As part of improving communications within the franchise community, CKFI has been working collaboratively with a committee of franchisees to prioritize and provide guidance so the end products will provide the greatest value to the franchisees. The committee is currently focused on improving the Friday Flash (FF) newsletter. Some of the features you asked for included making it easier to find content in past issues (searchable feature), adding video, providing the ability for franchisees to comment and share information related to articles, allowing franchisees to forward articles, having a master calendar of  system-wide events and training sessions that can be added to personal calendars, having a directory of CKFI staff and new franchisees, and enhancing security features.

To provide these features and more, the FF committee agreed to a hybrid approach, where subscribers will receive an email newsletter similar to what they receive today, with article summaries that link to full articles housed on a website. The website will be designed with blog functionality, enabling comments and discussions, and will be easily searchable through tags, a search box, and departments. To ensure the site is secure from outside entities, it will be a subscription system where franchisees will access the site with the log-in information they currently use for Members. Once in the site they can view all articles, archives, calendars, directories, and all other information stored in the site.

The primary concern of the FF committee members was that the newsletter be easily scannable so they could get the main information in the article summaries without logging into the site. This way, they would only need to log into the site if they wanted to read further or access confidential information. To ensure busy franchisees can quickly get the information they need, we will continue to provide the main information in summaries of longer articles while presenting shorter articles in full in the email. All articles will also be housed on the website.

The redesign is currently underway with an expected launch this summer. Over the next several months, we will be providing additional updates on the work and improvements. 

If you have any questions about the FF enhancements, please contact Lisa Marie Hayes at LisaMHayes@ComfortKeepers.com. 

It is time to get ready for the annual leadership conference in Denver, Colorado, April 24 through 26. Comfort Keepers^® has a certain number of rooms available at a discounted rate of $169 per night (online rates are averaging $289/night) at the Sheraton Denver Downtown, but space is limited and hotel rates are only valid until April 2. Take advantage of this great deal and book your room today.

There is also considerable interest in this year's breakout and roundtable sessions, many of which are being presented by third-party subject matter experts for the first time, so these sessions are filling up fast as well. While you are at it, remember to register for golf on Thursday, April 24 and for our optional Friday night activities. This is a great opportunity to tour a Denver Brewery, visit the aquarium, or go shopping and dining in Boulder. It is as easy as registering online. 

To register for the conference and activities, click here or visit Members > Training > Leadership Conference.

To book your room at the negotiated rate of $169 per night, click here, or call (303) 893-3333 and ask for the Comfort Keepers' rate.  

The new one-stop-shopping print materials ordering portal, SMARTworks^® from Standard Register, is now live. Order today and receive free shipping through May 1!  

Standard Register held live training webinars throughout the week of March 3 to walk franchisees through the account set up and ordering process. If you were unable to attend, there will be a recorded version of the webinar available Monday, March 10 on the SMARTworks home page, the Member's home page, and on CK Brand > Vendors > Standard Register.

As a reminder, the first time you access SMARTworks, you will need to register. If you are a multi-unit owner, you will have the option to register each of your territories if you so choose, or you may register only one and order for all territories from that one account. Take a moment to register your account on SMARTworks today.

Remember to vote for Comfort Keeper^® of the Year. This is the opportunity to honor six outstanding Comfort Keepers^® caregivers, and we need your help in selecting them. Comfort Keeper of the Year is awarded to select individuals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to provide extraordinary quality care and quality of life for their clients. The finalists were selected on how they engage in Interactive Caregiving™ with their client(s), how they symbolize what a Comfort Keeper is, and why they should be considered for this honor.

Take a moment to cast your vote now through midnight on Sunday, March 16. Please note that only one vote per territory owned is allowed, and multiple votes from a single territory will eliminate the territory's entire vote. Franchisees owning multiple territories will need to return to the voting website to enter each vote they are eligible to submit. The 2014 Comfort Keepers of the Year will be announced the week of March 17.

Answering the phone professionally and promptly is one factor that sets Comfort Keepers^® apart from its competitors. To maintain that competitive advantage, the Client Call Standard requires phones to be answered live by Comfort Keepers' personnel or an answering service twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. In the event a client or potential client leaves a message after hours the Standard requires that the Comfort Keepers office or the answering service respond to that message and contact the caller within 15 minutes, or if not possible, no longer than one hour after the message is left. The individual answering the phone must provide a personal greeting, identify the business as "Comfort Keepers," and sound professional and pleasant. If there is no one immediately available to answer the phone, the voicemail recording should also identify the business as "Comfort Keepers."  

Although each Comfort Keepers office is independently owned and operated, adherence to required Standards is mandatory for all franchisees. CKFI mystery shops locations at random to monitor this Standard and for other reasons: 

• We want to ensure you and other franchisees are maximizing every lead opportunity. With your investment in national advertising, the opportunity for incremental phone leads is a very real potential, and we want to ensure that you have the processes in place to seize every opportunity.
• Each phone call represents an opportunity to help another adult stay in his/her home.
• Comfort Keepers positions itself as a premier provider of in-home care, and delivering on this brand promise means you and your office staff are available when people need you.
• Lastly, answering your phone live and professionally, 24/7/365, or returning a call within one hour of a message having been left, is a contractual Standard.

During the auditing process CKFI has also identified business numbers that do not accept private or blocked numbers. It is a best practice to allow all calls to contact your business number. Potential clients may not want or know how to unblock their numbers to learn more about services. By accepting private or blocked numbers, you are increasing your chances of connecting with potential clients.

If you have any questions about the Client Call Standard or the auditing process, please contact Regina McCollough at ReginaMcCollough@ComfortKeepers.com.