Wang Jianye put down his chopsticks, picked up his notebook, and began to record: “First, the ratio of kimchi to seafood must be fixed, and the amount of hot sauce must be accurate to the gram.”

Master Li took over the conversation: “Yes, and the cooking method of sushi rice, the time and amount of water must be strictly controlled.”

As the two were discussing, the contractor Zhao Qiang rushed in with beads of sweat on his forehead. He panted and said, “Boss Wang, it’s bad! There’s a problem with the decoration material supplier. They said they can’t supply the high-quality wood that we had agreed on. They want to replace it with lower quality wood, which will be cheaper. What do you think we should do about this?”

Wang Jianye frowned when he heard this. He put his chopsticks on the table and said firmly, “No! You must not replace the materials with inferior quality. This is related to the quality and reputation of the restaurant. You must contact other suppliers immediately to see if you can find wood of the same quality. It doesn’t matter if you spend a little more money. You must ensure that the progress and quality of the decoration are not affected.”

Zhao Qiang responded, turned around and walked to the side, took out his cell phone and started to make a call. Wang Jianye looked at his back, then took out his cell phone and called the supplier.

After the call was connected, Wang Jianye said, “Hello, Boss Zhang, I’m Wang Jianye, I’m from Wang’s All-Round Hotel. What’s going on with you? The contract has been signed, how can you change your mind at the last minute? My new store is waiting for this batch of materials for renovation. If you can’t solve this problem, you have to make it clear what the liability for breach of contract is.”

Boss Zhang on the other end of the phone quickly explained: “Boss Wang, I’m so sorry! There was an accident at our factory and we can’t supply raw materials. We really have no choice, so we want to change a batch of materials for you, and the price can be cheaper. This will also be good for you, right?”

Wang Jianye raised his voice: “No matter what method you use, you must supply materials according to the contract, otherwise we will see you in court! I, Wang Jianye, value integrity the most when doing business. If you do this, how can you survive in this industry in the future?”

Boss Zhang was silent for a while, then said, “Boss Wang, don’t worry, we will think of a way to supply you as planned.”

Wang Jianye said: “Okay, I’ll wait for your news and resolve it as soon as possible!” After that, he hung up the phone.

After Zhao Qiang finished the call, he came over and said to Wang Jianye, “Boss Wang, I contacted several suppliers. One of them said that they have a batch of good quality wood on hand. The price is a little higher, but it can be shipped immediately.”

Wang Jianye nodded. “It doesn’t matter if the price is a little higher. The key is the quality. Check with them right away and get the materials shipped over as soon as possible.”

Zhao Qiang responded and dialed the number again: “Hello, Boss Li, this is Zhao Qiang. We have confirmed that we want the batch of timber you just mentioned. When do you think it can be shipped?”

Boss Li’s voice came from the other end of the phone: “It can be shipped tomorrow morning, and will arrive the day after tomorrow at the latest.”

Zhao Qiang said, “Okay, that’s settled. I’ll arrange for someone to pick up the goods right away.”

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Qiang said to Wang Jianye: “Boss Wang, the material problem has been solved and the goods will arrive the day after tomorrow.”

Wang Jianye nodded: “Okay, keep a close eye on it and make sure nothing goes wrong.”

Zhao Qiang responded, turned and left the kitchen.

Wang Jianye and Chef Li continued to discuss the standardized preparation of new dishes. Wang Jianye opened his notebook and said, “In addition to the proportion of ingredients, we also need to consider the presentation. The presentation of this sushi roll should be simple and elegant, highlighting the color and texture of the ingredients.”

Master Li nodded: “Yes, you can use some green leafy vegetables as embellishments to increase the visual layering.”

Wang Jianye made a few notes in his notebook, then said, “Also, the training of waiters must keep up. They need to understand the characteristics of each dish so that they can recommend it to customers.”

Master Li said, “I’ll arrange this and start the training tomorrow.”

Wang Jianye closed his notebook and said, “Okay, let’s stop here for today and continue tomorrow.”

The two walked out of the kitchen, and Wang Jianye looked at his watch. It was already four o’clock in the afternoon. He took out his cell phone and called Zhao Qiang: “Zhao Qiang, how is the arrangement of materials going?”

Zhao Qiang replied: “It has been confirmed. It will arrive the day after tomorrow morning.”

Wang Jianye said, “Okay, keep a close eye on it and make sure nothing goes wrong.”

