In China, there are two well-known figures with the same name——Zhang Yong. One is the founder of Haidilao, and the other is the founder of Xinrongji. The former is more familiar to the general public. For a while, everyone was learning from Haidilao to provide services. But Xinrongji's Zhang Yong is not bad, and is the one with the most Michelin stars among Chinese catering brands. The two Zhang Yong's management methods are completely different: Haidilao pays attention to service standardization, while Xinrongji's Zhang Yong pays more attention to the innovation of dishes. He often self-deprecatingly says that he is just a cook.
Zhang Yong of Xinrongji is committed to the pursuit of food quality, not scale. He patiently polished many details and always personally participated in the innovation of new dishes. He must also be personally involved in the planning of the new brand. Every branch is like this. Zhang Yong does not pursue complete standardization and mass production. He believes that each store should have its own unique "taste". But that doesn't mean abandoning standardization altogether. Basic services still need to reflect respect for customers. In addition to making proper rules for the presentation of a dish, how to provide service, how to introduce the dish, and what are the key nodes of the service can all be standardized.
Xinrongji's catering is not cheap, it can be said to be very expensive. However, I am expensive for a reason, my ingredients are good, and my service is good. My cost must be high. So, I should sell expensive. However, expensive is expensive, and I won't lie to you with resisting ingredients. Think about a luxury store, it is indeed expensive, but the service is very detailed. Why are there only 3 or 5 people in the store and they are not allowed to enter? It is to let the guests inside have a good experience. To buy something so expensive, there must be 1-2 people dedicated to serving you. This queuing rope represents its grade. No matter how rich you are, I have to serve my customers well first. There is brand identity and emotional value.
One of the great advantages of reading this type of biography is that you can see the choices the protagonist makes in different situations. Take Zhang Yong as an example. He tried many industries when he was young, and finally found that he was most suitable to be a cook at the age of fifty. As the saying goes, "you know the destiny at fifty". My feeling is that you should try more when you are young, so that you will not be reconciled when you are old. You will also have a more unique understanding of what you want to do and what you should do. We all know that everyone is the happiest and the easiest to succeed doing what they like. But many times, we don't know what we like. Do you do one line first, love one line, or fall in love with one line first, and then devote yourself to it? I think both can be used, and many things can only be truly understood after experiencing it first-hand.