For those that are not familiar with Kremo, it is a new and popular ice cream chain. However, what makes this business stand out against others is that the ice cream is made on a nitrogen plate. On a busy Saturday afternoon, we stopped by a local store in Pleasant Hill to ask some employees about their thoughts on the business.
What ignited the spark in you to start a new business venture? How did you get the idea to start working here?
I like this environment and workspace mostly because of how flexible the management is; they work with school schedules or if one needs a day off. The management is also very encouraging and very trustworthy, they treat their high school employees like adults and don’t hand them just the easy tasks because they are young. They trust that you will get the work done and then get time to relax. I got the idea of coming here to work from workers who were my friends and it was very popular when it first opened and close to home as well. They pay generously and I love the work environment.
How does Kremo find people to bring into their organization that truly care about the organization the way they do?
The interview stage- depending on the questions, they judge how your personality is and your work ethic. Then from there comes in the training and they evaluate you when you’re around other workers and observe how you interact with other employees.
How important have good employees been to your success?
They are crucial. Employees basically run the entire shop, the bosses are just here to make sure that everything is stocked up in supplies, but the workers ensure for example, that all the fruits are freshly cut and that the cream has not spoiled or anything in that sort. We make sure the machines are clean and ready to roll ice cream, keep things well kept. As clean as possible and up and running.
How do you define success?
The success of this business is based off of customer service as well as employee satisfaction. The management does an excellent job in making sure all the workers are satisfied with the amount of work they’re doing for how much they are getting paid for. Customer satisfaction plays in when they get their ice cream and tell you how good it is. Occasionally someone might put a good review in for us or come in and tell us how amazing the ice cream is, this feels incredible to the employees and makes them feel as if they are doing something good. It’s all for a continuous move to push the business forward.
What is the way to achieve long-term success?
The best way to achieve long-term success is most definitely customer service. For example, if you can make the best ice cream for one customer, they could write a review on the Internet which is for everyone to see, but they could also do personal reviews to relatives and friends and recommend the place to others. Over time, it becomes a giant web of customers who know that this is a good ice cream to go to.
How do you build a successful customer base?
Social Media. If we do happen to have a special deal and such we do tend to post on our Twitter and Instagram, quickly notifying all of our customers. We do include a happy hour over the weekdays. We also try to keep up with the seasons, for example during Halloween we had candy mix-ins and specific ones that pertain to Halloween. They now include vegan ice cream, and ice cream that works for those who are lactose intolerant. Kremo accommodates for nut allergies and tries to include as many different type of people as possible. It helps build our customer base and the chain.
What has been your most satisfying moment here at Kremo?
Personally, I would say that my most satisfying moment would be after a long day, like a busy summer day, seeing how many people just keep coming in, we put out more ice cream and it’s a very lively environment. From our work area, we can see people chattering and laughing amongst themselves. You see the customers taking pictures and recording us making the ice cream to later post on social media. At the end of day when you think about it its like you think to yourself “I helped create this.”
What kind of ambience exists here at Kremo?
The culture at Kremo is very welcoming and definitely homey. First of all, our staff is always greeting customers as soon as they walk through the front door and will always be welcomed with a smile. Even the music reaches out and feels to some people, talking blends into the background music and leaves for a relaxing experience.
If there were any business that you admire the most, besides the one you work at, what would it be?
Most definitely Chick-Fil-A just because it’s a very courteous place and the phrase that they are most known for “Eat more Chikin”. It’s unlike most places and is “so_ just out there. Like just eat more chicken!” The way they welcome you when you enter the franchise is in a very friendly manner so you automatically feel at home. Someone is always walking around and constantly checking up on you even though it’s not a restaurant. This lets you know that you are well taken care of and provides a very homey vibe.
Follow us on social media @kremoicecream
