“Izzy’s Ice Cream Cafe of St. Paul serves over 150 flavors of handmade ice cream and always keeps 32 flavors in the case on any given day. I talked with Jeff Sommers today and he is super passionate about his ice cream and providing great customer service to serve it up.
Here’s what was happening at Izzy’s:
When customers came to his store, they wanted to taste their favorite ice cream flavor. Sometimes it was not yet available and so people would leave feeling disappointed. Some people would purchase a different flavor, but Jeff really wanted total customer satisfaction and he searched for a way to provide it.
Finding a way to let the patron know when their favorite flavor was available, reducing disappointment, was a prime concern for Jeff. It was a problem he needed to solve right away. The day he found a RFID technology solution for that problem was the day revenue increased. He had solved the problem and provided added value. RFID tags identify each flavor when it is placed in the case ready to serve. The RFID system updates the inventory every 3 minutes so you can be sure your favorite flavor is there when you are craving.
If you choose to be notified by email, you can sign up and let the system know what flavors you are looking for. There are options to be notified by Twitter updates and Facebook alerts as well. Just sign up for the updates.
The effort of Jeff in finding a solution for his customer is remarkable. I find it one of the most unique ways of using RFID tagging technology and bringing top notch customer service to a business.
When owners like Jeff go out of the way to serve their customer, I believe it’s a story worth telling over and over again.”
Marketing Lagniappe Takeaway: Brilliant example of doing ‘a little extra’ to deliver a strong customer experience. This is Izzy’s second trip into the Project. The original entry at #582 is one of my favorites. It’s called the “Izzy”. Every scoop of ice cream purchased at the store entitles the customer to a free mini-scoop called an ‘Izzy’.
Today’s Lagniappe (a little something extra thrown in for good measure) – Here is a tremendous video by Albert Maruggi (@albertmaruggi) of Provident Partners showcasing the little extras at Izzy’s. I love Albert’s quote at the end of the video, “Sommers is an entrepreneur who thinks big, so he can deliver on the small details”:
How do you stand out in the sea of sameness and go the extra mile to keep your customers happy like Izzy’s? How do you win repeat customers and influence word of mouth? Are you Giving Little Unexpected Extras?
What’s Your Izzy?
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