How Do I Find Out What My Customers Want & Need? 5 Tips For Frozen Yogurt & Ice Cream Shop Owners

Posted on Jun 26, 2017

Let us describe a scenario for you: You’ve had a couple successful years under your belt as a Frozen Dessert store owner, but in the more recent years you have noticed sales start to decrease. “What am I doing wrong?” you think to yourself. So you decide to bring out the big guns. You and your team of creative brainstormers come up with ideas on how to increase sales and get more customers into your store.

New exotic flavors, killer promotions with great sales are soon to be implemented in your store… but soon your excitement for the new & fresh ideas slowly withers and dies because nobody seems to take notice of these changes.

So, Where Do You Go From Here…?

Typically you try another brainstorming session but this time with a fuller coffee mug & more red bulls. You roll out newer ideas like the red carpet during the Emmy’s. But as you see customers uninterested you soon give up and become complacent & decide not to try anything.

But hold up for just a minute (Second, actually!). If you had the correct information on what your customers wanted you’d be more than happy to implement these changes, wouldn’t you? Well consider this idea.

If you want to know what your customers’ wants and needs are, then why don’t you just ask them? Like our Great Italian Grandmamma Alessandra always used to say “Chi mangia bene, Sai tutto!” which means “Those who eat well, know everything!” So let’s get into ways on how to ask your customers for their valuable input:

5 Tips To Dialogue With Your Customers

 1) Rush Hour Ramblin’ 

Instead of being in the back making cones & cups as fast as possible during rush hour, why don’t you get outside & talk to your customers? Get out there with some free samples and just ask people their thoughts on new flavors, the store layout, what you could do differently. This might cost you one or two hours of labor but the information & connection with your customers is priceless!

 2) Slow Time, Chat Time! 

Sales in between rush hours can be kind of sluggish. Daytime usually is marked by a couple customers every hour & some smooth sailing. Whether you’re in the store or have great staff that you trust, have someone talk to your valued customers. Every great idea began with a simple conversation!

 3) The Poll On The Wall 

Why not have a giant poll/billboard in your shop? You can ask customers to post their answers to questions on a white board, place tally marks next to their favorite flavors, put their reviews of your product & customer service. With this form of direct feedback you give your customers a certain level of trust & the anonymity of this type of poll gives customers a certain type of freedom to be honest which is exactly what you want.

 4) Social Media Socializin’ 

 Your social media platforms (Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.) are a great way to get suggestions, tips, & information from the people who most value your business… your customers! You can ask your customers for all of this valuable information from the comfort of your own home

. 5) Thank God It’s “Free Food” Fridays 

(T.G.I. “Double F” Fridays)

Thank God it’s Friday! This is a perfect time to hold a mini focus group to ask your customers what they want. Take a wide variety of people: loyal customers, staff members, and highly opinionate family members like Willy-nilly Uncle Billy or sweet Ol’ Grandma Jenkins. Once you have everyone in a room or in your shop, ask them what their preferences are, what suggestions they have for improvements, & etc. It will only cost you some ice cream or frozen yogurt but the return on your invest will be exponential.

These are just a few of many ideas out there that can help you increase customer satisfaction & your bottom line. There’s no need to limit yourself to your own ideas, just simply ask your customers and watch your revenues soar like an eagle!

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