CareerTrack booked about six months out, I told them no more after I completed what was already scheduled. Then I was free to make better decisions. Instantly I found myself doing the things I had to do to get work, and in six weeks, I had created new client opportunities. In Spencer S. Johnson’s book, “Yes or No: The Guide to Better Decisions,” he presents a simple but awesome idea: “In

order to make a better decision, we must first stop a bad decision. This creates room for the better decision. Like a woman dating a loser. She knows he will never bring her happiness, but she fears being alone because maybe no one better will come along. She knows she should dump him, but Friday night comes along … he calls … you know the rest.” As long as the loser is around, she won’t be open for a better opportunity. What decisions have you made in the past that, if you eliminate, would make room for better decisions now? l LAURA STACK, MBA, CSP, CPAE, aka The Productivity Pro®, gives speeches and seminars on sales and leadership productivity. For over 25 years, she’s worked with Fortune 1000 clients to reduce inefficiencies, execute more quickly, improve output and increase profitability. Laura is the author of seven books, including “Doing the Right Things Right: How the Effective Executive Spends Time.” To invite Laura to speak at your next event, visit www.TheProductivityPro.com.

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Seven Ways to Make Your Customers Feel VALUED by Dennis Snow

ren’t you tired of receiving sales and marketing letters that start with, “Dear Valued Customer …?” Most (all) of these letters go on to demonstrate that rather than being valued, you’re really a faceless, nameless entity in a long, long line of faceless and nameless entities. For me to feel valued as your customer, I have to feel that you see me as an individual. I have to feel that you’re glad I’m a customer. And, most importantly, I have to feel that you actually care about helping me. Here is a list of actions that make me feel valued as a customer. Depending on your organization and industry, you’ll likely have to adapt the specific actions to the specifics of your situation, but the principles should apply no matter the organization or industry.

Acknowledge my presence. Even if you’re with another customer, at least give me a signal that you know I’m here. Eye contact and a smile is all it takes. Let me know that I’m more important than your paperwork or shelf stocking. Definitely let me know that I’m more important than chatting with your colleague. Keep in mind that I know that you know I’m here. But when you don’t acknowledge my presence, you’re telling me that you don’t care that I’m here.

Remember something about me. When you remember my name or what I

ordered the last time or the names of my kids or anything about me, you’ve paid me the ultimate compliment. You said I’m worth remembering, and I just love that.

Share a tip or secret. Most of the time, you know more about your products and services than I do. You know how I can avoid the same problem in the future, or how to get the product to do things I’ve never dreamed of. When you give me that, “Wow, I didn’t know it could do that!” feeling, you’ve made me a friend for life. Especially when I feel equipped to dazzle my friends and colleagues with my newfound knowledge!

Do something unexpected. When I make a significant purchase or go through an important event (like surgery), a follow-up call, email or handwritten note communicates that you’re thinking about me, and, at least for the moment, you’re creating good vibes. Forwarding a news article that’s pertinent to me or to my business lets me know that you don’t just think about me when I’m spending money with you, you’ve got my best interests in mind. Knowing that you’re looking out for me puts you on a whole new level of favorite organizations.

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Return phone calls and emails immediately. Few actions more accurately demonstrate how important you think I am than how quickly or slowly you get back to me. That return call or email response that comes minutes (or even seconds) after I left the message tells me that you respect me enough to show a sense of urgency. One of the greatest loyaltybuilding statements your customers can say is, “Wow! Thanks for getting back to me so quickly!”

Help me maintain my dignity. There are a lot of things I think I know and don’t, or I know just enough about to do some real damage. Then there are many, many things that I know I don’t know. But you’ll never win by making me feel stupid. When I feel stupid or embarrassed, I just want the interaction to end, which isn’t a very good customer-loyalty strategy. Yes, save me from myself, but keep my dignity intact. The most skillful service providers gently nudge the clueless in the right direction (see Tip No. 3), while always respecting the customer. The very best service providers sometimes make the right solution look like the customer’s idea in the first place, complimenting them on their fine judgment. However you do it, making me feel good about myself makes me want to see you again.

