Jan 15, 2018

Niche Fair welcomes “The coolest small company in America” to The Spark in Cleveland

Zingerman’s has been called the “Coolest Small Company in America” by Inc. Magazine and has been featured in the Harvard Business Review and on MSNBC for their business practices. In his book, Small Giants, Bo Burlingham cited Zingerman’s as a model for organizations that define success more creatively than just “getting as big as we can as fast as we can.” And Saveur magazine lauded Zingerman’s for its impeccable customer service.

Zingerman’s has set the standard for great customer service. This success has come from combining an innovative service philosophy with practical working systems, all of which ZingTrain will share in their workshop. ZingTrain was founded to formally share the Zingerman’s approach to business through 2-day seminars, workshops and also books and training DVDs. Zingerman’s approach has been successfully applied in a wide variety of businesses and non-profits that are committed to improving the quality of their customer service, including banks, insurance agencies, schools, health care providers, museums, libraries, and non-food retailers.

Zingerman’s was founded in March 1982 by Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw as a small corner delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Today they are a community of ten unique businesses, with almost 700 employees and over 55 million dollars in annual revenue.

During their 35+ years in business, Zingerman’s has been recognized nationally not just for their exceptional products and customer service but also for their unique business model.

Knowing that continuous learning is a cornerstone to a successful small business, Niche Fair spared no expense in bringing in the best to be a part of The Spark. With their management team adhering to many of the Zingerman’s approach to business, they knew Zingerman’s was the perfect fit to fill the Keynote Speaker slot at The Spark, February 24th in Cleveland during Niche Fair.

The focus of the session will be on developing a Culture of Great Service, with an opportunity to take home and implement tips and tools to improvement customer service in their businesses. Participant workbooks will include samples of tools and training materials used at Zingerman’s.

The Spark also features the sessions like 4 Top Tips for Building a Retail Brand Story That Sells led by Jerrod Sumner of Brandtabulous. Sumner’s clients include makers, from butchers and bakers to candle makers…really. His Midwest Collective can be found in the pages of Midwest Home Magazine. As a sought-after tastemaker, Jerrod lends his voice and styling to West Elm, Williams Sonoma, Westin Hotels, Mall of America, Super Bowl 52 Host Committee, American Cancer Society, Share Our Strength and other “lovable” brands.