As COVID-19 spread, shutting down workplaces and forcing the population into quarantine, 360˚ Painting was forced to adapt. Faced with the prospect of pausing business or adjusting its protocols, the essential home services corporation opted for the latter, offering additional training and protective equipment to their employees. By Jessica Jones
As COVID-19 spread, shutting down workplaces and forcing the population into quarantine, 360˚ Painting was forced to adapt. Faced with the prospect of pausing business or adjusting its protocols, the essential home services corporation opted for the latter, offering additional training and protective equipment to their employees. Six months after 360˚ Painting’s reinvention, the support and marketing provided to franchisees has resulted in a tremendous amount of growth for the brand.
“We were very fortunate to have been able to adapt the way we do our work,” noted Dave Rychley, vice president of brand performance for Premium Service Brands, the Virginia-based umbrella of home service systems of which 360˚ Painting is a part. “We had to establish some new protocols to work with our customers in this environment, ensuring all of our crews had masks and were socially distant during their interaction with homeowners.”
Virtual estimates were implemented immediately, and franchise owners were encouraged to schedule work around the customer’s lifestyle, Rychley explained. The company’s contactless services included taping off each workspace in plastic and full PPE coverage for each worker and sales representative.
“We were able to do measurements and consultations via computer stream and managed jobs by creating an environment in which the homeowner moved to a different part of the house,” Rychley said. “From a lead generation standpoint, we pivoted back to our previous customers, making use of our database to send follow-ups to clients who were already familiar with our work.”
As a result, 360˚ Painting reported record sales for the month of June.
“It was very important for our company to work with each individual franchisee to make sure they were succeeding during these turbulent times,” Rychley said. “We did one-on-one financial training, working with our owners to ensure that their cash flow was OK, and coached each business on how to boost sales in a down market. That corporate support, combined with the durability of our brands, helped our franchisees thrive.”
And Premium Service Brands’ local nonprofit, Kids-Lift, offered franchisees a way to give back to their communities, donating hundreds of bags of food to families.
“Kids and families needed this food to survive,” noted Samantha Lin, Kids-Lift executive director. “Kids-Lift was happy to provide it.”
For more information about franchising opportunities, visit premiumservicebrands.com/360-painting.
– Jessica Jones