As the competition between Wang's Hotels and Yuehailou continues to escalate, both sides are actively looking for new breakthroughs.

In terms of dish innovation, Wang's entire hotel chain decided to dig deep into traditional folk cuisine and rediscover some ancient recipes that were about to be lost. The chef team visited folk cooking masters everywhere to collect various unique cooking methods and food combinations.

Once, Chef Xiao Li met an old chef in a remote village. The old chef knew how to make a unique "secret eight-treasure duck". Xiao Li was very excited and humbly asked the old chef for advice.

"Uncle, your Eight Treasure Duck is so unique. We want to bring it back to the restaurant so that more people can taste this traditional delicacy." Xiao Li said sincerely.

The old chef hesitated for a moment, then said, "This is a skill passed down from our ancestors. I didn't want to pass it on easily. But seeing that you are so sincere, I will tell you. However, you must pass on this dish well."

Xiao Li carefully wrote down the recipe of Eight Treasure Duck. After returning to the restaurant, the chef team tried and improved it many times before finally launching this new "Traditional Secret Eight Treasure Duck". As soon as this dish was launched, it was warmly welcomed by customers.

"Wang's full range of restaurants always brings us surprises. This Eight Treasure Duck is not only rich in flavor, but also allows us to feel the charm of traditional cuisine." A customer exclaimed.

After learning about this, Yuehailou also began to work hard on traditional cuisine. They sent people to various places to collect the recipes of special snacks, and then improved these snacks and incorporated them into their own dishes.

For example, they combined Sichuan Dandan noodles with seafood to create "Seafood Dandan noodles." This innovative dish has also attracted many customers to try.

"The seafood dandan noodles at Yuehailou are really creative. They have the spicy taste of Sichuan snacks and the deliciousness of seafood," commented a customer.

In terms of service, all Wang's hotels have launched a "Private Customized Dining Experience" service. Customers can make reservations in advance and tell the hotel their special needs, such as special dietary taboos, theme layout, etc. The hotel will tailor a unique dining experience for the customers.

A young couple was preparing to celebrate their anniversary, so they came to Wang's All-Inclusive Hotel and booked a private customized service. The hotel set up a romantic dining environment for them, decorated the table with flowers and candles, and customized an exclusive menu according to their taste preferences.

When the couple arrived at the hotel, they were moved by the romantic scene before them.

"The service at Wang's All-Round Hotel is so thoughtful. We will definitely never forget this anniversary." The girl said with emotion.

Yuehailou is not to be outdone, they launched the "food butler" service. Each customer has a dedicated food butler, who provides customers with full dining guidance and suggestions, from dish selection to wine pairing, all are carefully arranged by the food butler.

A business person was dining at Yuehailou, and his food butler recommended dishes and drinks suitable for a business banquet.

"With the food butler, dining becomes easier and more enjoyable. The service at Yuehailou is really considerate," said the businessman.

……

In the early 1990s, the competition between Wang's All-inclusive Hotels and Yuehailou was in full swing, with both sides constantly competing with each other in terms of food innovation, service improvement and marketing methods. However, at this critical moment, a new challenge quietly arrived.

With the rapid economic development, more and more international chain restaurant brands have begun to enter the city. These international brands, with advanced management experience and unique marketing methods, are like a powerful whirlwind, quickly creating waves in the catering market.

One day, Wang Jianye, the owner of Wang's All-Room Hotel, was checking financial statements in his office when he suddenly heard his employee Xiao Li running in to report.

"Boss Wang, this is bad! Recently, several international restaurant chains have opened stores in our city, and business is booming. Many customers have been attracted to them." Xiao Li said anxiously.

Wang Jianye frowned, put down the report in his hand, and stood up. "Let's go and see what's so special about these international brands."

Wang Jianye brought Xiao Li and several management staff to one of the international chain restaurants. As soon as they entered the restaurant, they were attracted by the modern decoration style and lively atmosphere. The restaurant was full of customers, and the waiters were dressed in neat uniforms, busy and orderly shuttling between the tables.

"The environment of this restaurant is really nice and looks very fashionable." Xiao Li said in a low voice.

Wang Jianye didn't say anything, he carefully observed the layout of the restaurant and the service process. At this time, a waiter came over, greeted them with a smile in fluent English, and handed them the menu.

“Welcome to our restaurant. Here is our menu. May I help you?”

Wang Jianye took the menu and looked at the various exquisite pictures and English introductions on it. He couldn't help but sigh at the professionalism and dedication of these international brands. The dishes on the menu are rich and diverse, with both traditional Western food and innovative dishes that incorporate local flavors.

"Their menu is attractively designed and the waiters speak English very well. This is very advantageous in attracting foreign customers and some young people who pursue fashion," Wang Jianye said to the people around him.

They ordered several signature dishes and after tasting them, they were full of praise for the quality and taste of these international brands' dishes.

"The dishes taste really good and are beautifully presented. They do have their own unique approach to cooking techniques and ingredient selection," said a management staff member.

After leaving the international chain restaurants, Wang Jianye felt heavy-hearted, as he realized that the arrival of these international brands had brought tremendous pressure to all Wang's restaurants.

After returning to the hotel, Wang Jianye immediately convened a management meeting to discuss countermeasures.

"As everyone has seen, international chain restaurant brands have entered our city. Their strength should not be underestimated. We must find a way to deal with this new challenge," Wang Jianye said seriously.

Wang Bingbing spoke first: "Dad, I think we can learn some of their advanced management experience, such as their employee training system and service standards. We can strengthen employee training and improve our service quality."

