Amy's Ice cream case study

1. Q1) Describe the service organizations culture at Amy’s Ice cream.
A corporate culture is a system of values and beliefs that are shared by the
members of an organization. Such a system defines acceptable work behavior
and when it is a healthy system, it contributes to the organization's success. Amy
Miller, the founder and president of Amy's, recognized very early in her career
that creating a strong group culture was crucial to her company's success,
because it offered a unique way to differentiate Amy's from the competition.
Amy's values include individualism and self-expression in a team context, more
emphasis on intrinsic rewards than on monetary rewards, maximization of
autonomy and responsibility for all employees, job satisfaction, and making the
customer smile. Perhaps the most important value is employee empowerment.
These values are supported by the beliefs that the ice cream business is a "feel
good" one in which happy employees mean happy customers, that the service
encounter or "moment of truth" should be customized and entertaining, and the
facility design should support the personalities of the employees.
Amy’s Ice Cream culture is rather laid back. The atmosphere in the parlor is
cheery and everyone exhorts a friendly and happy attitude. Amy encourages
employee empowerment by allowing the employees to dress as they wish and to
interact with customers in a way that is more suitable to their personality. The
customers’ attitude is very important to the management as well as the
employees so they make sure that customers are always satisfied and receives
high quality and consistency in the service offered. The store service is
conducted in a highly autonomous manner and so far it appears to be not only
successful but also efficient as Amy’s ice cream has been in existence for a
number of years.
Q2) What are the personalities attributes of the employees who are sought
by Amy’s Ice Cream?
Amy’s Ice cream has a few specific criteria, which future employees must fit.
These criteria are not however rigid. Employees should possess a personality
that is suitable to a service industry that interacts with customers on a daily
basis. They must also feel comfortable expressing themselves with confidence
and finesse. One of the most important attributes is the ability to recognize the
different types of customers that come into the store and how to deal with them.
They hired outgoing and creative employees who were very skilled at projecting
their colourful personalities across the counter. They are those who were able to
joke and interact with the customers while filling their orders. They were needed
to be entertaining and theatrical. It’s more of a lifestyle choice, working for
Amy’s.
Amy's selection process is designed to identify employees who are bright,
innovative and energetic. Employees must be "performers" who can express
themselves freely and be sensitive to the customers' needs.
Q3) Design a personnel selection procedure for Amy’s Ice Cream using
abstract questioning, a situational vignette, and/or role-playing?

2. Abstract questioning:
 Which flavor of Ice Cream best describes your personality?
 What kind of customers would you find annoying? How you would handle it?
 What do you know about Ice Cream?
How your past job’s experiences can influence you?
 How much do they love ice cream?
 How charming is their personality and how convincing they can be?
 How would you make someone smile?
 Complete the following statement with a few sentences of your own: “I
scream, you scream. We all scream for ice cream. But not just any ice cream.
It must be Amy’s Ice Cream, because …”
 What do you like best about your job?
A situational vignette:
 How would you face a situation where a customer fainted while being
serviced? What would you do if the store is being robbed?
What would you do if the customer doesn’t have money? (i.e. forgot his/her
wallet)
 What would you do if the customer drops his/her entire serving on the floor
after paying for it?
 What would you do if the customer demands an extra scoop when they’ve
only paid for one?
 What would you do if an angered customer threw the serving of ice cream at
you?
 As you are working one day, you notice a man who appears to be waiting for
service so you approach him and offer to serve him. He responds that he
needs no assistance and leaves the store. Later you learn that the man called
corporate headquarters and complained about poor service at your store.
The operations manager at the head office apologizes and sends the man
some coupons for free ice cream. A few days later the man returns to your
store with the gift certificates. When asked if he needs assistance, the man
again responds that he needs no help and proceeds to look around the store.
What would you do?
Role-playing:
 A situation is created where two employees pose as irate customers and
complain about the slow and apathetic service they have always received
from this store in the past.
 A situation is created where an employee poses as a customer who
complains, not only about the volume of the music, but also about its
suitability for your store.
~The End~