After hanging up the phone, Wang Jianye walked out of the restaurant and stood at the door to look at the new store that was being renovated. The workers were busy working, and the sound of electric drills and hammering could be heard. He walked into the store, looked around, and then said to a worker: “The wall here needs to be polished again to ensure it is smooth.”

The worker nodded, picked up the sandpaper and started sanding.

Wang Jianye walked out of the store and stood on the roadside, watching the people coming and going. He took out his cell phone and called Master Li: “Master Li, how is the training arrangement for the new dishes going?”

Master Li replied: “I have already notified them and will start tomorrow morning.”

Wang Jianye said: “Okay, thank you for your hard work.”

After hanging up the phone, Wang Jianye walked into a nearby coffee shop, ordered a cup of coffee, and sat down at a window seat. He took out his notebook and began to organize his next work plan.

The next morning, Wang Jianye arrived at the restaurant and saw Master Li training the waiters. Master Li stood in front of the operating table, holding a training manual in his hand, and said: “The key to this sushi roll is the proportion of ingredients and the way of plating. Everyone must remember every step.”

The waiters listened carefully, and some took out their notebooks to take notes. Wang Jianye stood aside, looked at his watch, then walked to Master Li and whispered, “After the training, come with me to the new store to see the progress of the renovation.”

Master Li nodded: “Okay.”

After the training, Wang Jianye and Master Li came to the new store. Zhao Qiang was directing the workers to move materials. When he saw Wang Jianye coming in, he hurried over and said, “Boss Wang, the materials have arrived. Take a look.”

Wang Jianye walked to the material pile, carefully checked the quality of the wood, and then said: “Not bad, the quality is good. You should hurry up and don’t delay the progress.”

Zhao Qiang responded and turned around to arrange the work.

Wang Jianye and Master Li walked around the store and checked the decoration in every corner. Wang Jianye pointed to the wall and said, “The color here needs to be adjusted a little bit, a little lighter, so it looks brighter.”

Master Li nodded: “I’ll tell the workers right away.”

The two walked out of the store, and Wang Jianye looked at his watch. It was already noon. He said, “Let’s go back to eat first and continue in the afternoon.” After returning to the restaurant, Wang Jianye and Master Li sat in the conference room to discuss the next work arrangements. Wang Jianye opened his notebook and said, “The renovation of the new store should be accelerated and it should be completed by the beginning of next month. The training of new dishes should also be accelerated to ensure that everything goes smoothly when the store opens.”

Master Li nodded: “I’ll make the arrangements.”

Wang Jianye closed his notebook and said, “Okay, let’s stop here for today and continue in the afternoon.”

The two walked out of the meeting room. Wang Jianye stood at the door of the hotel, watching the customers coming and going, with a smile on his face. He took out his cell phone and called Zhao Qiang: “Zhao Qiang, how is the progress of the renovation?”

Zhao Qiang replied: “Everything is going well and according to plan.”

Wang Jianye said: “Okay, keep it up.”

After hanging up the phone, Wang Jianye walked into the kitchen and began to prepare for the afternoon’s work.

Wang Jianye stood at the door of an empty private room in the hotel, watching the new employees enter the training classroom one after another. The classroom was neatly arranged with tables and chairs. The new employees found their seats and sat down. Some took out their notebooks, while others lowered their heads to tidy up their clothes. Wang Jianye looked at his watch, then walked into the classroom and stood next to the podium.

Trainer Liu then walked into the classroom with a training manual in her hand. She walked to the podium and said to the new employees with a smile: “Hello everyone, I am Liu, and I will give you service training today.”

The new employees nodded one after another, and some responded quietly: “Hello, Teacher Liu.”

Teacher Liu opened the training manual and began to explain: “As a member of the service industry, our goal is to satisfy customers. Our service begins from the moment a customer walks in. Everyone should pay attention to their words and deeds and always keep smiling.”

She paused and continued, “The first step in service is to greet customers. When customers come in, we should take the initiative to approach them, greet them with a smile, and guide them to their seats.”

A new employee raised his hand and asked: “Teacher, if we encounter a customer who deliberately finds fault and is never satisfied, what should we do?”

Teacher Liu nodded and replied, “When encountering such a situation, you should first remain calm and polite, listen to their demands patiently, and do not argue with the customer. If the request is reasonable, try to meet it; if it is unreasonable, explain it tactfully. If you really can’t solve it, report it to your superiors in a timely manner.”

