Franchise Service Consultant

Job Summary

This position requires a high level of discretion and independent judgment. The FSR will take a high volume of telephone calls daily and must accurately answer and advise franchise offices on topics covering all aspects of the business.

The FSR's responses will have a direct effect on each franchise's operations, profit and loss, legal compliance and reputation, and community standing. The FSR must ask probing questions to accurately determine the scope and nature of any problem, and then research, coach, train, and assert that solution as needed.

While support from other departments is available, the Assistance Center is expected to identify and resolve issues confronting our offices and employees. Despite comprehensive policies and procedures set for the franchise businesses, the FSR must recognize that unforeseen situations will arise daily.

Because of this, the FSR is delegated authority as a de facto manager to direct the franchise and, where necessary, correct franchise actions. The FSR must often exercise this authority absent specific direction or existing policy, operating from an understanding of the business.

Position Requirements

Because of the self-directing and independent nature of the job, this position requires extensive training and orientation. This process lasts for at least 12 weeks, primarily consisting of one-on-one sessions with team members.

It begins with exposure to a vast array of issues and potential problems and grows increasingly detailed as the mentor tests each aspect of the prospective FSR's knowledge, work demeanor, and judgment. Additional orientation includes two weeks of new owner training and one week working in a franchise office.

Prior experience in business-to-business customer service or relationship management is a plus. Preferred characteristics include Diplomatic management skills; an attitude of dedicated service; working well in a team; outstanding work ethic; professional appearance; comfort with a constantly changing environment; good independent problem-solving skills; excellent communication; skilled multi-tasking; a detail-oriented approach; and success handling fast-paced/high-stress situations. A high school diploma is required, and College education is preferred.

Essential Functions

The FSR must become an expert at all aspects of the franchise and its operations. This knowledge forms the basis for skillfully managing issues faced by the franchises. These knowledge/task areas include, but are not limited to:

• Payroll Operations: Manage office adherence to federal and state wage-and-hour laws and ensure the office is using best payroll practices.
  
  Frequent expertise required includes assisting the franchise in auditing payrolls for accuracy, correcting and untangling payroll errors, exporting payroll files and printing payroll checks. The FSR will confront a wide range of complex payroll issues, some made even more complicated by erroneous efforts to fix the original problem. The FSR must be able to use a forensic approach to identify errors and correct them.

• Human Resources: The FSR must be able to advise and correct franchises' practices concerning the selection and hiring of associates, use of drug tests and background checks, and write proper documentation to avoid discrimination and liability.
  
  The FSR will also apply knowledge of Federal and State employment laws to circumstances and situations, including sexual harassment issues, FLSA, Civil Rights, ADA, FMLA, lunch/break times, etc. The FSR must be skilled in researching new or unusual situations.

• Sales: Achieve expert proficiency and competence to coach franchisees/staff on the sales process, including establishing acceptable pricing (bill rates, payroll burden, and GM), documenting and tracking sales contacts, and matching Express solutions to client needs.
  
  The FSR will help manage challenges with clients and will direct franchises away from high-risk prospects. Some time will be spent coaching how to most effectively use sales and marketing materials.

• Franchise Accounting: The FSR will have a primary role in the management of atypical check issues, such as lost or stolen checks, netting negative checks, and stops, flags, and reissue events.
  
  Some time will be spent researching employer state and federal tax laws. The FSR will help franchise owners understand and use the sales analysis and business analysis reports; research and manage correction or updating of garnishment and wage assignment issues; and coordinate the issuing of refunds when necessary.

• Technical Support: Determine if the caller's challenge is truly a hardware issue; if not, the FSR will help resolve computer use issues, including access violation errors, addition of user profiles to workstations, and other user challenges.
  
  The FSR must have thorough knowledge of e-mail, spreadsheets, slide presentations, and proprietary programs, and be able to explain features and troubleshoot accordingly. Hardware and technical issues will be logged and forwarded to the first available technician. The FSR should also be alerted to call patterns that may indicate a system-wide or area trend.

