Last night we decided to go to our local Cold Stone Cremery. I must admit that I caved in and had a ‘Oreo Overload’. Amazing treat. It would have been less expensive to pick up some ice cream and eat at home but I was in need of an experience, not just ice cream.
When I visit retail establishments I tend to notice the ‘little’ things. How is the customer service? How well do they merchandise and cross sell? Does the quality of service and the product meet the brand promise? I especially notice the people. (You would think I could just enjoy it but I tend to analysis all the time).
When you go to Cold Stone, you expect a certain experience. You pay a premium for that experience – the entire experience. It is more than just the ice cream (I guess it is the same for Starbucks but I do not drink coffee). The ice cream was wonderful, and the environment much like I have found in the past but the service was disappointing. There just did not seem to be any passion to offer the normal experience. I will still go back:).
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Rick,
I agree with you that the experience is of vital importance. Coldstone used to deliver much more of an amazing and memorable experience. It seems that the focus has slowly shifted from dazzling the guests to just serving some decent ice cream. The ice cream is delicious – it’s ice cream so of course it is delicious – but like you said you pay a premium for an experience. Passion goes a long way. Without it, I may as well just go get a gallon of ice cream at the store and eat it at home, which is both cheaper and easier. If you want my money, repeatedly, focus on the entirety of the experience. Delicious ice cream is expected. Delicious Ice cream is the least common denominator. Amazing me is harder to do, but if you can pull it off, it yields huge dividends.
Hello Rick. We have been networking a spell and I am just dabbling with networking (my girlfriend even met Prince Charles last year and with six degrees of separation it is amazing what you can do). I wanted to answer your blog because I am in the ice cream business myself (you and I have chatted over email as well).
I totally agree with you about the whole experience for repeat business. We have installed globally about 45,000 patented machines within eight years because with pre-sealed ready made products like Oreo Cookies, which is not always an easy proposition to add with competitive traditional liquid mix machines I might add, plus no sanitizing on our system just enhancing the overall experience.
This is not to plug our business though because I think that the Cold Stone Creamery business model is brilliant. I have tried their product numerous times on trips to the States, plus I lived on the East Coast for seven years before relocating back to Europe, so the power that they have developed for their brand is outstanding.
I feel that it is a very much visual and taste experience that you pay the premium for. From a commercial point of view it appears very labor intensive and therefore I assume that there is a limitation on customers served per hour, plus you are relying on the store to maintain optimal hygiene, which requires strict adherence to when you come into direct contact with any ice cream product.
My reluctance as a consumer would be seeing long lines at the store because there are so many alternatives out there. We are very much hardwired into a fast pace of life these days, since our time is limited and we are very much in a grab and go society, although that does not mean that I would not go back when the lines go down at some point – the strength of the brand would (if strong enough) draw me back.
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