Small Scale Business - Nandini Milk Parlor
Posted: Thursday, November 5, 2009 by MuddassirShah in Labels: Small scale Business
Huge investments do not guarantee success of a business, but Ideas do.
I have been watching many small businesses succeed with nearly 300% turnover competing against established systems. What is it that makes them click? Everytime I dig deep to find answers for this questions, I am surprised with the amount of common sense they put into practice unlike big businesses involving MBAs from renowned Business schools who follow nothing but the rule by book and leave their brains back home before coming to work.
The greatest success story I have witnessed so far is that of Nandini Milk parlour located in a far corner of a food court in Infosys Mysore, where every other business venture failed to even survive meagrely.
But unfortunately, no business set in this corner made money enough to recover the investment. There were stories floating across and other food vendors shied away. As a result the growth of facilities at this food court was stymied.
The food committee had exhausted all possible options. Subway the latest joint to operate from this corner wanted a shift of location. Under pressure, to keep the corner operational, the committee asked Nandini Franchisee distribution manager to start a Nandini Parlour in this corner, and he could not resist the offer to set up a branch at INFOSYS.
Ever since, there has been no looking back for him and things have come around so much so that, all other food vendors are queuing up to operate opposite the Milk Parlour. So what is it about Nandini that was special? what did they do differently? How did they manage to attract and retain the customers?. I chanced upon the manager one day and subsequently had a chat with the vendor boys at the parlour. To avoid violation of company rules and to keep the promise made to the Parlour folks, I will not disclose any statistics but just touch upon few things and end it there.
After many discussions and debates with the regular customers and Nandini Franchisee fans (oh yes, I call them fans. I could have used sycophants but fans will do) I have tried to enlist few things about this parlour which had led to an ever increasing customer base.
1) Down to earth Prices. Unlike all other food courts, joints and take aways which charge high rates and provide mediocre taste and pathetic services, the rates of Nandini are very cheap. This is one of the major attractions.
2) Quality of the products has been maintained the same ever since the Inception. More often than not, the quality and quantity of supply per pay decreases as when businesses grow, but for whatever reason it may be, the quality and quantity has been consistent through out.
3) Value for Money. Naturally when consistent quality and quantity are available for down to earth prices, the best thing you can get is value for money.
4) Quality of service has been great. The approach of the vendor boys or salesmen has been very positive and this appeases the customers. They are very prompt. Also never has had a customer to wait due to delay in services which otherwise is very common with Dominoes Pizza or subway or some other vendor.
5) Gradual calculated growth. The management of the parlour has been teasing the taste buds of the customers introducing new products in the campus at regular intervals, every time leaving the customers wanting for more.
6) Customer feedback has been considered seriously in the operational management of the parlour. It is difficult to satisfy every customer but, if one goes through the feed back register, there is a polite response registered for every feedback giving the customer a sense of importance and belonging.
7) The aesthetics of the place have been improved by the wonderful services provided by Infosys facilities staffs who clean the place every now and then thereby making sure it is highly presentable.
All in all, they measured the pulse of the customers correctly and lived upto the expectations of the customers. I hope all others take a cue from this and try to imbibe the same. I wish Nandini parlour all the best for their future and hope the parlour grows from strength to strength settings benchmarks.
THis would have made a good case study had you given more highlights. But still good attempt