• Accounts Receivable: The FSR must be able to retrieve and interpret aging reports and explain transactions.
  
  The FSR will assist the franchise in write-offs, and deletion of incorrect direct hire invoices, and should be able to use the E1 system to identify client payment activity. The FSR must use independent judgment to determine whether to approve a credit memo, unsatisfactory work adjustment, and other transactions desired by the franchise.

• Benefits: The FSR must advise and educate on vacation/holiday availability, associate benefit eligibility, provisions of the insurance/401K/ scholarship/etc., enrollment procedures, enrollment deadlines, cancellation procedures, insurance premium deductions, claims processing, COBRA eligibility, and on-line reports and forms.

• Sales/Marketing: Must be able to explain and promote all contests, campaigns, events and marketing initiatives.
  
  The FSR will direct franchises to appropriate sales and marketing materials and explain their use. The FSR must keep up with the regular newsletters and the topics in them. Periodically the FSR will assist at ILC and Summit meetings upon request. The FSR must also track franchise successes and contact the offices to celebrate achievements.

• Risk: The FSR takes on a key role in helping franchises minimize risk in all areas.
  
  He/she must be able to direct a franchise through the worker's compensation claim process, be alert for opportunities to place injured workers on light duty assignments, and be aware of positions that may incur greater risk than is acceptable. The FSR will know how to calculate rate costs; be able to explain bonding and recognize liability issues, and direct a franchise how to avoid unemployment claims with practices and documentation.

• Franchise Development: ISO certification is a high priority for Express Services, and by extension the FSR is a fundamental part of preserving that certification.
  
  As a result, the FSR is grounded in a complete understanding of the application process, Procedures Manual, Franchisee Handbook, FastFinder, Social Security Number verification procedures, and more. In addition, the FSR must be prepared for regular and ongoing training on any new processes and products.

• Express University/Training: Achieve expert proficiency and competence to instruct the franchisee/staff on the following: registration process, development plans, and certifications.
  
  Reset passwords or accounts at user's request. Address all operational, conceptual and technical questions such as: basic usage instruction, questions concerning validity of the course content, and internet browser settings.

• Reports: - Provide weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly AS/400 reports as requested by offices for continued service to their clients. The FSR must be knowledgeable on the wide array of reports available and be creative in finding ways to meet franchise information needs.
  
  The FSR must also be mindful and exercise discretion concerning who is an appropriate recipient of sensitive report information.

• Programs/Vendors: The FSR must be able to train and recommend uses for any and all 3rd party vendor products, including but not limited to: ProveIt, Job Boards, Exact Target, Call Em All, etc.

• Outgoing Calls: Regularly and as needed to follow-up with questions, research and individual assistance.
  
  Regular contact to offices to coach daily activities, support our processes and motivate the performance of the franchisees and staff. Acknowledge the offices when they reach all-time highs in hours/clients, when they achieve Circle status, when it is their birthday and when it is the anniversary of the office opening.

• Oversight/Auditing: - Throughout the course of daily work, the FSR is responsible for noticing and investigating aberrant/anomalous transactions and data. Routine franchise inquiries can sometimes reveal poor or improper transactions, errors, or even violations of Express policies or law. The FSR must be alert for such issues, be able to identify and evaluate errors and problems, and counsel and direct franchise to correct those issues.

• Policy/Process Assessments and Updates: - The FSR must be able to identify when circumstances require alterations to existing policies, or the creation of new policies to accommodate new developments. The FSR will be called upon to craft policies and training, either individually or as part of a team.

Working Conditions

• Sits for extended periods of time.

• Answer incoming phone calls and intermittently make outgoing calls.

• Frequently required to use arms and hands to use personal computer and other office equipment and to reach, handle and hand-carry materials.

• Occasional high stress due to multi-tasking and demanding customer service environment.

• Read from text materials, computer monitor, and other sources as required in an office environment.