Motivate & Coach an Army of Customer Service Superheroes

Buzz Franchise Brands, or BFB, is a holding company for multiple home services brands. Covering 250+ territories across the United States, companies like Mosquito Joe, Pool Scouts, and Home Clean Heroes provide top-notch services through individually-owned franchises.

Headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA, Mosquito Joe became a franchise in 2012. It quickly expanded to have 35 employees at its headquarters, and over 500 employees in total. They cover states across the country, from Rhode Island to Florida, and out to Colorado.

Kieran S. is a Sr. Franchise Business Coach, who assists franchisees in day-to-day operations, and also takes part in managing their technology systems.

He covers everything from helping the franchisees make money and run their business smoothly, to getting them set up with a dynamic phone system.

In February 2016, Kieran decided that it was time to start looking for a new VoIP system for the BFB headquarters and all franchisees. Previously, each franchisee was hosted by a small VoIP company.

Useful Technology that Makes A World of Difference

“These small providers didn’t have good interfaces or technology. I spent a lot of time troubleshooting and dealing with downtime; the provider just wasn’t set up to help us succeed,” Kieran explained.

After sending out an RFP through their partner, Oncall Telecom, BFB made the decision to switch to Nextiva.

The mobility features, intuitive interface, and coverage throughout the United States made the decision a simple one.

Simple Onboarding for a Smooth Transition

Kieran initially thought that switching VoIP providers would be a time-consuming and challenging experience, so he was pleasantly surprised at the relatively simple onboarding.

When they made the switch in April 2016, Onboarding Specialists at Nextiva followed-up with him each day to make sure that the transition was going smoothly, and helped coordinate training with both the headquarters and franchisees.

Since working with the Onboarding Specialists, BFB has continued to experience Amazing Service from Nextiva support team. Kieran said, “While we don’t often need to call Nextiva for assistance, it’s great knowing that they’re always there. There’s a lot of dedication behind the team.”

“The mobility features are amazing for our franchisees. They’re always on the move, and the Nextiva App is helpful,” Kieran said.

He explained that when most franchisees start out, a single person serves as the technician and the office manager.

Effective Features that Allow You to be More Self-Sufficient

They need to be able to juggle an office job with being in the field, providing excellent customer service in both positions.

The Nextiva App allows the franchisees to take office calls while on the road, so they can efficiently manage their double-duty. “It’s like they have a desk phone with them at all times!”

Kieran also enjoys the NextOS Portal for its simplicity and effectiveness. “I am not a VoIP expert, but with the NextOS Portal, I was able to learn quickly. We can set up new lines, change voicemail messages, and more.”

He commented that the difference between Nextiva and previous providers is clear, in that the experience is visible. “Nextiva solved the problems with previous interfaces, and allows us to be more self-sufficient.”

Analyze Calls for Better Sales Coaching

As a Franchise Business Coach, he is also a big fan of call recording.

Kieran stated, “Sales coaching can be difficult when everyone is in different locations. Most people are operating in their homes and may hire employees that work out of their homes.

Call recording is great for myself and other Franchise Business Coaches to listen to franchisees’ calls, and it’s also great for franchisees to listen in on their remote employees. We can provide training from across the country, which is truly amazing.”

Nextiva Analytics is another critical feature for BFB. The unique call report is invaluable. Franchises are required to spend upwards of $30,000 on direct mail each year.

They tag a unique phone number to each postcard and are then able to test the effectiveness of the associated campaign.

Depending on what day of the week the postcard was sent, what time of the year it was posted, and in what neighborhood it was delivered, the franchisees can individually analyze their most effective strategy.

BFB started with 160 lines of service with Nextiva and now has over 300, and shows no signs of slowing down. “Nextiva has solved the problems we needed it to, brought a background of knowledge, and is reliable,” Kieran emphasized.

A Happy Decision

“Overall, I’m really happy with our decision to switch to Nextiva, and so is our leadership team. We try to work with the best of the best, and that’s Nextiva. They are always innovating and ahead of the curve.”

BFB looks forward to adding more franchise brands to their company, and working with Nextiva as they grow.