When the marketing just doesn’t match the experience what should we do? Give feedback which may not be well received or just take it on the chin and not return? Perhaps cutting your nose off to spite your face. It’s a dilemma I found myself in with a store I love.
I’ve got to give it to Unico Gelato after enjoying their ice creams and sorbets for a few years now. The kids love a trip to this little shop on St John’s High St, they have a few shops scattered around London. You can also order larger tubs for parties and they deliver so even though it’s expensive £4.50 for a single scoop £5.20 if you want a cone, the staff have always been great and the product second to none so we are big fans.
I hate complaining, especially about something I love and would be gutted to see this popular shop depart the neighbourhood but the other day I did and with good reason I thought. Something had happened to the icecream. It was very hot, so maybe the freezers had packed up, the queue was really long, it was half term to be fair so loads of kids testing flavours undecided what they wanted, fraught parents, think Motherland, and the staff on duty not the usual team. Getting served took a frustrating 30 minutes, a testament to how good the ice cream usually is. People were prepared to wait.
When I finally got my much anticipated ice cream, paid and plonked myself outside to savour a quiet moment and enjoy, it was off. Not the flavour, the texture, kind of gritty and hard and it left a greasy residue in the mouth when it melted. Not good.
I pondered whether to just let it go but then thought what if they serve it to anyone else and fought through the queue to quietly tell the staff on duty something was wrong.
They did offer me a replacement but when I said no thanks, that was it, I left feeling embarrassed and wishing I’d just said nothing.
Things go wrong and scorching heat and high demand is especially challenging for an ice cream business. I get that. But the feeling I’d not been acknowledged and the problem dealt with, I couldn’t shake off.
I dropped an email to the company and CMO Enrico Zecchini did get on it immediately, dropped me a polite apology and to rectify the situation included a gift card for 2 complimentary ice creams.
Like I said it’s a shop and a business I have supported for a few years now and I will go back, I am sure but sometimes it’s not about the money, it’s about how an experience makes you feel. Unico say their mission is to provide “cosy and comforting, more than just a simple dessert”
Would I speak out again if something isn’t right, probably not, and has it put me off going back, for the moment definitely yes. Even with free ice cream I love waiting for me.
Sometimes it’s not about getting what you want when you want it, cold and transactional, when you are invested, have been a massive cheerleader and love a business it’s about more than that.