Dreyer’s Ice Cream

Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Branded Box Cutter

Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream is a staple of not only Ice Cream merchandising and production but of the “American Spirit”. The invention of Rocky Road, Toasted Almond and Cookies and Cream was by their creativity and imagination. Dreyer’s was founded in 1928 by an ice cream maker William Dreyer and candy maker Joseph Edy (of the same Edy's Ice Cream). Both of these names are foundational in the history of ice cream. After many successful years and numerous milestones, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream was purchased by Nestle in 2002. By doing so Dreyer’s brands were able to reach a new national market in the United States. This item is a Dreyer's branded box cutter that the contributor Dr. Graham Peck used as he worked as a merchandiser at minimum wage for $500 a week. He built and refilled displays at stores and worked during the summers of 1987-1988, 1992-1993, and 1993-1994. But how has customer service changed in the modern era, especially in the area of ice cream? 

At the start of ice cream production and manufacturing, ice cream was often sold by small family-owned shops or local vendors. Primarily during this era of around the 1940s, customer service was much more personalized and face to face. Vendors knew their customers by name and could make personalized recommendations based on the preferences of their patrons. As the world moved into the mid-20th century, ice cream production became more industrialized. Customer service shifted towards a standardized approach, with an emphasis on consistency when looking at product quality and availability, with less personal interaction. As the 20th century continued, a new player changed the way ice cream was sold, consumed and served. Supermarkets. With the rise of supermarkets and convenience stores, customer service became transactional with less emphasis on personal connection to their consumers. The primary focus of the ice cream companies was towards efficiency and convenience. As the 21st century came to fruition, the addition of the internet and social media made customer service in the ice cream industry more interactive and responsive than in the past. Being able to interact with their consumer base allows companies to better tailor their products to the consumers desire while maintaining the modern efficiency and availability of their product that they focused on so heavily in the 20th century. One of the biggest advancements in customer service is the implementation of rewards systems and easy use apps; these allow for more interaction between the merchandiser and the customer. This has led to a resurgence in the importance of personalized customer service. 

Today in the modern day, many ice cream companies strive to embody the best of the old and new school. By combining at the highest-level personalized customer service and efficiency, ice cream companies have been able to tailor their output to maximize the demand of the 21st century. Using technology to streamline operations while still offering friendly and engaging customer service.

Sources:

Dreyer’s. “Our Story”. Icecream. https://www.icecream.com/us/en/brands/dreyers/our-story.

Froneri Company. “Froneri Company History”. Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream. https://www.dreyersgrandicecream.com/history/.

Gomez, Jenny. “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: A History of Customer Service”. Lucid Works, July 15, 2021. https://lucidworks.com/post/the-history-of-customer-service/.

Romarino, Robert. “Providing Great Customer Service in the Frozen Dessert Industry”. Sentry Equipment, March 30, 2021. https://www.sentryequipment.net/blog/great-customer-service.