Getting a Bad Rep: Franchise Brands Protect Trust, Respond to Criticism, and Embrace Feedback

Franchise Reputation Management

By a large margin, Google reviews overflow with praise for Handyman Connection of Phoenix. Customers gush over drywall repairs, paint jobs, window replacements, shower remodels, and other services provided by the Arizona-based business. “Truly a fantastic company from start to finish,” wrote one reviewer.

“We could not be happier customers,” said another. “I would recommend them to anyone,” raved yet another. Handyman Connection of Phoenix, which was awarded the franchisor’s Brand Experience Award in March 2025, averages an impressive 4.

8-out-of-5 rating out of 382 reviews on Google, a go-to platform for businesses seeking to attract customers and enhance their credibility. But nestled among the glowing reviews are complaints about prices, delays, and ill-fitting doors. Some franchisors might be content if their franchisees acknowledged the good reviews and brushed off the bad but not Handyman Connection.

Positive review or negative review, Handyman Connection responds. “It’s really good for us to show that we actively care about our customers, whether they have a good experience or a bad experience,” says Angelique McMillan, Handyman Connection vice president of marketing. “Our goal is to be the lifetime home improvement project specialist for our customers, so we want to maintain that relationship for life.

The way we do that is by being actively engaged with them at every step of the way, which includes a response to an online review.” The emotional stakes are high when it comes to home repairs and improvements, so Handyman Connection’s reputation is critical to its success. It’s a reputation that the brand fiercely guards.

All franchisors know this: You can’t buy a good reputation. The core of a franchise system is shared identity, and that makes reputation management crucial to the success of the brand. Negative reviews at one location can have an impact on all locations.

It’s a given that you can’t earn a good reputation without good service or products. However, building and maintaining consumer trust also requires strategy, consistency, and coordination between corporate teams and local operators. Brands and franchisees must track what customers are saying about them on Google, Yelp, and social media.

They have to respond to feedback and the concerns of customers, who should be able to expect a consistent experience, regardless of which franchise location they patronize. Because a unified brand voice is essential, franchisors and franchisees must be on the same page when it comes to tone and messaging. Keeping close tabs on ratings, sentiment trends, and other key metrics and then responding effectively to feedback builds continuous improvement.

Taking action Handyman Connection has long understood the importance of responding to online reviews. But years ago, busy franchisees were following up only about 25% of the time. The franchisor partnered with WebPunch, one of a number of companies that monitor customer reviews and help craft responses.

Handyman Connection found two benefits of using a third party, says McMillan. It relieved busy franchisees of the burden of tracking reviews and took out the emotion that comes with seeing a negative review. When a bad review darkens the business profile of one of Handyman Connection’s 68 franchisees, a response is written that explains to the customer some of the factors that contributed to their less-than-ideal experience.

Mitigation might be offered. Occasionally, it’s necessary to push back on how a situation is portrayed. Handyman Connection gave clear guidelines to WebPunch to make sure that responses aligned with the brand’s voice.

“There was definitely a lot of prework that was done in coordinating with WebPunch to ensure that they were able to act on behalf of our Handyman Connection brand and our Handyman Connection owners,” McMillan says. The franchisor made sure that WebPunch used terminology and language familiar to Handyman Connection customers. For example, it emphasized that workers should be called craftsmen.

“We use the term ‘craftsman’ because we do hold ourselves to a higher standard in the level of quality craftsmanship that we perform,” McMillan says. Reputation management is more complicated than simply monitoring online reviews. All customer interactions are scrutinized at Handyman Connection, which has been in operation for more than three decades.

“We basically start with a Net Promoter Score survey to every single customer as well as every single lost prospect,” she says. “We want to know what we did well or what we didn’t do so well on our projects. But we also want to hear from potential customers—why they didn’t book with us.

“The most common thing we hear is price. But sometimes, we’ll hear things like, ‘I never got an estimate.’ That’s important for the owners to know,” she continues.

“Maybe their craftsmen aren’t doing a very good job of getting these estimates out in a timely fashion. So, it’s a way for them to improve operational inefficiencies by reviewing the customer sentiment and the feedback that comes by way of those Net Promoter Score surveys.” NPS surveys are also used to identify satisfied customers who might be willing to write reviews.

In addition, Handyman Connection uses a monitoring service to review phone interactions with customers. “We listen to our phone calls to ensure that we’re putting our best foot forward at all times with the customer,” McMillan says. That allows the brand to identify if additional training might be useful to franchisees.

Handyman Connection leverages as much technology as possible to review and analyze every customer interaction “so that we can improve our processes and performance as a brand,” she says. McMillan accepts that there will be occasional bad reviews. “We know that nobody’s perfect.

Everybody makes mistakes,” she says. “One or two negative reviews are not going to break you as a business owner. If anything, it validates all the positive reviews that you have.

