Franchisors and franchise owners know that maintaining a positive franchise culture is a key component in attracting and retaining employees.
According to Gallup, workers with a solid sense of connection to company culture are 2.7 times more inclined to strongly agree they feel accountable for product or service quality. They’re 4.9 times more likely to strongly agree they’re equipped with the speed and agility to adapt to customer and market changes.
Franchise culture is what drew Vice President of Account Management Margaret Chebat to PuroClean not once, but twice. She explained what makes the property restoration franchise community “incredibly special.”
Miami Beginnings
Chebat was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She moved to Belize with her family for a few years before returning to Miami and finishing high school in 2009.
“There was an opportunity for work in Belize because of my dad’s ties to his family there,” said Chebat. “My father’s always been an entrepreneur, so it was fun.”
After high school, Chebat attended Florida International University in Miami. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and journalism degree in 2013.
First PuroClean Experience
During her post-graduate job search, Chebat interviewed for a few companies and accepted a position in at another company before award winning franchise PuroClean came into the picture.
Chebat said she made a connection with office manager Debbie Lafever and hiring manager Natalie Zuppo, who was looking to fill a marketing role at PuroClean in Miami.
“It was like a bond right out of the gate. To this day, [Natalie and I are] still the best of friends,” said Chebat. “And [Debbie is] still a dear friend of mine.”
Chebat’s first role at PuroClean was in social media marketing.
“I got to learn about the industry. I got to learn about our franchise network. So, learning about restoration and franchising at the same time,” she said.
When Chebat left PuroClean in 2015, she became a marketing account manager at another business. The next year, she began working toward a master’s degree in business administration from Nova Southeastern University.
“It’s always something wanted to pursue. I love education. It’s important. It opens doors for so many people, and you learn so much about yourself through that process,” said Chebat.
Second Shot at PuroClean
The year before completing her MBA in 2019, Chebat found herself back at PuroClean, this time as director of business development on the corporate team. She credits franchise leadership members like Mark Davis, Frank Tory and Steve White for drawing her back into the property restoration franchise and its industry.
“What they’ve been able to accomplish and what they’ve given the team and the support that they’ve given us, we have been able to do so much,” said Chebat.
Chebat also spoke highly of PuroClean’s franchise owners and the franchise support system.
“[The franchise owners] will always have a special place in my heart. I built so many good friendships with them,” she said. “If there’s water damage or fire damage or mold, our franchise owners are in there rebuilding these homes and commercial properties. It takes a special person to do that. And what I’ve found is with our franchise network, they have such good hearts, and they care about what they do. And that draws me in every single time.”
In 2021, Chebat became vice president of account management at PuroClean. She said building relationships is one of her favorite aspects of the job.
“Being able to meet somebody new, show them what we can do for them and bring them on as a new client,” said Chebat. “It’s like, ‘Hey, we’re going to take care of you and we’re going to show you that we can take care of you.’”
‘We Love the People’
Chebat is not the only PuroClean alumnus to exit the company and then come back to the franchise culture.
“We have a few of our employees who tried to leave or wanted to pursue personal dreams and goals, much like I did, and they found their way back [to PuroClean]. Because we love the brand and we love the people,” she said.
Chebat said PuroClean’s empathetic and professional approach to property restoration is what keeps its residential and commercial clients coming back.
“We try to bring a good customer experience because we know that what you’re going through in that moment is devastating,” she said.
If PuroClean’s franchise culture and emergency services sound like what you’re looking for in a business opportunity, request more information or download a franchise kit today.