At this time, a waiter came over and said, “Mr. Wang, there are a few customers who want to talk to you and give us some suggestions.”

Wang Jianye immediately said, “Okay, customers’ suggestions are very important to us, please invite them over.”

Several customers came over, and one of them said, “Boss Wang, we really like the dishes in your restaurant, but we found that the variety of drinks in the store is relatively small. It would be better if you could add some local hot drinks, such as Hokkaido’s specialty milk tea or hot chocolate.”

Wang Jianye listened carefully and nodded: “Your suggestion is very good. We will consider adding more beverages immediately. Do you have any other suggestions?”

Another customer said: “It would be better if there were more seats in the store. Sometimes when there are a lot of people, you have to wait for a seat.”

Wang Jianye smiled and said, “Thank you for your suggestion. We will make reasonable plans based on the space layout of the store to see if we can add some seats.”

After seeing off the customer, Wang Jianye said to the manager: “Immediately arrange for someone to research popular local drinks in Hokkaido, and have the kitchen team develop several special hot drinks. At the same time, find professionals to evaluate the space in the store to see how to increase the number of seats without affecting the customer’s dining experience.”

The manager said, “Okay, Mr. Wang, I’ll arrange it right away.”

As time went by, the Hokkaido branch solved a series of problems and its operation became smoother and smoother. The added special hot drinks were well received by customers, and the reasonable increase in seats also eased the pressure of customers waiting during peak hours.

However, Wang Jianye was not satisfied with this. He knew that the catering market was highly competitive and that if he did not make progress, he would fall behind. At a branch management meeting, Wang Jianye said: “Although we have achieved initial success in the Hokkaido branch, we cannot rest on our laurels. We must always pay attention to market trends and continue to innovate dishes and services.”

Xiao Zhao, who is in charge of market research, said: “Mr. Wang, I recently found that with the popularization of healthy eating concepts, many customers are increasingly demanding low-sugar, low-fat, and high-fiber dishes. We can consider developing dishes in this area.”

Wang Jianye nodded in agreement: “This is a good direction. The chef team can combine the special ingredients of Hokkaido to develop some healthy dishes. For example, use local organic vegetables with low-fat seafood to make nutritious salads or stews.”

The chef said, “Mr. Wang, we will start research and development as soon as possible. However, during the research and development process, we may need some professional nutritional matching suggestions.”

Wang Jianye said: “That’s no problem. You can contact some professional nutritionists and invite them to give us guidance. Under the premise of ensuring the taste, we can make our dishes more in line with the trend of healthy eating.”

In terms of service, Wang Jianye also put forward new requirements: “Hokkaido is a tourist destination, and we will receive tourists from different regions. The service team must strengthen language training and improve foreign language proficiency, especially English and Chinese, to facilitate communication with foreign tourists.”

Xiao Lin, who was in charge of the service, said: “Mr. Wang, we have developed a detailed language training plan and will regularly organize training and assessment for our employees to ensure the quality of our service.”

With the development of new dishes and the improvement of service quality, the competitiveness of the Hokkaido branch has been further enhanced. More and more customers have become loyal fans of the restaurant, not only frequenting it themselves, but also recommending it to their friends.

On a winter night, snowflakes were falling outside the window, and the Hokkaido branch was brightly lit. The store was full of customers, all enjoying the food and laughing. A tourist said to the waiter, “I came to Hokkaido to travel and ate food from many places, but your store left the deepest impression on me. If I have the chance in the future, I will definitely come again.”

The waiter responded with a smile: “Thank you for your support, we look forward to your next visit.”

Wang Jianye stood in a corner of the restaurant, looking at this lively and warm scene, feeling filled with emotion.

……

In South Korea, Wang’s full range of restaurants attracted many diners in the early days of its opening with its unique fusion dishes, but as time went on, problems gradually surfaced.

Kim Min, the manager of the Seoul branch, frowned in his office and said on the phone, “Boss Wang, our store’s customer flow has declined recently. I’ve observed that customers say our dishes are novel, but not authentic enough. They lack the intoxicating effect of traditional Korean food.”

