“Find a place to talk,” Yan Ge said in a stern voice.
The manager trembled with fear and said, “Yes, young master. Please follow me.”
Xiao Shuanzi didn’t go with them; he stayed in the lobby and drank tea.
In the private room, Yan Ge stared at the manager with sharp eyes.
“Today, you have made three mistakes.”
The manager poured him a cup of tea, placed the teapot down, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and repeatedly said, “Please speak, young master. Please speak.”
“First, when a customer gets a problem in the restaurant, regardless of whether it is related to the restaurant or not, you should first call for a doctor. The saying, ‘Customers are like ancestors,’ is not without reason.”
The Manager mumbled, “Yes, yes. Yuan is indeed…”
Yan Ge didn’t give him a chance to speak. “Second, if a customer makes a suggestion about the restaurant or any of its employees, whether it is constructive or not, you must maintain a humble attitude. Even if the other party is being unreasonable, you should still be polite. Today, fortunately, it was me. Suppose someone else had suggested that Manager Yuan call for a doctor. Would Manager Yuan have responded in the same way? Anyone who enters the restaurant is a customer of the restaurant. Even if this time they only came to watch the excitement, they may become a customer of the restaurant in the future.”
“You are right to admonish, young master,” the manager lowered his head further. Despite this young master’s young age, his presence was formidable.
“Third, it is about dealing with unexpected situations. Regardless of any accidents that occur, the priority should be to make the customers feel comfortable and satisfied. For example, in today’s incident, many customers panicked and left. What you should have done is to reassure them instead of dryly emphasizing that there was absolutely no problem with the food in the restaurant.”
“Yuan will certainly pay attention in the future,” Manager Yuan said hastily.
Wan Xiang listened attentively, deep in thought.
Gao Feng’s eyes were filled with surprise.
Yan Ge took a sip of tea, and his tone softened slightly. “Bring the account book for me to inspect.”
“Yes.”
After Manager Yuan left, Wan Xiang couldn’t help but say, “Young master, this manager has caused so much trouble for the restaurant. Are you just letting him off like this?”
“Why not? Since Father and Elder Brother chose him as the manager, this person must have some redeeming qualities. Moreover, I can’t find a replacement for the time being. I’ll have to wait and discuss the specific situation with Father and Elder Brother.”
After a while, Manager Yuan walked in holding several account books.
“Young master, today’s accounts are all here.”
“Mmm.” Yan Ge picked up the latest one and flipped through it. “Bring writing materials.”
For the convenience of the customers, each private room was equipped with the Four Treasures of a Study, so Wan Xiang brought them over directly.
Yan Ge mentally calculated the accounts, occasionally jotting down a number on paper. He randomly checked ten entries and didn’t find any problems. He nodded and put the account book down.
“How are the recipes kept? And who keeps them?”
The manager said, “Except for the first three days before the opening, four different meat dishes and two vegetarian dishes are introduced for lunch and dinner respectively, thereafter, a new dish is introduced every two days. Master Yan informs Chef Song and Chef Liu about the recipes one day in advance. Each of them has a dedicated small kitchen for preparing specialty dishes. Only they hold the recipes for those dishes. Even I am unaware of the recipes.”
Yan Ge did not inquire about the reliability of these two chefs. The chefs were hired by Yan Xiaojing and Yan Su, and questioning the manager about their trustworthiness would imply doubting his own father and brother in front of outsiders.
Yan Ge returned to the initial topic. “Today’s incident will undoubtedly have a certain impact on Liuxian Pavilion. Have you thought about how to salvage the situation, manager?”
The Manager sighed helplessly. “I’ve thought of two ways: either introduce a specialty dish in advance or lower the prices appropriately to attract customers.”
Wan Xiang nodded inwardly, finding the suggestions reasonable.
Gao Feng stood with his arms crossed on the side, thinking that both options were feasible.
Yan Ge shook his folding fan and shook his head. “Not appropriate. Liuxian Pavilion is an upscale restaurant that caters to wealthy customers with high spending power. Since these customers are willing to spend extravagantly, how could they be concerned about a few tens of coins or a couple of ounces of silver you lower the prices by? As for introducing an additional specialty dish, it’s too late to find Master Yan now.”
Hearing his analysis, the manager immediately became anxious, pounding his head and stomping his feet. “This! What should we do then? Liuxian Pavilion cannot be ruined under my watch!”
Yan Ge put down his folding fan, looked at him calmly yet sternly, and with a slight curl of his lips, said, “Seeing that you sincerely worry for the restaurant, this young master will help you once more.”
He picked up a pen and swiftly wrote down a new recipe.
–Aromatic Pork Chops.
“For the next three days, every table at Liuxian pavilion will be presented with a complimentary serving of Aromatic Pork Chops, but only one serving per table. At the same time, inform the customers that this dish will never appear on Liuxian Pavilion’s menu again, nor will it be available in any other restaurant. That’s all, don’t ask for more.”
The manager tactfully refrained from asking further questions and expressed his gratitude profusely. “Thank you so much, young master! I, Yuan will forever remember your life-saving favor today.”
“For the rest, figure it out on your own,” Yan Ge said as he briskly opened his folding fan, stood up, and left.
