Tip #242: Implement a Mystery Shopper Program

According to an American Express survey, 70% of shoppers state that they are willing to spend up to 13% more with companies they believe provide excellent customer service.

How does your customer service measure up? One way to find out is to develop a mystery shopper program for your business. According to Inc.com, “mystery shoppers provide objective quantitative and qualitative feedback about their customer experience and conditions.”

7 Benefits of an Effective Mystery Shopper Program

• Monitors and measures service performance
• Improves customer retention
• Makes employees aware of what is important in serving customers
• Monitors facility conditions
• Ensures product/service delivery quality
• Supports promotional programs
• Identifies training needs and sales opportunities

Source: RetailDoc.com

Many experts would advise you to hire a third-party to work with you to develop and implement a mystery shopping program that suits your business and in some cases offers consulting for how to best use the results of your findings. If you do choose to hire a third party, beware of mystery shopper scams. Look for a certified mystery shopping provider near you through the trade association Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA).

If you’re considering bypassing a third party, here’s three points to consider when creating your own mystery shopper program.

1. ESTABLISH CLEAR EXPECTATIONS

What do you wish to accomplish by employing a mystery shopper program (view the list of benefits above for ideas)? Use your goals for the mystery shopper program to determine the direction of your shopper evaluation. If your goal for the program is to measure service performance, your evaluation should focus on customer service.

2. CREATE AN OBJECTIVE EVALUATION

It is difficult to make improvements based on results to subjective survey questions such as “did you enjoy your shopping experience?” Instead, specific questions like “Did an employee greet you with ‘Good morning/afternoon/evening within five minutes of entering store?’” If the answer to this question is an overwhelming “no,” a corrective action should be easy to come up with.

3. FREQUENT SHOPPER

Experts agree it is best for mystery shoppers to visit your retail shop at least two to four times to set an accurate performance benchmark. "One shop every six months is so random that it reveals little," says Bob Phibbs with The Retail Doctor. "Over time, patterns emerge that make managing your customer experience much clearer."

A mystery shopper program can be a powerful tool to fix, change or improve your business, but the true value in an effective program is putting into place actionable steps to help you reach your end goals.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #241: Go Mad For Plaid

Plaid is not just for lumberjacks. From bold buffalo checks to traditional plaid patterns, the plaid trend is everywhere! Consider incorporating plaid into your fall and winter merchandising themes to create dynamic displays and gotta-have-it gift ideas.

Image source: Target 

If the just the sight of the word “wallpaper” makes you cringe, consider a more temporary solution to getting your plaid fix while creating a dynamic merchandising display with peel and stick wallpaper. Check out Devine Color’s buffalo plaid Peel & Stick wallpaper, available at Target. As the name suggests, it is self-adhesive and removable. It is available in a roll that covers a 27.5 square-foot area. Click here to learn more.

Image source: Zulily

 Aside from being their own kind of eye candy for display, a vintage or like-vintage plaid thermos could be a fun vessel for your hot chocolate mix or hot chocolate truffles.

Source: Kara’s Party Ideas

Another idea to add some plaid to your store front, would be to snag a variety of plaid fabric, preferably flannel, to make your own garland with rustic charm. Use up your remaining scraps of fabric by tying them around your boxes, bags and containers to “dress” them for the cool weather.

By incorporating a trendy plaid look into your merchandising plan, your sure to make customers feel warm and cozy this fall and winter!

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #240: Make the Holiday Sweet for those on the Naughty List

Recipe and photo courtesy of LorAnn Oils.

