Who do you work for? From brand awareness and employee identification to making customers feel secure, a uniform and work wear apparel program can meet a variety of business goals. (Management & Operations).

"Who do you work for?" A question your customers should never have to ask upon entering your place of business or when your employee makes a customer visit. Companies create and reinforce their image and identity in a variety of ways including advertising, signage and storefronts, but perhaps the most important way is through their workwear program. In addition to providing the ability for your customers to immediately identify your employees as knowledgeable and professional representatives of your company, uniforms and other workwear apparel provide a clean, professional look that enhances customers' feeling of security.

Image and Identity

The biggest benefit of an employee uniform is the image it projects to current and prospective clients. As the old saying goes, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression." A company's workwear goes a long way in making a positive--or negative--impression on its customers, and can be one of the most effective ways to distinguish a company from its competitors. In addition, a uniform enables customers to immediately identify and approach qualified personnel and employees without confusion or delay.

Putting a workforce into uniforms used to be a simple matter of buying everyone the same color shirts and pants. Today, many enterprising franchise companies are using their uniform and workwear programs to create a genuine competitive advantage. From managing image and identity to monitoring franchisee compliance, consistent employee appearance and uniforms is imperative to promoting and maintaining your business' image.

Company image and recognition are prime reasons to provide uniforms to store employees, drivers, delivery personnel and service technicians. For example, since individual service technicians and delivery drivers are "your company" to your customers, it is imperative to make sure that when they are out in the field, they look like the reliable and trustworthy company representatives that they are. Image is an important benefit to uniforming, and a uniform brings a company's image and reputation to wherever its employees interact with customers.

From embroidery to screen printing, there are many options for placing a custom company logo or other identifier on attractive, professional garments. Sharp looking clothing with logos projects stability, adds credibility and advertises the company, while again, providing immediate employee recognition for customers.

Security

Security--no, not the type of security you get from the police cruiser driving by, the security stickers in the window or the closed circuit monitor in the office--the type of security that can be gained from uniforms and workwear apparel. The security of customers' knowing that the person that is making a delivery or service call to their home, that they are handing their car keys to for an oil change, or that is answering their questions regarding the company's products and capabilities, is indeed a knowledgeable and professional representative of that particular company. Having company representatives dressed alike and in a professional manner adds credibility and security, helping customers feel at ease wherever they receive service from your employees.

Also, in situations where management personnel are identified by wearing different uniforms, a uniforms or designated workwear apparel program provides customers with the security of knowing whom to approach in case of a problem or question beyond what nonmanagement employees are equipped to address.

Security from identity enables your employees to more easily gain access to job sites, such as corporate office buildings and private residences. As an identifiable representative of your company, your employees will be more readily welcomed and granted access to the job site, with fewer questions as to who they are, what work they are there to perform and whether or not they should be there at all. Uniforms and other designated workwear apparel provide security by enabling customers to identify your employees, displaying their credentials and affiliations at a glance for more peace of mind and a higher customer comfort level with your organization.

Managing the Uniform Program

Special uniform and workwear apparel companies are experienced in serving franchises, and addressing concerns such as brand awareness, employee identification and customer security. Handling all the details of a uniform and workwear program can be a big challenge for a small or large franchise organization. However, working with a dedicated workwear supplier simplifies the process, while ensuring the professional and recognizable image of its employees.

The results of such a program are evident--image, employee identification and bottom-line results. Research shows that uniforms have a significant impact on the way that customers assess everything from credibility to courtesy in selecting service providers. A study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates for the Uniform and Textile Service Association presented some remarkable findings. It showed that 48 percent of customers believe that employees in uniforms are more courteous, 40 percent view people in uniforms as more knowledgeable, 53 percent as more credible, 55 percent more trustworthy, and 58 percent of the people said that they believe they will receive higher quality service from a person in uniform.

What employees wear can have a big impact on a franchise business' image and employee relations. With careful planning and the right kind of assistance, a customized uniform and workwear apparel program can have a significant impact on the recognition, and even profitability, of your business.

Susan Paardecamp is marketing director of WearGuard., headquartered in Norwell, Mass. For more information, visit WearGuard on the Web at www.wearguard.com.