She then gave an example: “For example, when I was training staff at another restaurant, a customer insisted that there was a strange smell in the dish, but in fact there was none. The waiter patiently asked the customer about his feelings, then rechecked the dish and sent the customer a small snack to express his apology. In the end, the customer’s attitude softened.”

The new employees listened attentively, some taking notes in their notebooks. Wang Jianye stood aside, nodding his head from time to time to show his approval.

Teacher Liu continued: “In addition to responding to customer complaints, we also need to pay attention to the details of the service. For example, when serving dishes, we must ensure that the temperature and presentation of the dishes meet the standards, the tableware is placed neatly, and the customer’s water cup is filled in time.”

She walked over to a new employee and demonstrated: “For example, when serving food, you should hold the plate with both hands and gently place it in front of the customer while saying ‘please enjoy your meal’.”

The new employees imitated each other and some practiced with each other. Teacher Liu walked over to another new employee and corrected her movements: “Keep your hands steady and don’t tilt the plate.”

After an hour of training, Teacher Liu looked at his watch and said, “Today’s training ends here. If you have any questions, you can ask me at any time.”

The new employees raised their hands to ask questions, and Teacher Liu answered them one by one. Wang Jianye walked to the middle of the new employees and said, “Everyone must study hard and master these service skills. The success of our hotel today is due to high-quality service. You will be the image representatives of the hotel in the future, so you must not let us down. If you have any questions, you can always come to me or Manager Chen.”

The new employees all said they would work hard. One new employee asked, “Mr. Wang, if we encounter a problem that we can’t solve, how can we contact you?”

Wang Jianye replied: “My office is on the second floor. You can come to me directly. If I’m not here, you can find Manager Chen, and he will help you solve the problem.”

Another new employee asked: “Boss Wang, when can we officially start work?”

Wang Jianye said: “After the training is completed, we will conduct an assessment, and those who pass the assessment can officially take up their posts.”

The new employees nodded, and some began to discuss the content of the assessment. Wang Jianye looked at his watch and said, “Today’s training ends here. Everyone go back and review well and continue tomorrow.”

The new employees left the classroom one after another, and Wang Jianye and Teacher Liu stayed in the classroom. Wang Jianye said to Teacher Liu: “Today’s training was very effective, and everyone was very serious.”

Teacher Liu nodded: “Yes, the new employees have a very good learning attitude. I will continue to strengthen the practical part of the training in the next few days.”

Wang Jianye said: “Okay, thank you for your hard work.”

Teacher Liu smiled and said, “This is what I should do.”

The two walked out of the classroom. Wang Jianye looked at his watch. It was already five o’clock in the afternoon. He said, “I’m going to take care of some things first. See you tomorrow.”

Teacher Liu nodded: “See you tomorrow.”

Wang Jianye sat on a chair in the hotel conference room, with a file of a competitor spread out in front of him. There was a long table in the conference room, surrounded by a circle of chairs. Chen Yu, Master Li, Xiao Zhang and others sat around the table, and the atmosphere was a little solemn.

Wang Jianye spoke first: “Everyone knows that a new competitor has emerged. We can’t just sit there and do nothing. We have to think of a solution. Chen Yu, tell me what you think first.”

Chen Yu cleared his throat, spread out the information in his hand on the table, and said, “I think we can also organize some attractive activities when the new store opens, such as discounts, free special snacks, etc. In addition, we need to strengthen publicity. I plan to contact several local media to do some special reports to highlight the characteristics and advantages of our restaurant, such as our Korean-Singapore fusion dishes and the high-quality service we have always provided.”

Chef Li went on to say: “I will also speed up the research and development of dishes, and strive to launch a few more new dishes before the new store opens, to give customers more choices. I also want to work harder on the presentation of the dishes, so that they are not only delicious, but also beautiful and more attractive.”

Xiao Zhang also said: “I will keep in close contact with the new food supplier to ensure the freshness and stable supply of food, and strive to get more favorable prices to reduce costs.”

After listening, Wang Jianye thought for a moment and said, “Everyone’s ideas are good. Chen Yu, I’ll leave the publicity and event planning to you. You must make it lively and let more people know about the opening of our new store. Chef Li, you should pay more attention to the research and development of dishes to ensure the quality and innovation of the dishes. Xiao Zhang, you should keep a close eye on the procurement and there must be no mistakes. Everyone else should also do their job, and we will work together to make the new store a hit!” (End of this chapter)