Multiple Quest Serviced Apartments' franchise owner and former Quest Franchisee of the Year, Robert Sumpton, speaks with Sergio Alderuccio about his role as a franchisee.
How did you get into this accommodation franchise? My working life started in the family scrap metal business. About eight years ago I decided to branch out on my own. With no hotel experience, I ended up buying a poorly performing 30-room motel in Shepparton with a business partner. With what we learnt about building up a motel, we acquired the Quest Narre Warren property in 2004. We set about building up that property, and two years later we were awarded Quest Franchisee of the Year. In that time we also acquired additional Quest properties at Dandenong, Frankston, Prahran and Carlton. We currently run the Quest
hotel franchise properties at Prahran, Carlton. Lonsdale Street Melbourne and Tamworth.
How does your day begin? I'm an early starter and aim to be at work by 6:OOam. First. I attend to emails and have a close look at various operational reports, which include revenue, occupancy, bookings and banking. I then look at the arrivals, departures and any conference bookings, and attend to any issues. Also, I try to spend some time at reception, at the coalface. Once everything seems to be settled at the front desk, I leave it to our Front Office Team Leader and return to my office.
What does the rest of the day look like? I keep working on my reports - I place a lot of emphasis on these and actually enjoy analysing them. And I have a daily 'to do' list which I work through. Daily priorities will change and you respond accordingly, returning to your action list when you can. People and property are two critical areas in our business. We have people in various roles ranging from housekeeping to reception, administration and sales. We try to keep our people informed with facts and try to empower them. With four properties we are regularly co-ordinating fit-outs, and this is a significant part of my day.
If reception is busy, I will help out at the front desk. Ideally, I aim to do two to three shifts on reception. This gives me a valuable hands-on experience and an appreciation of what is required.
Are there regular meetings in your diary? During the month we have a fortnightly sales meeting to monitor our sales activities. We also have a staff meeting every three weeks, to keep everyone up-to-date on developments and also to receive feedback and ideas. I have a partner in each property and we meet every month to reflect on the month, prepare for the following month and review the group's goals.
What are your key areas of focus? My main areas of focus are people, sales, administration, management and property. Developing and retaining quality people is essential for success in our business. By having quality and committed team members, I am able to delegate a significant amount of tasks and authority. This releases me to work on managing and developing the business. I try and stay in tune with the business through my reports, the daily reservation system and customer feedback, which I usually pick up during my morning stints on reception. Most of this is made possible through a disciplined process of delegation.
How do you market your business? About 80 per cent of our business is with the corporate sector and the balance is with the leisure market. We employ two sales people who actively canvass the market place. We also attract enquiries from the Quest Group website.
I don't regard sales as one of my strengths. It is important to know what you are best at, and to develop top people to perform in your weaker areas.
How has your role changed over the years?
I used to live on site and was much more hands-on in the business. As we have added more properties to our portfolio, we have built small teams with key people in key areas, and I now spend much less time directly on the daily tasks. My focus is now more on planning, overseeing and developing the business.
What are the most enjoyable aspects of being a Quest franchisee? First, I enjoy the guest interaction. Being on reception whenever possible gives me the opportunity to see our regular guests and find out how they have enjoyed their stay. Second, I enjoy the analytical and management role. I spend a considerable amount oftime analysing our various reports and benchmarks for most facets of our business, not just financial.
And the stressful side of the business? There is pressure in ensuring that all your financials, break-evens, expenses and budgets are going to work out, especially with four properties.
The other area of stress is when staff just don't match your standards and you have to let them go.
How does your role compare to what you initially envisaged? I could never have predicted the success we've enjoyed since buying the first property then expanding to additional properties and being awarded Quest Franchisee of the Year in 2006.
A lot has evolved naturally - as the additional properties became available we grew with the task. We have always been open to new challenges, and that has been the cornerstone of our growth.
Certainly, over the last few years my role has gradually evolved from being involved in all the daily operational tasks to working on the business. It's been an evolution, through a mix of experience, necessity, top quality staff and through Quest's support and systems.
Where do you go for guidance and motivation? We have a strong relationship with the Quest Corporate Office. Our franchisor provides a tremendous amount of guidance and resources, including advice, extensive systems, reporting, benchmarking, marketing. franchisee support visits, training, sales and annual conferences.
What makes a successful Quest franchisee? A lot has to do with attitude. The first prerequisite for success is a positive personality matched with a drive for hard work. Second, you need to have a vision of where you would like to go. Third, you need to provide a quality product and service; and finally, you need to build and maintain healthy relationships with your key 'partners'.
In our business, we have six key partners: our guests, staff, franchisor, landlords, bankers and advisers. Essentially, you need to follow the Quest hotel franchise business system. If you deviate from the Quest system, your performance may suffer.
Any final words of wisdom? Maintain strong business ethics. Be honest in all your dealings. We maintain corporate rates for our regular guests, even if there is a major event on in town and the market rates are temporarily pushed up. Keep sight of the big picture and don't get hung up on the small matters. Always look out for new challenges, as they will force you to step up and develop. Be confident of the people on your journey, particularly your franchisor. Sergio Alderuccio is the Founder and Managing Director of Franchise Developments - a full-service specialist franchise consultancy that has been advising franchisors and franchisees for more than 25 years.
This article appears courtesy of Franchising Magazine. 8-May-2008