What fee might Big Blue Swim School charge for a retraining session?
Big_Blue_Swim_School Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
If your Managing Owner, general manager, or assistant manager fails to complete Initial Training to our satisfaction, or we determine after an inspection that retraining is necessary because the School is not operating according to Brand Standards, he or she may attend a retraining session for which we may charge our then-current training fee. You are responsible for all employee compensation and TRE during retraining. We may terminate this Agreement if the School does not commence operation by the Opening Deadline with a fully-trained, certified staff. The Initial Franchise Fee is not refundable under any circumstances.
You may request additional or repeat training for your Managing Owner and School general managers and assistant managers at the end of Initial Training if they do not feel
sufficiently trained to operate a BIG BLUE Swim School. We and you will jointly determine the duration of any additional training, which is subject to our personnel's availability. You must pay our then-current training fee for additional or repeat training. However, if you do not expressly inform us that your Managing Owner and School general managers and assistant managers do not feel sufficiently trained to operate a BIG BLUE Swim School, they will be deemed to have been trained sufficiently to operate a BIG BLUE Swim School. If your Managing Owner cannot satisfactorily complete Initial Training (including retraining), we have the right to require you to designate a Replacement Managing Owner who then must attend and satisfactorily complete Initial Training.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 75–76)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Big Blue Swim School's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, if a Managing Owner, general manager, or assistant manager does not complete the initial training satisfactorily, or if an inspection reveals that retraining is necessary due to the school not operating according to brand standards, Big Blue Swim School may charge its then-current training fee for a retraining session.
This means that as a franchisee, you are responsible for ensuring your staff is adequately trained and operates the Big Blue Swim School according to the franchisor's standards. If retraining is required, you will incur additional costs in the form of the then-current training fee, as well as employee compensation and training-related expenses (TRE) during the retraining period. The specific amount of the training fee is not specified in this document, so it is important to ask the franchisor about the current fee schedule.
Big Blue Swim School emphasizes the importance of a fully-trained and certified staff, as the agreement may be terminated if the school does not commence operation with such a staff by the opening deadline. The initial franchise fee is non-refundable, so ensuring staff readiness is crucial. Franchisees can also request additional or repeat training for their Managing Owner, general managers, and assistant managers if they feel insufficiently trained, but this is also subject to the then-current training fee. Therefore, franchisees should budget for potential retraining costs and prioritize thorough initial and ongoing training to maintain brand standards and avoid potential penalties.