The ice cream run – Management lessons from Dad

18 years ago, I successfully completed my post-graduation in Business Management from one of the prestigious institutions in Bangalore, Christ College. Though my specialization was in Marketing, during the course of two years, I learned various aspects of business including supply chain, time management, advertising and many more.

Little did I realize that there was a time, way back in early 90s while in grade six, I was privy to a bunch of fantastic management lessons in real life. This was when my dad started an ice cream parlour named Adens in our small town of Changanacherry in Kerala. The ice cream was of a brand named Lazza and the company that made it was in Ernakulam, a city roughly hundred kilometres from our hometown. My first lesson in entrepreneurship.

Since dad took distribution of Lazza ice cream in and around Changanacherry, he obviously had to arrange for transportation of ice cream from Lazza factory in Ernakulam to our shop. Considering the distance between the locations, he had to plan the purchase that needed to last him for the next few weeks after which there will be a repeat of this. We called it the ice cream run. The entire process had to be meticulously planned since dad was a banker during his day job and he had to plan the trips on weekends. My first lesson in planning and supply chain management.

The number of items that were required for every ice cream run was sizable enough to be carried in ten large containers. Dad knew a person who owned a van which was big enough to carry those boxes. Arrangements were made to use this van so that multiple runs could be avoided, and the trip was optimized. My first lesson in logistics.

We will start early morning and will reach the factory in Ernakulam. Dad will have a list with the categories and numbers required of ice creams needed that day. He will then sit with the factory manager and while I enjoy an ice cream there, I could hear them talk about sales and strategies towards customer satisfaction, none of which made sense to me then. On hindsight, those were the pearls of wisdom from the lovely ocean of business world. Many times, dad was also able to strike some good deals before he confirmed the order. My first lesson in negotiation.

Once the order was finalized, the boxes were offloaded from the van for the factory staff to fill them with packets of ice creams. As this activity took a while, dad always made use of the time for a quick trip to the city and buy some other items required for Adens including ice cream cones, glasses, tissues etc. which were not something you could buy from the factory. I always looked forward for this quick trip since after the shopping it will be invariably time for lunch, and it was a great opportunity for me to explore the restaurants around Ernakulam. My first lesson in time management.

By the time we returned to the factory, the boxes of ice creams were safely packed and kept ready for the trip back home. Those were the days before temperature-controlled vehicles. Hence special type of insulated boxes was used to keep the ice cream from melting and for further protection large frozen containers of ice were used which ensured that everything was ok during the transport. My first lesson in quality.

The party then headed back to the hometown and just in time to beat the evening traffic so that we reach Adens right on time to store the ice cream safe and sound in the freezers awaiting customers. Sometimes dad also got some posters with colourful pictures of ice creams which promptly went on the walls of Adens which added to the whole appeal of the shop. It was such a heartening sight to see the kids screaming and crying with joy when they saw these images and specifically asked for them and most parents obliged. My first lesson in marketing and sales.

Though dad is not around physically, these moments remain deeply embedded in my mind which continues to be my guiding light in my professional life where I need to apply the principles of management. Something which no management books in the world ever taught me…

The Power of Smile

It has been a quarter of a century since I learned the power of smile in business. 25 years back was when my dad started Adens, an ice cream parlour in our small home town named Changanacherry in Kerala, the southernmost state of India. For the kids in the town ice cream only meant a cup, a cone, a stick or in its fanciest form, a ball! Nothing more, nothing less.

It was something in lines of a revolution at that time to introduce various flavours in different shapes and sizes and more importantly ice cream sundaes that tickled the taste buds with a never before experience. The freezer that displayed different flavours neatly placed in square shaped boxes became an instant hit among the customers. It was a sight worth framing to see people flocking around the freezer to decide which flavour they’ll try that day.

Dad loved travelling and he did it extensively right from his young age. The greatest thing he got back from these travel were the experiences and uniqueness from each destinations which he promptly applied when he started the business. The shamiyana bordered palm leaf thatched seating area, the pointed white coloured fence seen in Ooty, trash cans named ‘Use Me’ at arm’s length from customer’s table, a beautiful garden with a multi-coloured fountain in the middle etc. to name a few.

All these were good when you start a new business. The bigger question is how do you sustain the interest and keep the customers happy. That’s when I saw dad along with my mom unveil the power of smile to captivate the customers and implemented beautifully the principle in management that retaining a customer is far less expensive than gaining a new one. Their achievement is even more praise-worthy with no formal management education to their credit. A classic case of naturally bred managers!

Every customer who walked into Adens were welcomed with a smiling face by my dad or mom. My brother and I did whatever little we could. He was 15 and I was 11 at that time and I presume it helped to create that ‘complete family experience’ in our customers’ minds when they walked in. The menu was extended, orders taken and the end-product was served, all wrapped with a beautiful smile. When I look back I think our customers didn’t walk in just to have an ice cream. They came in for an experience, one which offers an ice cream along with it. I also distinctly remember dad personally seeing off the customers as they take this experience back home with them. This was his way of ensuring that our patrons felt wanted and made them feel like coming back for more. Needless to say he did that with a smile again.

The picture was not always this rosy. We had our share of unhappy customers, for different reasons. Each time they were dealt personally and their concern addressed. They were reassured about the service promised by Adens and guaranteed them happiness. Most of them who initially had concerns, later when walked out, did so with a smile.

My management books emphasized the need to make customers happy. What I learned from my dad and mom with their style of management was a real-life practical example of how to do this. What they also did was to ensure that the practice not just stops with them. Knowingly or otherwise they were teaching each one of us associated with the business to practice this. Concepts of business continuity were applied without them even being aware of it.

We live in an era were human interactions are becoming lesser and lesser with each passing day. We get almost everything done online now through a world of apps and machine supported offices. I don’t even remember the last time I saw the face of a human being when I paid my electricity bill or telephone bill. Even the customer service many a times are now driven through Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems. At the end of your transaction the system or a recorded voice asks you to rate your experience by selecting a smiley that is apt for the quality of service you received. End of service.

In such a totally digitized world, I recollect with happiness, the power of smile my dad and mom had on our customers. It provided a human touch in business to ensure that our patrons come back for an experience that is closer to the heart than the non-personal customer experience modern day offers!