“We all have a bad day here and there, and there are times when things happen that are out of our control. We do our best to try to mitigate them at the time,” McMillan continues. “But there are times when we aren’t able to do that.

If there’s a coaching opportunity or an area to increase operational efficiencies or performance or output from a location, I’ll absolutely pick up the phone and have that conversation with the owner to offer advice and additional support for the craftsman involved in that situation.” Guarding the narrative In 2006, Chris and Jenny McCuiston opened the first Goldfish Swim School in Birmingham, Michigan. The husband-and-wife team had traveled the country researching the swim-school industry and decided that Michigan needed a swim school focused solely on children and water safety.

Goldfish Swim School Example

They started with more than 500 students, and the number quickly ballooned to 2,000. That successful business grew into a flourishing franchise that today has more than 200 Goldfish Swim School locations in North America. Brand leaders understand the value of a good reputation and nurture it.

Goldfish responds to online reviews promptly, usually within 24 to 48 hours. Listening to customer feedback and acting on it shows Goldfish cares about the people who use their services, says Digital Marketing Manager Jenna Giragosian. “Something an operator may see as a nonissue could be a common area of concern to consumers leaving reviews, and seeing that consistently brought up on Google, Yelp, and social media should raise the red flag that it needs to be addressed at the local or brand level,” Giragosian says.

“For example, if we see an influx of reviews expressing displeasure with the length of our classes, that tells us that we need to better educate our audience on why our classes are as long as they are to mitigate those concerns,” she continues. “If we see frequent complaints about class availability, that tells us that we need to take a look at our schedule and staffing to accommodate the demand. Reviews are a great place to look for honest feedback as long as you’re willing to address it and make changes for positive impact.”

Beyond online reviews, the brand uses a number of other tools to gauge how satisfied its customers are and how it is perceived by the public. “Goldfish Swim School takes a multifaceted, data-driven approach to brand reputation,” says Genevieve Coulson, director of social media and partnerships. “In addition to tracking online reviews, we monitor social media metrics like engagement, sentiment, and share of voice to understand how families are interacting with our brand in real time.

“We also use a media-monitoring platform to track traditional press mentions and sentiment,” she continues. “With real-time alerts and comprehensive reporting, our team can stay ahead of emerging narratives and monitor brand perception as we grow. Combined with NPS data and franchisee feedback, these insights allow us to measure reputation across markets and proactively shape our brand story.”

Social listening allows Goldfish to “keep a real-time pulse on the conversations happening around our brand both at the national level and within local school communities,” she says. When common concerns and questions crop up, the brand and its growing number of franchisees are able to align on how to address them and quickly respond. Strong collaboration, clear messaging frameworks, and training allow the network to speak in a unified voice.

“We provide franchisees with robust tool kits and playbooks that include everything from social media guidelines and brand best practices to customizable local marketing materials. But more importantly, we maintain open lines of communication,” Coulson says. “That level of partnership ensures that, while each school’s personality shines through locally, the voice of the Goldfish brand remains clear, consistent, and connected at every touchpoint.”

Should a serious issue arise, one with the potential to damage Goldfish’s reputation, the brand has a protocol in place to guide the response. “This ensures that franchisees know their exact point of contact, and vital time is not wasted on simply starting the conversation,” says Rachel Wolthusen, public relations and communications manager. Goldfish also works with a reputation management firm that provides 24/7 support to offer recommendations on next steps and suggestions for avoiding similar situations in the future.

Keeping tabs on customer sentiment, social media mentions, and online reviews can be beneficial beyond addressing concerns. “It also helps us uncover untapped opportunities to celebrate milestones, highlight positive experiences, and strengthen trust with families,” Coulson says. Franchisees are actively encouraged to share stories of their community involvement and philanthropic efforts to “spotlight the heart behind our brand,” Coulson says.

The goal is to show that Goldfish’s mission extends far beyond the pool and making a buck. Those stories don’t just build trust with the public. They energize those in the franchise network.

Workout Anytime Strategy

“We believe that when one school makes a positive impact, it inspires others to do the same,” she says. Community voices There are 200 Workout Anytime locations in the country. They’re mainly clustered in the Southeast.

In terms of numbers, the brand is far from being the biggest player on the fitness scene, but it has an aggressive goal to grow to 400 locations in the next five years. Leadership plans to do that, in part, by embracing the brand’s reputation as the locally owned hometown gym and “making sure that families feel like Workout Anytime is the place where my parents can work out; my children can work out; my grandparents can work out,” says Chief Marketing Officer Larry Brayman. Workout Anytime has a clientele that comes in all shapes, sizes, and ages.

In its current social media push, “we like to showcase older people who are working out and taking care of their health,” Brayman says. “Those are great community stories, and it lets the community know we’re a part of them.” As another way to demonstrate that the brand cares about the communities it serves, the franchisor has partnered with the American Cancer Society on a fundraiser.

