[May 12, 2005]

Cold Stone CRM

By David Sims, TMCnet CRM Alert Columnist

NetSuite, Inc. has announced that Cold Stone Creamery, the fastest growing ice cream concept in the United States, has selected NetSuite CRM+.

Cold Stone Creamery has licensed hundreds of NetSuite users to improve communications, automate franchisee awards and marketing programs, and to drive on-line sales.

Cold Stone Creamery ultimately chose NetSuite for advanced functionality beyond traditional CRM including managing the entire process of evaluating and awarding franchises.

One of Cold Stone Creamery’s objectives is selling online as easily as selling in stores, and the NetSuite tools will be tasked with helping Cold Stone do that.

NetSuite’s advanced customization capabilities to capture data unique to the Cold Stone model was also important, as NetFlex, NetSuite's advanced customization and integration framework, will allow Cold Stone to track data such as training compliance, store compliance, equipment standards and franchise leases.

Sally Bell, Cold Stone Creamery Vice President of Special Projects, said the company needed “more than just traditional CRM.” She said Cold Stone Creamery was looking for “CRM plus ecommerce, CRM plus partner management, CRM plus customization.”

Zach Nelson, CEO of NetSuite, says his favorite Cold Stone flavor is Mudpie Mojo.

Cold Stone Creamery’s “secret recipe” for ice cream is handcrafted fresh daily in each store, and then customized by combining a variety of mix-ins on a frozen granite stone.

With more than 1,000 stores from coast to coast, Cold Stone Creamery currently operates in 47 states including Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Guam. Cold Stone Creamery is an independently owned franchise system, headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz.

David Sims is contributing editor and CRM Alert columnist for TMCnet.

To discover how contact centers can save money and increase productivity by making the switch to IP Telephony, be sure to attend TMC's IP Contact Center Summit May 24-26, 2005, in Dallas, Texas. IP Contact Center Summit is co-located with the Speech-World conference, where you can get expert guidance in the deployment of speech technologies to strengthen customer relationships.