Geeks on Call 800 905 GEEK Do not buy a franchise from Geeks on Call; Franchise system broken; They took our franchises, customers and investments Norfolk, Virginia

Good morning Glenn,

Your post certainly provides a more detailed view, and I do believe it important to have all the facts pertinent to a given dispute.  My sole comment here is with regard to your statement that you feel anonymous postings here on the ROR site lack accountability and credibility.

Are you familiar with the provisions of the "No Fear Act", and WHY it was created?  If so, then I'm sure you can understand why the original poster chose to remain anonymous.  Too often in both government and in the private business sector, those who wish to express dissenting comments end up being victims of significant reprisals by the very entity they are commenting on.

When legal conflicts arise, such as have been described in the original poster's comments and your own, it is our judicial system which must hear both parties arguments and issue a ruling.  In this instance the system found in your favor.

It was a sad day when I learned of the intent to file suit against Geeks On Call America, its founders and senior executives.  I was clearly convinced after listening to the attorney representing the franchisees that the lawsuits, while partially justified, were not likely to prevail.

I made a choice to wait for change given that my franchises were profitable and recurring revenue continued growing.  Others made a choice to file suit in hopes of leveraging change.  Today, we have positive change emerging from our franchisor and I am encouraged that Geeks On Call will continue to evolve and develop.

To correct any confusion about this report the franchises I lost and were lost by the list of others were at the hands of Geeks on Call America and their CEO.  The new CEO of OnCall Holdings and the new Geeks on Call do not appear to sell franchises to my knowledge but my comments about the old Geeks on Call were not intended in any way to hurt the reputation of the new Geeks on Call.

My name is Glenn Davis, and I am the CEO of On Call Holdings International, LLC, the parent company of Geeks on Call International.  I was part of the management team that structured the acquisition of the assets of Geeks On Call Holdings in 2009.  Since the acquisition, I have worked very closely with the franchise owners to revitalize the Geeks On Call brand through the addition of new products and services enhancing the technology solutions our franchisees are able to offer our customers.  Likewise, understanding the importance of constant two-way communication, we have initiated weekly conference calls, and everyone at corporate, from our call center personnel to myself, is very accessible.

I know the history of this company prior to our acquisition in 2009, and it is an understatement to say that many statements made in the previous post are misleading. In fact, all of the lawsuits mentioned in the post were dismissed.  After the last dismissal, the federal court found that the franchisees attorney had abused the litigation process by pursuing litigation that he knew to be without factual or legal support.  The Court then sanctioned the franchisee's attorney and required him to pay the defendants' legal fees. 

The truth is, like every franchise organization, we have owners that are doing extremely well and still growing, others that are happy maintaining their present size and profit levels, and some that are just making ends meet. My team and I are committed to help each individual owner achieve his or her goals and get their business to the size that they desire.  More importantly, we want to do it in a way that makes it a sustainable and viable business model regardless of economic downturns.

While I will be the first to admit that a Geeks On Call franchise is not for everyone, for the right dedicated individual, we present a very lucrative business model.  We are not currently selling franchises, but we expect to resume sales in the very near future.  When we do, we may become one of the more difficult franchise systems to join due to the tests and requirements we intend to implement.  We want to ensure that all of our franchisees are up to the task of providing the very best in technical and customer service to each and every customer. 

As with all organizations, there are those that leave and wish those left behind well, and then there are those that try to do harm to the organization and those involved so they can feel better about their decision to leave.  While we have more of the former, we do have a couple of the latter. We know who they are, and have made every effort to communicate openly with them.  I respect the right of someone to post negative comments to help others make a decision.  However, I believe an anonymous post lacks accountability and credibility.  I believe it is wrong to post comments with the intent to cause harm to a business, its employees, and their franchisees.  I take the comments made in the prior post as a personal attack on me, my teammates, and my franchisees. 

First and foremost, upon becoming a part of this company, I committed to our hardworking franchisees around the country to protect the reputation of the Geeks On Call brand. I also committed to help provide a successful business model so they may continue to provide for their family and give back to their respective communities.  If anyone reading this blog has any question about our company, commitment to our franchisees, or commitment to providing exceptional service to our customers, I would be more than happy to speak with them.  My personal mobile phone number is 757-663-7180.

With pride in our company,

Glenn R. Davis