Create some laughter in your stores that is sure to generate impulse purchases this holiday season, with this recipe for cinnamon-flavored Candy Coal from RCI member, LorAnn Oils.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

3/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon LorAnn Cinnamon Oil or 1 teaspoon (1-dram bottle) for a hotter cinnamon flavor

1/4 teaspoon LorAnn black powder food coloring or 1-1/2 teaspoons black gel food color*

Use of a candy thermometer is recommended

DIRECTIONS

1.  Have all ingredients and tools assembled and within easy reach of the stove. Line a 9" x 6" loaf pan or 8" x 8" baking pan with aluminum foil allowing foil to overhang sides. Spray with non-stick cooking spray, such as PAM.
2. In a 2-quart saucepan, mix together sugar, corn syrup, water and black powder food color (*if using gel color, add at step 4). Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Insert candy thermometer if using, making certain it does not touch the bottom of the pan.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, without stirring. Early in the cooking process, you can "wash down" any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush.
4. *If using gel coloring, add when syrup reaches 260º F. Do not stir. Boiling action will incorporate color into syrup.
5. Continue to cook and remove from heat precisely at 300º F (temperature will continue rising), or until drops of syrup form hard, brittle threads in cold water. After boiling action has ceased, add flavor and stir. USE CAUTION WHEN ADDING FLAVORING TO AVOID RISING STEAM.
6. Pour syrup into prepared pan. Do not refrigerate. Cool completely. Once candy is cooled, lift from pan and remove foil.
7. Break candy into small chunks to simulate coal pieces (see tip). For best results, store candy at room temperature in an airtight container.

For an eye-catching merchandising display, consider placing a clear candy bag of coal candies into cute Mini Glavanized Metal Pails from Oriental Trading Company. Add a chalkboard sticker like the photo above or a cute kraft paper label tied with ribbon or scraps of fabric for a rustic-chic look.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #239: Get Pinning! Create a Pinterest Account for Your Business

As of today, there are 59 days until Black Friday. For many shoppers, Black Friday is the official, un-official kick-off to the holiday shopping season! "With 82 million searches for gifts on Pinterest and pinners spending twice as much as the general public, it’s time for you to make Pinterest a priority," says business2community.com.

If you’re not familiar with Pinterest, it is a social media platform that allows users to share and save content to virtual collections called “pinboards” or “boards.” A 2016 study by the Pew Research Center found that 31% of adult internet users are on Pinterest—which ranks the platform #3 behind social media giant, Facebook (79%) and just barely behind Instagram (32%).  The same study also reported “nearly half of online women use the virtual pinboard (45%), more than double the share of online men (17%) who do so.”

According to Pinterest for Business, it only takes 15 seconds to create an account. If you already have a personal account, Pinterest recommends converting it to a business account to take advantage of additional features like Pinterest Analytics and advertising. Click here for four simple steps to help you get started.

Once you’ve created your business account, consider creating a few holiday gift guides as boards to leverage Pinterest for your holiday marketing. By using existing product photos, this can be a relatively easy way to expand your reach of holiday shoppers. Don't forget to promote your gift guide on your website, social media sites, blog, in-store, etc.

Sweet Pete’s holiday-themed Pinterest board features 10 of their top-selling holiday gifts.

Group popular products together that make great holiday gifts or create guides based on fun themes that will help shoppers find the perfect gift from your candy shop. For example, if you carry an assortment of products that feature nuts, group them together in board titled “Gift Guide for Nut Lovers.” Even better, partner with a local nut roaster or even a local grocery store by featuring some of their products and perhaps they’ll return the favor by sharing your gift guide with their social media followers.

Gift guides can also focus on various price ranges. Depending on what makes the most sense for your business (don’t forget to consider shipping expenses), consider featuring a collection of items that fall into the “Under $25” range or the $50-$100 range.

For retailers looking to increase their holiday sales, Pinterest could represent an untapped potential for your business to reach new customers. See below for additional resources available to help you make the most out of your Pinterest account. Happy Pinning!

Pinterest for Business, Pinterest.com

Buyable Pins, Pinterest.com

How to Use Pinterest to Boost Holiday Sales, Business2Community.com

Pinterest for Business: Everything You Need to Know, Business News Daily

How to Create Gift Guides on Pinterest to Market Your Products, Dummies.com

Tip #238 Turn Caramel Apples Upside Down

If you love caramel apples, but you hate how apples don’t always set straight and level, then this super simple tip of the week is about to turn your world upside down, literally.

Instructors at RCI’s Caramels, Toffees & Brittles course, recommend turning apples upside down before inserting caramel apple sticks into the base of the apple.