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Respect my time. An inevitable result of an organization’s inefficiency, poor processes or carelessness is wasted time for me as your customer. And time is the only resource I can never get back. So, when I must explain my problem each time my call is transferred, my life gets a bit shorter. When I’m in a checkout line with 12 customers, and only two of 10 checkout lines are open, my life gets a bit shorter. When I’m sitting in the waiting room, and no one mentions the doctor is running 30 minutes behind (allowing me to decide whether to reschedule), my life gets a bit shorter. On the other hand, whenever you do something that saves me time, or helps me to manage my time, you’ve separated your organization from just about every other one out there. My new favorite example comes from Seasons 52 Restaurant of Orlando. As you finish up dessert, you press a button on a tiny remote control provided by the valet, and they bring around your car so it’s ready and waiting as you exit the restaurant. Beautiful! Those are just seven actions you can take that make me, your customer, feel valued. I’m sure you can think of many more. l

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DENNIS SNOW is the president of Snow & Associates Inc. Dennis worked with the Walt Disney World Co. for 20 years and now consults with organizations around the world, helping them achieve their customer service goals. He is the author of “Unleashing Excellence: The Complete Guide to Ultimate Customer Service” and “Lessons From the Mouse: A Guide for Applying Disney World’s Secrets of Success to Your Organization, Your Career, and Your Life.” You can reach Dennis at 407-294-1855 or visit his website at www.snowassociates.com.

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21 1/4/18 11:52 AM

The Main Ingredient of Leadership and How to Get More of It

hat do leaders have in common? It turns out to be not very much. There are male leaders and female leaders, tall and short leaders, loud and quiet leaders, extroverted and introverted leaders, rationalist, idealist, artisan and shepherd leaders, leaders with big, fancy titles at big corporations and leaders with no titles who do volunteer work, famous leaders known by millions and family leaders known by very few people. I could keep going with the differences among leaders, but I think you get the idea.

by Dan Coughlin

So, what do they have in common? What is the basic prerequisite of leadership?

A Definition of Leadership and Common Fallacies of Leadership Let’s start with a definition. Definitions help define what is meant within a word and what is outside of that word. I define leadership as “influencing how other people think so they make decisions that improve results in a sustainable way.” Based on that definition, just having flavor FALL 2019

a title doesn’t make a person a leader, regardless of how big the title. It’s a common fallacy to think that a person is automatically a leader because of his or her title. Just having a particular talent doesn’t make the person a leader, regardless of how great the talent. Just having particular physical

Wisdom

is the perspective you have developed on different topics over the course of your lifetime. Your perspective is the ingredient you use to begin making yourself into a leader. attributes doesn’t make the person a leader, regardless of the person’s height or looks or build. Just having certain educational degrees doesn’t make the person a leader, regardless of how fancy-sounding the degree. Just having a certain amount of money doesn’t make the person a leader, regardless of how much money is in the person’s bank account. Just having a charismatic personality or calmness under pressure doesn’t make the person a leader, regardless of how great the personality.

The Main Ingredient: Wisdom

Drum roll please. The main ingredient all leaders have in common is wisdom, and wisdom is available to everyone. Titles, talents, physical attributes, educational degrees, money and charisma don’t guarantee leadership, but they also don’t prevent leadership. They are not connected to the main ingredient needed to influence people to think in ways that lead to decisions that sustainably improve results. Wisdom is the necessary ingredient. Wisdom is the perspective you have developed on different topics over the course of your lifetime. Your perspective is the ingredient you use to begin making yourself into a leader. Just as meals have recipes and those recipes need certain ingredients, leadership has a recipe and

needs certain ingredients. The main ingredient in the recipe of becoming a leader is your wisdom – your perspective on different topics. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had well-developed wisdom on civil rights and fairness and justice. Oprah Winfrey developed wisdom on empowering people to live the lives they want to live. John F. Kennedy developed wisdom on when not to use nuclear weapons and on volunteerism. Mother Teresa developed wisdom on the importance of caring for the poorest of the poor. My parents developed wisdom on the long-term importance of education.

Two Key Questions

What topics have you developed wisdom on over your lifetime? What is your perspective on each of those topics? Your answers to those two questions are the basis for your leadership in those areas. You can use your perspective to begin influencing other people. If you don’t have a clear perspective on a topic, then no matter how charismatic you are you will not be an effective leader. You can’t make a cookie without the necessary ingredients.

Find a topic you are so passionate about that you are willing to pour yourself into it for the long term.

