The initiative highlights how genuine solutions to customer concerns can build high engagement and reinforce confidence in a brand
Jamshedpur: When Keshavji Chhaganlal Jewellers surprised its staff with an in-store ice cream treat during a severe heatwave this summer, the retailer did not know it would turn into the ‘Ice Cream pe Charcha’ series, turning an internal employee engagement activity into a veritable marketing campaign.
The brand’s intention was to create a relaxed setting for open conversations, instead of organizing a formal meeting. During the informal interaction, employees shared questions they regularly heard from customers but sometimes found difficult to answer. The team decided to record the discussions when Siddharth Adeshra, Director, Keshavji Chhaganlal Jewellers, addressed these queries on the spot, because they were authentic solutions to customer concerns. These recordings eventually became the ‘Ice Cream Pe Charcha’ series.
The series was titled ‘Ice Cream pe Charcha’, drawing inspiration from the popular ‘Chai pe Charcha’ moniker. “The name was a no-brainer and derived from our nation’s very famous ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ campaign,” said Adeshra. He added that the initiative reflects the company’s belief that stronger customer relationships are built by first fostering meaningful engagement with employees.
Rather than adopting a scripted customer-facing format, the videos organically evolved into mentor-style conversations between the company’s leadership and employees. The approach, Adeshra explained, reflected the brand’s culture of openness and accessibility, helping bridge the gap between management and staff while fostering stronger trust between the brand and its customers.
“There was no script. The questions were real because they came directly from our staff, and the answers came from an honest place. It started feeling like a mentor speaking with his team instead of an owner giving instructions, and we chose to keep it that way,” he said.
The topics featured in each episode were selected impromptu based on recurring customer queries. From purchase hesitations to common misconceptions about jewellery buying, the discussions focus on addressing genuine concerns raised by customers through the sales team.
“There isn’t a checklist we follow. We simply look for questions that are genuine. The only way to understand these concerns is by listening carefully instead of assuming what customers are thinking,” Adeshra noted.
The series has become an extension of the retailer’s broader customer engagement strategy. After the videos were published, customers began actively participating through comments and messages, with the team ensuring every query got a personalized response.
According to Adeshra, seeing the company’s leadership directly answer questions helped reduce customer hesitation and encouraged more people to engage with the brand, both online and in-store. “People stopped feeling like they were interacting with a company and started feeling like they were talking to someone they could actually trust,” he said.
While the series was never intended to generate viral reach, the response has surpassed expectations. Employees appreciated the opportunity to interact informally with the company’s leadership, while customers increasingly began visiting stores with questions inspired by the videos.
Reflecting on the experience, Adeshra said the biggest take-away has been the importance of authentic conversations. “People want to talk to actual people from a brand. Not just a salesperson or an owner making a statement. Just someone who is willing to sit and listen,” he observed.
Building on the success of the series, Keshavji Chhaganlal Jewellers now plans to expand the concept beyond digital content by introducing more community-focused experiences and in-store interactions that continue to foster meaningful engagement between the brand and its customers.
Keshavji Chhaganlal Jewellers, established in 1925, has three stores, all located in the State of Jharkhand, with two in Jamshedpur and one in Ranchi.
Written by Zara Fernandes
Retail Jeweller India Exclusive