On the other end of the phone, Wang Jianye listened carefully and said, “Manager Jin, this is a critical issue. We specialize in fusion cuisine, so we can’t lose the essence of local cuisine. I’ll arrange for a team of chefs to go over there, and you can work together to study and improve it.”

A few days later, Wang Jianye and his team of chefs arrived in South Korea. As soon as he got off the plane, Wang Jianye said to his team members: “This time, we must have a deep understanding of Korean food culture, not just superficial knowledge. Let’s go to small restaurants on the streets and alleys and communicate with local chefs and diners.”

That evening, Wang Jianye and the chefs came to a famous Korean barbecue restaurant in Myeongdong. The restaurant was bustling with people and the aroma of barbecue filled the air. They found a seat and sat down, ordering the signature barbecue and various side dishes.

Wang Jianye asked an uncle at the table next to him: “Uncle, what do you think is the most important thing about Korean barbecue?” The uncle smiled and said while turning the sizzling meat on the grill: “For barbecue, the quality of the meat must be good, and the marinade is also important. It must be moderately sweet and salty, with a bit of fruity flavor, that’s authentic.”

Afterwards, Wang Jianye and the chefs went to several shops selling traditional Korean food. At a small shop specializing in kimchi soup, the owner Aunt Li enthusiastically introduced: “Whether kimchi soup is delicious or not, kimchi is the key. It must be fermented properly and have a mellow taste. When paired with fresh tofu and pork belly, the soup is so fragrant.”

Back at the hotel, Wang Jianye organized a meeting with the chef team and local Korean employees. After sharing the information he had collected over the past few days, he said, “Let’s start from these two directions to improve the dishes. For barbecue, we will re-adjust the marinade to increase the fruity flavor; for kimchi soup, we will find a suitable supplier to ensure the quality of kimchi.” Chef Park Sung-woo nodded and said, “Mr. Wang, I have an idea. We can launch a selection of different parts of barbecue, paired with several of our special dipping sauces, to meet the taste needs of different customers.”

Kim Ji-soo, who is in charge of the side dishes, continued, “In addition to pork belly and tofu, you can also add some Korean fish cakes to enrich the taste of kimchi soup.”

After a period of adjustment, the improved dishes were re-launched. When the new barbecue set was served, the tender meat was paired with a fruity sauce and the color was attractive. After tasting it, customers praised it highly. A regular office worker said: “The barbecue tasted great this time. It has both the familiar Korean flavor and the unique style of your restaurant.”

Kimchi soup was also very popular, and the newly added fish cakes made the soup taste richer. A housewife said to the waiter: “This kimchi soup tastes very similar to what I make at home, but with a special flavor. I will come to try it more often in the future.”

As the improved dishes gained a good reputation in the Korean market, the customer flow of Wang’s full-line restaurants gradually recovered. The restaurant once again regained its former bustle, with diners laughing and talking, and waiters busy shuttling between tables, providing customers with thoughtful service. However, the mall is like a battlefield, and under the calm appearance, new challenges are quietly approaching.

On this day, the sun shone through the window onto Wang Jianye’s desk, and the room was bright. Marketing specialist Li Xianjun walked into the office with a thick stack of reports, looking a little serious. He walked quickly to Wang Jianye, bowed slightly and said, “Mr. Wang, this is a detailed report of the recent market research. The situation is a bit tricky.”

Wang Jianye stopped what he was doing, raised his head, took the report, and a hint of alertness appeared in his eyes: “What’s wrong? Tell me slowly.”

Li Xianjun straightened up and replied with a serious expression: “Boss Wang, we found that our competitors launched a low-price strategy against our store. They significantly reduced the prices of some of their main dishes, attracting many of our customers, which had a certain impact on our business.”

Wang Jianye opened the report, quickly scanned the data and analysis on it, and frowned. He pondered for a moment and said, “Price wars are never a long-term solution. We can’t follow their pace, we have to highlight our own advantages.” Then he closed the report, put it on the table, looked at Li Xianjun and asked, “What do you think about this?”

Li Xianjun cleared his throat and said, “Mr. Wang, I think we can start with the service and membership system. Improve the quality of service and give customers a better dining experience. At the same time, launch a membership system to increase customer stickiness.”