Thanks to this tip, long-time RCI member, Fascia’s Chocolates of Waterbury, Connecticut, started flipping their apples after 53 years of practicing the traditional method of inserting sticks through the top of the apple, near the stem. Carmen Romeo, of Fascia’s Chocolates, says their apples now set more steadily and less caramel seems to gather on the bottom.

Try this tip yourself and let us know which method you prefer in the comments below.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #237: Celebrate El Dia de los Muertos

Merchandising is an important component to increasing sales. It is a way to grab your customers’ attention, stimulate emotions and give buyers a reason to make a purchase. This fall, take advantage of a traditional Hispanic holiday and the theme of the latest Disney movie, when adding to your merchandising displays.

El Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is celebrated between October 31^st and November 2^nd, and is similar to Halloween with its themes of death and the spirit world. Not to be morbid or scary, instead this holiday is a fun, family-based celebration of life and death, a time to honor lost relatives with flowers, favorite foods and treats, even trinkets and toys.  In addition November 22, Disney releases its newest movie, Coco,  which takes place in this spirit world. Coco is the story of aspiring musician Miguel and his extraordinary journey through the Land of the Dead.

For inspiration, here a few ways to incorporate Dia de los Muertos into your fall merchandising. 

Decorate a display with various bright colors including paper flowers, colorful banners and painted skulls.  Source: Party City

Source: Party City

As a play on the holiday’s sugar skulls, create sweets such as painted moulded skulls, decorate caramel apples and skull pops in their likeness.

Tomric Skull Mould

Caramel Apples from CraftyChica.com

Sugar Skulls Source: Oh! Nuts

Ideas for gift items source: smart-retailer.com

Tip #236: Join RCI in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque, New Mexico is the destination for Retail Confectioners International’s (RCI) Fall Regional Conference. If you’re a candy maker, chocolatier or industry supplier, keep reading for the top 4 reasons why you should join RCI in the “Land of Enchantment” October 4-6, 2017.

1. Experience the most photographed event in the world.

Extend your stay to experience the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta—the largest hot air balloon festival and the most photographed event in the world. Conference goers can take advantage of a special partnership between RCI and Tour New Mexico to receive a discount on general admission and avoid the congested traffic and parking conditions of an event that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Visit retailconfectioners.org/balloonfiesta for more details.

2. Turn up the heat with the flavors of New Mexico.

Discover the distinctly local flavors of New Mexico, such as red and green chiles and piñon nuts, while touring innovative businesses who have distinguished themselves by utilizing these local ingredients to create unique products, during RCI’s popular behind-the-scenes tours. Long-time RCI member, Buffett’s Candies has developed a reputation for their use of piñon nuts, which is unique to the southwest region. Other tours will include the Buffett family’s Popcorn Cannery, where they manufacture over 20 flavors of popcorn. Attendees will also tour one of the largest coffee roasters in the state, New Mexico Piñon Coffee, praised for their sweet and nutty custom pinon-flavored blends. During tours, attendees will experience the production sides of these facilities in order to gain perspective and inspire new ideas to use in their own businesses.

3. Learn how to look at your business with fresh eyes.

Learn how a taking a different approach toward common business and industry concepts such as growth, leadership, communication, flavor development and sales can help you take your business to the next level in this thought-provoking lineup of education:

• A Fresh Look at Growing a Business
• Leadership: New Mexico Style
• Learn the Language of Chocolate
• Local Flavor: Truffle Demo
• Optimizing Sales by Targeting Mobile

4. Watch authentic Flamenco come alive.

Experience the passion and energy of flamenco come alive during a private performance at Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque. Attendees will are sure to delight in the authentic Sevilla tapas served at this unique farewell reception Friday, October 6.

Although RCI has traveled to 35 states (plus Washington D.C.), 16 countries and four continents over the trade association’s lifetime, RCI  has never traveled to New Mexico. Making this a long-awaited destination for many members looking to gain inspiration from the state’s distinctive culture and heritage.

“You never know what will spark the next great idea. At RCI, we enjoy creating event experiences that encourage the generation of new ideas,” says Angie Burlison, RCI’s Executive Director. “We support many small-to-midsize businesses who can use flexibility to their advantage to implement such ideas as a means to standout in their communities, as well in the industry.”

