CMO Roundtable with Angelique McMillan, Vice President of Marketing at Handyman Connection

How do you ensure the brand promise communicated in marketing matches the in-store experience across all locations? Angelique McMillan Vice President, Marketing Handyman Connection *"The experience a customer receives should always match the story our marketing tells. When those two are aligned, the brand grows stronger with every job completed."

• At Handyman Connection, we focus on aligning three key areas: brand standards, franchisee training, and customer feedback loops through Net Promoter Score (NPS) measurement. First, we have established clear brand standards that define what the customer experience should look like at every touchpoint. The list is known as “The Six Critical Connections” connections at Handyman Connection.

Our marketing communicates core brand promises such as trusted craftsmen, background-checked professionals, warranty-backed work, and locally owned service. These promises are not just messaging; they are operational requirements built into how franchise owners run their businesses. Proper execution and implementation are key to our success at the brand and local levels.

Second, we invest heavily in onboarding and ongoing coaching for franchise owners and their office teams. Marketing success is not just about generating leads; it’s about ensuring the team knows how to deliver the experience customers were promised. That includes best practices for communication, estimating, scheduling, and project follow-through.

When owners understand that brand consistency drives long-term customer loyalty, they become strong stewards of the brand. This is done through a working document we have called “Operationalizing Our Brand Experience.” Third, we rely on customer feedback and performance data to close the loop.

Tools such as NPS, customer reviews, and operational metrics allow us to monitor whether the experience being delivered matches what customers expect. If gaps arise, we work directly with the franchisee to address them through coaching, operational adjustments, or marketing alignment. Finally, we emphasize that while Handyman Connection locations are locally owned and operated, they operate under one unified brand promise.

That balance of local ownership with strong brand accountability is what allows us to scale while maintaining trust with customers. At the end of the day, the goal is simple: The experience a customer receives should always match the story our marketing tells. When those two are aligned, the brand grows stronger with every job completed.