The opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
“Be kind, be clean and be present.” That’s the mantra of Philip and Sibs Harrell, owners of Sundae Scoop, a family-owned ice cream shop in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Customer service is the number one priority for these business owners. Whether chatting with customers or selecting and training staff, Philip and Sibs focus on creating an inviting community space where friends and families can gather.
Related: 7 Essentials for Great Customer Service
“At the end of the day, being in the community is what an ice cream shop is all about,” Philip said. “We represent every culture in our area. That’s where ube ice cream comes from, or coquito, or rum raisin. Each of those [flavors] they will respond or touch something in someone they remember from their childhood.”
Sundae Scoop’s friendly and engaging customer service has earned the company a 4.8-star Yelp rating with nearly 100 reviews (as of this writing). Most reviewers talk about the positive experiences they’ve had interacting with Philip and his friendly staff, including Yelp Elite Aneesa P.
Arriving just after the shop opened, Aneesa chatted with Philip as he ordered his ice cream. She shared the story of the shop, helped her choose the perfect gluten-free flavor, and even helped her take perfect photos and videos to accompany her review.
“I felt like we were really connected,” Aneesa said. “She didn’t just say, ‘Here’s your ice cream. Go.’ She said, ‘Hey, I want to let you know, behind the scenes, the story of how I came up with this idea.'”
Philip and Sibs see positive reviews like Aneesa’s as a key tool in boosting staff morale. When a scooper gets called out by name for contributing to a positive customer experience, Philip and Sibs are the first to let them know.
“They’re kids. They’re very awkward,” Sibs said. “So it’s really nice when people give them their strengths and give them a name.”
Philip and Sibs spend a lot of time not only encouraging existing staff, but also hiring scoopers who will contribute to Sundae Scoop’s hospitable culture. They ask all job candidates to read reviews carefully and take note of what people love most about the store. They want to make sure that all new and potential hires are ready to provide the lively, friendly service that Sundae Scoop promises.
Related: How Chef JJ Started a Rice Bowl Revolution in Harlem
As a community-driven space, Sundae Scoop is active in the Virginia Beach area, partnering with local schools and businesses on events like ice cream socials. Philip and Sibs are also committed to mentoring other small business owners, connecting with other businesses through community groups and promoting them on the walls of their store. In his three years at the helm of Sundae Scoop, Philip has helped three other businesses get off the ground.
“They took the risk too. They took this leap of faith,” he said. “So if someone like me or my wife can come and help them on their journey, that’s all the better because he’s building a stronger community.”
Philip has found these relationships especially important to cultivate as a Black entrepreneur. He talks about the fear of the unknown that can emerge in the black business community when you don’t know where to turn or what resources are available.
Related: 3 strategies this Vietnamese noodle shop used to thrive in Minnesota
“I always encourage people to join something,” he said. “You have to find something bigger than yourself. You have to find people who look like you and you have to find people who don’t look like you. And you have to be able to use the advice of all of them and put it all together.”
Supporting Black-owned businesses was part of Aneesa’s motivation to visit Sundae Scoop. As one of the few Black women in her field, she was able to connect with Philip about what it means to succeed in a white-dominated space. Aneesa highlighted the importance of writing reviews to ensure that large Black-owned businesses are not shut down due to lack of support.
“We all need to support each other, not tear each other down,” he said. “[It’s] It’s really important to me to be able to say to everyone, ‘Hey, we can own all these spaces and be successful, too.'”
Philip and Sibs remember their commitment to being pioneers in their community every day with a mural on the Sundae Scoop wall. This reinterpretation of the famous painting “Under the Wave off Kanagawa” features a line from the song “EAT” by artist and rapper Tobe Nwigwe which reads: “[We] We don’t just ride the wave, we create it.'”
“[Sundae Scoop] it’s our way of making our own waves, of charting our own path and making sure that everything will be okay,” Philip said. “At the end of the day, be good, support each other and help each other. where you can, and I can almost promise you it will come back your way.”
In addition to the strength of friendly and engaging customer service, Sundae Scoop believes:
Listen to the episode below to hear directly from Philip, Sibs and Aneesa and subscribe Behind the review for more from new business owners and reviewers every Thursday.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora and Soundcloud.
Editorial contributions by Callie Morgan and Kristi Lindahl