Members and nonmembers can drop into any of the brand’s locations to take part in the Battle Ropes Challenge. In return for donations, they test how long they can wave and maneuver the heavy ropes. Participants are then highlighted on social media.

While the Workout Anytime team understands the importance of maintaining one brand voice from a marketing perspective, it also understands that “every community has a unique voice,” Brayman says. “So we provide our franchisees every month with a tool kit of social media creative, and these are videos and artwork that they can use and modify,” he continues. “Also, we give them an LGM, or Local Gym Marketing book.

In that book, every single month, we provide local ideas on how to engage more in the community. Having a gym in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, or a gym in Savannah, Georgia, is going to be very different. People want to hear about experiences locally, so we tailor our local gym marketing to local efforts and getting involved in the community.

We believe in authenticity.” The brand uses AI to monitor franchisees’ social media posts. It also uses AI to track online reviews to make sure everyone’s messaging is on point and respectful.

It provides training to franchisees to emphasize the importance of responding to reviews within 24 hours and offers guidance on how to handle positive and negative feedback. “A reputation is something that’s built over a lengthy time,” Brayman says. “For us, obviously, it’s incredibly important to have a positive community relationship, and we protect it very carefully.

My Salon Suite Approach

We are owned by franchisees, individual people who buy into the business model, and we want to protect the businesses that they bought into.” Investing in lives A steady stream of customers flows into My Salon Suite’s 370 locations for haircuts, hair coloring, manicures, pedicures, and other services. When those customers are moved to write online reviews, they usually want to talk about the services received within those walls, not about the walls themselves.

Franchisees serve as landlords leasing space to a host of entrepreneurs. When stylists and other members’ customers have something to say about the facilities, the brand urges franchisees to listen closely. “Our reputation has always been that we are the premier salon suites in the industry.

Our facilities are luxurious; our facilities are beautiful; our facilities are high-end,” says Jill Sullivan, director of marketing. In June, My Salon Suite, a brand historically focused on providing space for beauty professionals to ply their trades, began pursuing other entrepreneurs who also might be interested in setting up shop in one of their facilities. “Any independent service provider can lease a suite,” Sullivan says.

“Chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, tutors, mental health counselors—really, anyone who has a one-on-one, appointment-based service.” To attract that wider clientele, both the brand and its franchisees understand that their facilities must stand out from competitors. A year ago, My Salon Suite partnered with Eulerity to aid with its digital marketing and to make it easier for franchisees to respond to online reviews from people who have businesses in their facilities.

The brand has a guide to help franchisees better interact with customers who leave reviews. To the general public, it’s not always clear that My Salon Suite franchisees provide the space, and their members provide the service. My Salon Suite owners want to know what its members and their customers think about the condition of the facility: Is it clean and in good shape?

In addition, franchisees want to show their members that they care about them. The brand works with the Professional Beauty Association to give back to the professionals housed in their suites. There are relief funds for those who live in areas affected by natural disasters and those undergoing medical emergencies.

Scholarship funds for continuing education are awarded every quarter. Those initiatives “position us as a leader in our industry,” Sullivan says. “We are one of the only brands in the salon-suite category that has that type of program, and I think it positions us to show that we truly care about our community.

We want our members to be successful, especially through that scholarship initiative, and we are investing in their future and in their lives.” Protecting Public Trust Reputation management is a system-wide responsibility. In franchise systems, customer perception at one location can impact the entire brand, making coordinated reputation strategies essential.

Leading franchisors respond to every review—good or bad. Brands like Handyman Connection see review responses as a critical touchpoint for maintaining long-term customer relationships and trust. **Consistency of brand voice matters as much as speed.

** Clear guidelines, training, and alignment between corporate teams and franchisees ensure responses reflect brand values and tone. Technology enables scale, but strategy comes first. Monitoring platforms help track reviews and sentiment, remove emotion from responses, and support franchisees but only when paired with strong brand standards.

Reputation management goes beyond online reviews. Best-in-class brands analyze Net Promoter Scores, phone interactions, social sentiment, and lost-customer feedback to identify operational gaps and improvement opportunities. **Negative feedback is treated as insight, not noise.

** Brands use recurring themes in reviews to adjust training, staffing, scheduling, and customer education at both the local and system level. Timely responses signal care and accountability. Goldfish Swim School prioritizes responding to reviews within 24–48 hours, reinforcing trust and showing customers their feedback matters.

Social listening strengthens brand alignment. Monitoring engagement and sentiment allows franchisors to stay ahead of emerging issues and guide franchisees with unified messaging. **Local authenticity and national consistency must coexist.

** Workout Anytime and other brands provide structured toolkits that allow franchisees to reflect their community while staying on brand. Reputation is built over time and protected deliberately. Strong franchise systems treat reputation as a long-term asset, investing in processes, training, and support to safeguard trust for franchisees and customers alike.