Registration for RCI’s fall regional event is welcome to members and non-members online at retailconfectioners.org/fall. Additional event details such as schedule, registration and hotel information may also be found there.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip # 235: Handle Customer Complaints Like a Pro

Customer service today is customer driven and in the world of social media, businesses need to be ready to respond.  Customers can share their frustrations online in real time, reaching a larger audience than just one or two. Learning to respond quickly and appropriately can often help with customer loyalty and retention.

Respond Quickly – It’s important to respond quickly on social media. It is hard to always respond to everything, but be sure to respond to at least 90% of disgruntled feedback.

Acknowledge Mistakes – Customers know that not everyone is perfect, which is why it is important if you know you were at fault to own up to that mistake. Doing so will likely gain the respect of this customer.

Communicate Offline – We have all seen disgruntled customers and business owners in a digital war of words and watched in dismay. If you are dealing with a very negative situation, take the conversation offline through a private message.

Get Personal – Customers often complain because they want you to respond and help resolve their issue. A personalized response from you or one of your team members will make a big difference in how they react to the response.

Go the Extra Mile – Don’t just resolve the issue with the customer, but take steps to go the extra mile. Give them a free item or offer something above what they are requesting.

Follow Up – Finally, follow up with the customer and make sure they are happy with your resolution.

You have great products and a great business; don’t let one customer complaint take over your social media presence. Take the time to put a plan in place to effectively respond when a complaint occurs and not only resolve the issue, but also retain a customer for life. 

Tip # 234: How to Apply Water Marbling Effect to Moulded Chocolates

For members looking to gain creative ideas at RCI’s 2017 Annual Convention & Industry Expo, Candy Clinic did not disappoint. Since the thirties, this member-exclusive event has allowed RCI members from across the United States, Canada and abroad to share their best ideas and gain inspiration from fellow candy makers. Keep reading for an idea that won the award for best innovation at the latest Candy Clinic.

Inspired by an associate’s manicured finger nails, RCI member Cher Diamond of Maurie’s Fine Chocolates of Madison, shared a creative technique for applying cocoa butter to moulded chocolates. Water marbling is a technique used to create a unique nail polish design by adding droplets of nail polish to water before applying it to the nail. A similar effect can be achieved with cocoa butter and water.

Start by filling a bowl with room temperature water. If you read tutorials online for water marbling, they recommend using filtered or bottled water. Get cocoa butter spray, shake it up and spray it into the water. Because the oils in cocoa butter resist the water, the cocoa butter will float on top of the water, allowing you to create a unique design with a variety of different colored cocoa butters. Drag a toothpick or other similar object through the cocoa butter, cleaning it after each use.

Once the desired marbleized effect is achieved, take a finished moulded piece or just the shell and run it through the cocoa butter. Let each moulded piece dry for three hours or overnight. You may finish the piece by applying a glaze spray, but according to Cher, the cocoa butter will not rub off or detemper the chocolate.

If you’re looking to create stunning chocolate pieces, give this simple and fun water marbling technique a try and let us know how it turns out by leaving a comment below.

Want to learn more innovative ideas like this one? Idea sharing is just one of the many benefits of membership with Retail Confectioners International (RCI)! Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business. 

Throwback Tip # 137: Tips for Making Caramel Stick to Apples

After recently wrapping up RCI’s second Caramels, Toffees & Brittles course, we want to share a favorite caramel apple tip.

Have you ever experienced problems with caramel slipping off your caramel apples? The wax on your apple may be the culprit. By simply wiping each apple with a damp cloth prior to dipping, you can remove the waxy residue that rests on the apples.

An apple naturally produces a waxy film to protect itself, however, in some instances additional food-grade wax is added by suppliers to further increase an apple’s shelf life. For this reason, it could save you time and effort to request unwaxed apples from your supplier, if they do add wax to their apples.

If that doesn’t help, consider adding white compound to your caramel at a 5 to 1 ratio to help it better adhere to the apple.

Caramel apple season is just around the corner, so we hope this quick and easy tip will help when making this customer favorite.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.