Archive for Items Categorized 'Avanti Magazine', only excerpts shown, click title for full entry.
Our relationship with SEI has improved over the last several months, but franchisees are still cautiously optimistic about the sudden turnaround in corporate’s attitude and approach in dealing with franchisees. We want to believe that our corporate partners are sincere in establishing a positive working relationship with the franchisee community, but, as the old […]
One of the issues at the top of the agenda for the National Coalition for nearly a year has been the changes SEI made to its policies and procedures regarding Operating Expenses. In a letter to SEI dated June 17, 2014 and in an article published that month in this magazine, we made the […]
My last Avanti article—“Dawn of a New Era….Or Is It?”—generated much conversation and feedback. Some supported my thesis, while others criticized. In either case, it tells me folks read it. That is the mark of effective communication. The article got folks talking and some just plain mad! The intent of this piece is the […]
I truly believe that 7-Eleven franchisees want to work in harmony with SEI. Despite years of broken promises and, in many cases, unfair treatment, franchisees ultimately want to maintain peace with the powers that be. And, I can understand why. Their livelihoods depend on it. They don’t want to rock the boat or confront […]
Over the past seven years, 7-Eleven franchisees have experienced unprecedented attacks from our franchisor on our income and independent contractor status, so it amazes me when folks from SEI ask me why franchisees are upset. Where should I begin? Let’s start with the gasoline commission reduction to a ridiculous and unsustainable penny and a […]
A year ago, after I had been elected chairman of the National Coalition and before I officially took office, former NCASEF General Counsel Arnold Hauptman, a very wise man, wrote an article for the November/December 2013 issue of Avanti in which he offered a list of challenges I would have to resolve in my […]
Over the last few years, franchisees have had to deal with many changes within the 7-Eleven system that have affected our bottom lines. Credit card fees and gasoline commission changes are two that quickly come to mind. But there is one change on the horizon that will severely impact our businesses in the coming […]
My dear grandmother would often say that children should be seen and not heard. Her generation believed that nothing valuable could be learned from what children thought or would say to their parents or other adults. Fortunately, at least in the child-rearing arena, this theory has been completely debunked. We now know that our […]
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” —George Bernard Shaw Recently, the franchisee community became aware of certain changes taking place in the top leadership positions at SEI corporate headquarters in Dallas. I am not a pessimist (perhaps a cynic at heart) but on this topic […]
Franchisees dread the “Ivory Tower” syndrome that seems to permeate 7-Eleven, Inc. (SEI). The latest example showing how removed corporate is from our store-level reality was the Thanksgiving Holiday McLane ordering and delivery schedule. SEI made the unilateral decision to have its franchise stores receive a single McLane delivery Thanksgiving week. This was communicated […]
