Convenience Store Company A's New Franchise Owners in Daegu and Gyeongbuk
Gathered in Daegu for 3-4 Days of Practical Training
Theoretical Training Minimized, but Practical Training Also Needs Improvement
[Asia Economy reporters Minyoung Cha and Seungjin Lee] As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues to rise in Daegu and the Yeongnam region, it has been revealed that some convenience stores conducted practical training for new franchisees in Daegu. There has been criticism that even franchisees from surrounding cities were collectively trained at stores in Daegu, which is seen as a complacent measure.
According to the convenience store industry on the 28th, convenience store company A held practical training sessions several times over four days in Daegu for prospective franchisees from Daegu and the Gyeongbuk region, even after the 31st confirmed case?the first in Daegu and the Yeongnam area?was reported on the 17th. This included areas such as Pohang-si, Yeongdeok-gun, Uljin-gun, Ulleungdo, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongju-si, Yeongcheon-si, Gumi-si, Gimcheon-si, Mungyeong-si, Sangju-si, Andong-si, Yecheon-gun, and Bonghwa-gun.
The problem is that despite the continuous increase in confirmed cases centered around Daegu, the practical training schedule was not postponed immediately nor was the location changed to outside Daegu. Typically, the training lasts 10 days, during which franchisees from Daegu and Gyeongbuk attend theoretical classes together with franchisees from other regions in Busan, and practical training is conducted at training stores within Daegu. Recently, as the situation worsened, the theoretical training in Busan was effectively minimized or almost canceled, but conversely, practical training came to constitute most of the education. There should have been regional countermeasures in place, but this aspect was insufficient.
One new franchisee said, "We gather new franchisees from the Gyeongsang-do area in Daegu for training," and added, "The head office even sends staff to Daegu to conduct training, and they call people who don't even live in Daegu to Daegu for 3 to 4 days of training before sending them back to other regions. I wonder if this is appropriate." There are calls for revising the training schedule even if it was initially set.
The convenience store company stated that while they understand the anxiety of franchisees undergoing training, practical training is necessary for store opening, and related computer networks and various systems are interconnected, making it difficult to conduct training outside Daegu. Convenience store companies operate separate stores for practical training in various regional hubs nationwide.
An official said, "Practical training is one of the essential courses that new franchisees must complete along with theoretical education," and explained, "Since it must be conducted in individual regions and there are designated training stores, it is an unavoidable aspect."
He added, "We are making every effort to prevent COVID-19 infection risks through thorough quarantine measures, and the training is conducted with the consent of franchisees prior to the process," emphasizing, "If a franchisee cannot attend for personal safety reasons, a separate training process is followed to assist with store opening."
A convenience store industry official said, "Theoretical and practical training for franchisees is unavoidable, and the headquarters must provide brand usage rights and education as stipulated by the Franchise Business Act, so it can be seen as a legal regulation," adding, "They cannot completely stop new franchise operations, so it seems they have many concerns." It was also explained that since training often takes place at large company-owned stores rather than individual stores, selecting locations is not easy.
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