Does Caring Senior Service generally make available its criteria for supplier approval?
Caring_Senior_Service Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
If you want to use any product, material or render any service that does not comply with the standards of the System or is to be purchased from a supplier that has not yet been approved, you must first submit a written request for approval of the proposed product or supplier and obtain our approval of the product or supplier before purchasing the product or purchasing any items from this supplier. We will, within a reasonable time (within 30 days), notify you of our decision. We will establish procedures for submitting requests for approval of items and suppliers and may impose limits on the number of approved items and suppliers. Approval of a supplier may be conditioned on requirements relating to product quality, production and delivery capabilities, ability to meet our supply commitments, financial stability, integrity of standards of service, familiarity with our System and ability to negotiate favorable terms for our franchisees. We do not generally make available to you or any proposed supplier our criteria for approval. You must not sell or offer for sale any products of a proposed supplier until our written approval of the proposed product or supplier is received. We may revoke our approval of particular products or suppliers when we determine, in our sole discretion, that the products or suppliers no longer meet our standards. Upon receipt of written notice of revocation, you must stop selling any disapproved products and stop purchasing from any disapproved supplier. We reserve the right to require you to reimburse our costs related to our evaluation of any proposed new product or supplier.
Source: Item 8 — RESTRICTIONS ON SOURCES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (FDD pages 21–23)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Caring Senior Service's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the company does not generally make available its criteria for supplier approval to franchisees or proposed suppliers. However, if a franchisee wants to use a product, material, or service that doesn't comply with Caring Senior Service's standards or purchase from a non-approved supplier, they must submit a written request for approval. Caring Senior Service will then notify the franchisee of their decision within a reasonable time, approximately 30 days.
Caring Senior Service establishes procedures for submitting these approval requests and may limit the number of approved items and suppliers. The approval of a supplier may depend on factors such as product quality, production and delivery capabilities, financial stability, service standards, familiarity with the Caring Senior Service system, and the ability to negotiate favorable terms for franchisees.
Caring Senior Service retains the right to revoke approval of products or suppliers if they no longer meet the company's standards. Franchisees must cease selling disapproved products and stop purchasing from disapproved suppliers upon receiving written notice of revocation. Caring Senior Service also reserves the right to require franchisees to reimburse costs related to the evaluation of any proposed new product or supplier. This means that while franchisees have some ability to request approval of new suppliers, Caring Senior Service maintains significant control over the supply chain and standards, and the franchisee may bear the costs of evaluations.