Recently, I read an inspiring interview with Dave Melton, one of Domino’s Pizza’s most successful franchisees. Dave owns and operates a number of Domino’s in the New York City market. And, while it might be easy to assume that his success stems from owning stores in the most densely populated metro in the USA, that is not the reason. In actuality, his success stems from having developed a very powerful and unique culture of rewards and recognition in his stores that make his staff feel and act like owners instead of employees.

When Dave started his first New York stores, he faced the typical set of challenges that retail and restaurant franchisees often struggle with. In particular, he inherited a set of hourly employees whose aim was to get as much out of the business as they could, do the least amount of work possible, and leave shortly thereafter to find a new job. In short, none of these employees approached the business from the perspective of the owner. Customer service was not important. Food quality was not important. And, most importantly, the long term financial health of the business was not important. And why was that? There was no reason for these employees to think otherwise, as their incentives – an hourly wage – were not aligned with the performance of the business.

Dave changed all of this. He created a culture of motivation and reward, with the express purpose of taking the best and brightest workers at the minimum wage level, and grooming them to be actual owners themselves. His employees have the authority to ensure customer satisfaction as they see fit (even if it means giving an order to a customer for free); they share in the successes of their store; they understand the long term impact of their performance on the business (Dave’s stores enjoy an incredible 0% attrition rate for frontline employees. Yes, 0%); and, most importantly, every employee from worst to best is aware of their performance and how they can improve it. As a result, Dave does not employee staff, but rather…owners.

Now, Dave’s situation may not be easily replicated in every franchise chain. But the model he has created has been proven in over 20 years of exceptional performance, and can be implemented in gradual stages by any owner/operator. What can you do to start following Dave’s lead? For one, you can begin by understanding how your employees perform in key areas that impact your stores’ customer satisfaction and financial health: customer service, cash and product theft, speed of service, and efficiency. Share this information with your staff, and let them know how they benefit from improved performance. And, most importantly, help them to succeed and see that their current position can be a stepping stone to future success.

To learn more about how ReTel can help you achieve this first step, take a look at our ConstantAudit service today.

To learn more about Dave Melton and his management philosophy, visit his website here.