Wang Jianye nodded and agreed, “It’s the same as what I thought. You should prepare a detailed plan for the membership system, including the method of obtaining points, the rules for redemption, etc. We want to make the membership system both attractive and feasible.”

Li Xianjun replied “yes”, turned around and left the office to prepare a plan.

Wang Jianye picked up the phone and dialed the hotel manager’s number: “Hello, Manager Jin, please come to my office immediately.”

After a while, Manager Jin hurried over. Wang Jianye told him about the competitor’s low-price strategy and the idea of ​​improving service quality and launching a membership system. After listening, Manager Jin said, “Mr. Wang, to improve service quality, we can strengthen employee training, from welcoming customers at the door, serving during the meal, to seeing customers off when they leave, every link should be perfect.”

Wang Jianye agreed: “That’s right, details determine success or failure. The waiters must warmly greet customers when they come in, so that customers can feel our sincerity. During the meal, basic services such as timely refilling of water and replacement of bone plates must not be neglected. We must also pay attention to other needs of customers and provide proactive service. By the way, there are many families with children dining here now, so we can prepare some special tableware for children to make parents feel that we are considerate.”

Manager Jin carefully took note and said, “Mr. Wang, don’t worry, I will arrange training immediately to ensure that the employees can provide service as required.”

In the following days, the hotel was busy preparing for the launch of the membership system. Li Xianjun handed the carefully prepared membership system plan to Wang Jianye for review. After reading it carefully, Wang Jianye made some suggestions for revision: “The types of dishes redeemed for points can be enriched. In addition to signature dishes, some special snacks and desserts can also be added. In addition, the discount can be differentiated according to the membership level, so that customers will have more motivation to upgrade their membership level.”

Li Xianjun modified and improved the plan based on Wang Jianye’s suggestions. Finally, the hotel launched a membership points system. Customers can accumulate points for consumption, and the points can be exchanged for dishes or different levels of discounts.

At the same time, employee training is also being carried out in an orderly manner. In the training room, Manager Jin personally explained the key points of service to the employees: “Everyone remember, the moment a customer walks in, it is the beginning of our service. You must smile, greet them warmly, and guide them to their seats. During the meal, you must always pay attention to their needs and respond in a timely manner. For example, if you see that the water in a customer’s cup is running low, you must take the initiative to add water; if the customer’s bone dish is full, you must replace it in time. For customers with children, you must take the initiative to provide children’s tableware so that customers can feel our caring service.”

The employees listened carefully, nodded and took notes. A young waiter raised his hand and asked, “Manager, what should we do if we encounter a picky customer?”

Manager Jin smiled and replied, “When you meet picky customers, you must be patient and polite. Listen carefully to their opinions and try your best to meet their needs. If it is our problem, we must sincerely apologize and correct it in time. Remember, customer satisfaction is our goal.”

After a period of training, the service level of the employees has been significantly improved. When customers enter the restaurant, they can feel the warm and thoughtful service.

However, just as the hotel was gradually emerging from the shadow of its competitors’ low-price strategies, new problems arose.

Early that morning, purchasing manager Zhao Jun rushed into Wang Jianye’s office with a look of anxiety on his face: “Boss Wang, something big has happened! There’s a problem with our kimchi supplier.”

Wang Jianye was concentrating on reviewing the documents. When he heard Zhao Jun’s words, he put down his pen, looked up and asked, “What’s going on? Tell me slowly.”

Zhao Jun took a breath and said, “The equipment of the original kimchi supplier we were working with suddenly broke down and could not be repaired in a short period of time. They were simply unable to supply sufficient high-quality kimchi on time. If we can’t find a new supplier, our kimchi soup and some dishes that go with kimchi will be out of stock.”

Wang Jianye’s face suddenly became serious. Kimchi plays an important role in Korean cuisine, and many dishes in restaurants cannot be separated from kimchi. He immediately said, “You should quickly contact other potential suppliers, find more, and use all channels you can think of. Be sure to compare the quality and price, and don’t lower the standards because you are in a hurry. I will also contact my business partners in Korea to see if they have any reliable recommendations.” (End of this chapter)