How to Develop More Wisdom Having wisdom does not complete your work as a leader, it starts your work as a leader. You still must effectively deliver your wisdom to other people. This article just focuses on the starting point. If you really want to be an effective leader on a given topic, then start with a flavor FALL 2019

topic you have so much passion for that you will immerse yourself in it. What topic do you want to really develop your perspective on? Is it parenting, managing people in an organization, building great electronic devices, making quality financial decisions, teaching young children or something else? Thirty-five years ago, I determined that I was passionate about learning how to help other people achieve whatever they wanted to achieve. I was so passionate about this topic of individual and group performance that I’ve never tired of learning about it. Recently I read biographies on Bill Belichick, Robin Williams and Fred Rogers of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Belichick studied how to build winning football teams from a very young age. Robin Williams immersed himself into the world of comedy and acting. Fred Rogers’ passion was the development of young children. Find a topic you are so passionate about that you are willing to pour yourself into it for the long term. Once you choose your topic, read as much as you can about it, talk with as many other people as you can about it, take notes, reflect on what you’ve learned and discern the key ideas that you want to move forward with on that topic. Those ideas or processes or facts or stories or experiences make up your perspective. They are the foundation of your wisdom on that topic. If you want more wisdom, then keep immersing yourself in the topic. Keep sharpening and honing and improving your perspective. That is how you increase the ingredient for even better leadership. Fully invest yourself in the development of your wisdom. l DAN COUGHLIN focuses on strengthening excellence. He defines excellence as doing whatever you do as well as you can do it right now while simultaneously learning how to do it better the next time. He has provided more than 4,000 executive coaching sessions and more than 500 seminars on excellence since 1998. He is the co-author of the new book, “The Any Person Mindset: Be Accountable to the Difference You Can Make.” Visit www.theanypersonmindset.com to learn more or visit his Free Business Leadership Idea Center at www.thecoughlincompany.com. 23

One topic: The Future of 10 facts Third-Party Delivery

1 Third-party delivery apps such as DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats account for 40% of the 20 most-used apps.

2 Grubhub is the dominant third-party delivery app, holding 52% of market share.

Fees from delivery companies are increasing, sometimes costing upward of 30% of each order, leaving a small profit margin for restaurants.

Digital orders have grown at an average yearly rate of 23% since 2013, according to The NPD Group.

In a report by Service Management Group, 44% of consumers would ultimately blame the restaurant if they encountered a problem with their delivery service, putting restaurants’ reputations on the line.

This growth is predicted to triple in volume by the end of 2020, meaning that third-party delivery will not come to a halt anytime soon.

5 Currently, digital ordering makes up 53% of all delivery orders.

6 According to NPD research, a restaurant’s app or website contributes to 70% of digital orders, but this number could fall if restaurants fail to make their apps more appealing to customers.

Fifty-two percent of customers in a research study by NPD Group said they would avoid using a delivery service again if their order arrived at the wrong temperature. This could be the fault of the restaurant or the third-party driver.

10 Despite its drawbacks, the global online food-ordering industry is still estimated to expand to $365 billion by 2030, according to a United Bank of Switzerland research report, and is likely something that many restaurants will need to adapt to in the future.

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Sources: SmartBrief, QSR, HotSchedules

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2020 editorial calendar Issue

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Call for Franchisee News We want to highlight any news or events associated with QDOBA franchisees. If you have ideas for potential stories, please email communications@qdobafa.org or call 678-797-5160. Our editorial staff can assist in writing the story for you.

Bringing better insurance options to business owners like you. Lockton Affinity is now a co-broker with Elevanta. As a franchise owner looking for insurance coverage to protect your business, you can expect more from Lockton Affinity and Elevanta:

Tailored product offerings Protecting against the risks your business faces can be difficult. With coverage from Elevanta and Lockton Affinity, you receive tailored coverage designed with your requirements in mind.

Complimentary policy reviews Concerned you don’t have the right protection for your franchise? Email Lockton Affinity at Elevanta@LocktonAffinity.com with your current insurance policies and we will review them free of charge to ensure your franchise has the right policies and limits in place.

Risk management tools We offer risk management tools like loss prevention plans, risk management articles and newsletters, and webinars to help you mitigate risk—and lower your insurance premiums—over time.

Learn more about this new partnership and its offerings by contacting Lockton Affinity at Elevanta.LocktonAffinity.com or (844) 403-4947. Lockton Affinity, LLC | 10895 Lowell Avenue, Suite 300 | Overland Park, KS 66210 Mailing Address: Lockton Affinity, LLC | PO Box 410679 | Kansas City, MO 64141 | Phone 913.652.7500 Copyright © Lockton Companies. All programs administered by Lockton Affinity, LLC. D/B/A Lockton Affinity Insurance Brokers, LLC California License #0795478.