Ma Hua also said: "Yes, we can also learn from their marketing methods. They have done a great job in advertising and promotional activities. We can learn from their methods and increase our marketing efforts."

Chen Xiaoyang said: "We must not forget our advantages. Our special dishes and local culture are our core competitiveness. We can further explore our local characteristics and launch more innovative dishes with local flavor."

Everyone expressed their opinions, and after a heated discussion, they developed a series of countermeasures.

First, all Wang's hotels began to strengthen employee training. They invited professional trainers to train employees in service etiquette, English conversation, cooking techniques, etc. When the news spread within the hotel, the employees were excited and nervous. Everyone knew that this training was crucial to their personal growth and the future development of the hotel.

On the first day of training, the employees arrived at the training classroom early. The classroom was decorated simply and brightly, with some pictures about service etiquette and culinary arts hanging on the wall, creating a strong learning atmosphere.

The trainer is an experienced and elegant lady named Lin Yue. Lin Yue has many years of training experience in the catering industry and has trained batches of excellent employees for many well-known hotels.

Lin Yue walked up to the podium with a smile. Looking at the expectant employees below the stage, she cleared her throat and began her opening remarks.

"Hello everyone, I am very happy to come to Wang's All-Round Hotel to conduct this training for you. In the coming days, we will learn together about service etiquette, English conversation, cooking techniques and other aspects. I believe that through this training, everyone will definitely gain a lot." Lin Yue said.

The employees applauded and were looking forward to the training.

First, Lin Yue began to explain the key points of service etiquette.

"Everyone should remember that a smile is the best service. When customers walk into the restaurant, greet them with a warm smile and greetings. During the service process, pay attention to details and meet customers' needs in a timely manner." Lin Yue said seriously.

She walked up to an employee, smiled, and asked, “What would you do if a customer walked into the restaurant?”

The employee was a little nervous, but still managed to answer: "I will greet the customers with a smile, then ask how many people there are and guide them to the appropriate seats."

Lin Yue nodded and said, "Very good. Service etiquette is not just about smiling and greeting on the surface. What's more important is to feel the needs of customers with your heart and provide them with considerate service."

Then, Lin Yue gave some examples to help employees better understand the importance of service etiquette.

"Once, I went to a restaurant for dinner. Although the waiter was smiling, his attitude was very cold. When I asked about the characteristics of the dishes, he just answered a few simple words and did not give me any more suggestions. This greatly reduced my impression of this restaurant." Lin Yue said.

After hearing this, the employees nodded in agreement. They realized that service etiquette is not just a form, but also a reflection of attitude and quality.

In order to help employees better master service etiquette, Lin Yue also conducted some interactive sessions. She asked the employees to divide into groups, simulate the scene of customers walking into the restaurant, and practice service etiquette.

During the drill, the employees actively participated and learned from each other. They carefully imitated the role of waiters and greeted "customers" with warm smiles and thoughtful service.

"Hello, welcome to Wang's Hotel. How many people are dining here?" an employee asked with a smile.

"There are four of us," the "customer" replied.

"Okay, please come this way. We have a window seat that's perfect for you and your friends." The employee guided the "customers" to their seats and handed them menus.

Lin Yue carefully observed the employees' performance and gave guidance and suggestions from time to time.

"Everyone has done a great job. During the service process, we must pay attention to the clarity and accuracy of language expression and avoid using overly blunt tones. At the same time, we must pay attention to observe the needs of customers and provide them with timely assistance." Lin Yue said.

After listening to Lin Yue's suggestions, the employees said they benefited a lot. They knew that only by continuous practice and improvement can they truly master the essence of service etiquette.

During the explanation of service etiquette, employees also raised some questions and confusions.

"What should we do if customers make some unreasonable requests?" asked an employee.

Lin Yue thought for a moment and replied: "In this situation, we must remain calm and patient. First, we must listen carefully to the customer's requirements, and then explain our difficulties and limitations to them. If possible, we can propose some alternatives to try to meet the customer's needs."

"What should we do if customers are dissatisfied with our service?" asked another employee.

"If customers are not satisfied with our service, we should sincerely apologize to them and ask them what they are dissatisfied with. Then, we should take measures as soon as possible to improve our service and let customers feel our sincerity and efforts," said Lin Yue.

The employees listened carefully to Lin Yue's answers and took notes from time to time. They knew that these questions might be encountered frequently in actual work, and only by being prepared in advance could they better deal with them.

In addition to service etiquette, English conversation is also one of the focuses of this training. In the early 1990s, with the continuous expansion of opening up to the outside world, more and more foreign tourists came to China. As a well-known hotel, Wang's Hotel often receives some foreign customers. Therefore, it is very important for employees to master English conversation.

Lin Yue first introduced some basic English greetings and common vocabulary to the employees.

"Hello! Welcome to our restaurant." Lin Yue said while gesturing.

The employees followed Lin Yue and repeated the greetings. Although their pronunciation was a little stiff, their attitude was very serious.

"Can I help you?" Lin Yue continued.

“Yes, I want to order some food.” an employee bravely responded in English.

Lin Yue smiled and nodded, saying, "Very good. Everyone should speak English bravely and don't be afraid of making mistakes. As long as we keep practicing, we will be able to improve our English."

In order to help the employees better master English conversation, Lin Yue also designed some situational dialogue exercises. She asked the employees to divide into groups of two and simulate the dialogue between waiters and foreign customers. (End of this chapter)