By Keith Gerson

Most franchisors I talk to ask the same thing about AI: “Where do I even start?” A new study offers some good clues.

The study is the 2026 GRIT report from GreenBook. Each year, it surveys people whose job is to study customers for big brands. This year, 735 people took part, and more than half work in North America. They aren’t franchise people. But they work with the same things you do every day: reports, numbers, and customer feedback. So what they learned about AI applies to us, too.

Here are the four things that stood out to me. Then I’ll show you what 246 franchisors told my own team about AI in their franchise software.

1. Everyone talks about AI. Fewer use it well.

AI was the top topic in every group surveyed. But the report found two kinds of people. Some are watching AI and waiting. Others are putting it to work on real tasks. The second group is pulling ahead.

2. AI is already doing the boring work

The leaders use AI tools that can finish a task on their own, start to finish. Think of an assistant that doesn’t just answer a question, but actually does the job. Among brand data teams, 71% use these tools to build or update reports. And 73% use them to gather and organize data.

Your team likely spends hours each month pulling sales, royalty, and survey numbers into one place. That’s exactly the kind of work AI handles well. The catch: AI works best when your data is clean and kept in one place.

3. Clear rules lead to better results

Only 44% of the people surveyed felt sure their company was using AI safely. But where companies explained their AI rules clearly, 68% felt sure. Where the rules were unclear, only 32% did. Confident teams also did better: 57% beat their goals, compared to 34% of the others.

For franchisors, this reaches beyond your office. Your franchisees are probably using AI right now to write ads, answer online reviews, and reply to customers. Most have no guidance from you. That puts your brand at risk.

4. Real people still matter most

AI can now pretend to be a customer and “answer” survey questions. It’s fast and cheap, and interest in it is growing quickly. But the experts aren’t giving up on real people. More than 70% of research firms use tools to make sure their data comes from real humans. And more brands are building their own groups of real customers to hear from.

The lesson is simple. Use AI to work faster, but get the truth from real people: your franchisees and their customers.

5. How does your system stack up?

The GRIT report tells you what big-brand research teams are doing. But you probably want to know what other franchisors are doing.

That’s why my firm ran the Voice of the Franchisor Compass™ study this year. It’s called the 2026 Franchise Management Software Benchmark Study. We asked 246 franchisors about the software they use to run their systems, and that includes how they use AI inside those tools. No software company paid for it, and we don’t rank any vendors.

Here’s a sneak peek at what they told us about AI:

  • They want it. 95% would pay more for AI that truly helps them.
  • They don’t fully trust it yet. Only half strongly believe their software company has a strong plan for AI. Their top worries are data privacy and security (44%) and whether AI gets the answers right (36%).
  • They know what they want it to do. The top picks are AI that takes routine work off their plate (56%), builds reports and dashboards (52%), and spots problems before they happen (50%).

Sound familiar? It’s the same story GRIT tells. The appetite is there. Trust is what’s missing.

The full report goes much deeper. It shows where franchisors feel their software is working, where it falls short, and what they wish it did better. That makes it a simple way to see where you stand. Compare your own answers to your peers. Then use what you learn to get more from your current system, or to ask better questions before you renew or switch.

What to do next

  1. Start with one task. List three jobs that eat up your team’s time. Pick one to try with AI. A monthly report is a great place to begin.
  2. Get your data in one place. Before you buy any AI tool, find out where your sales, royalty, and feedback data live. If it’s spread across five systems, fix that first. And when a vendor says “AI- powered,” ask what it does and what results other brands got.
  3. Write a one-page AI guide for your franchisees. Say what AI can and can’t be used for, and who checks the work. Then walk through it on a franchisee call. Don’t just post it.
  4. Keep listening to real people. Run a regular franchisee survey and collect customer feedback. Let AI help you read it faster, not replace it.
  5. See what AI says about you. Ask ChatGPT what it knows about your brand as a franchise. Future franchisees are already asking. Make sure you like the answer.
  6. Benchmark yourself against 246 of your peers. Get the full 2026 Franchise Management Software Benchmark Study here. It’s $450 for franchisors.

You don’t need to be a tech expert to get this right. You just need to start small, set clear rules, and keep people at the center. If you want to talk it through, reach out. I’m always glad to compare notes.

Keith Gerson, CFE, is President & CEO of Gerson Advisory Services. Franchisees first. Growth follows.

Sources

Keith Gerson, CFE

Gerson Advisory Services

Keith Gerson

Keith Gerson, CFE, is a leading franchise expert with 50 years of experience helping brands sell franchises, drive revenues, and improve operational performance and franchisee engagement. As President & CEO of Gerson Advisory Services (GAS) and Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Franchise Consortium (TFC), he provides strategic guidance to franchisors worldwide. Known as a “super-connector,” Keith maintains strong relationships with top franchise CEOs, facilitating solutions for his clients. His thought leadership through webinars and franchise book, etc, has established him as one of franchising’s leading voices.