The next morning, I left Luo Ben’s place early and drove back to Xitang. As expected, a very busy period of my life was about to begin, because I intended to make full use of the opportunity Yang Congrong had given me, and elevate the management of the guesthouse to a new level.
I parked my car under a willow tree next to the guesthouse, stepped out, and didn’t immediately go inside. Instead, I looked at a newly added blackboard mounted on a stand beneath the guesthouse sign. The blackboard had a hand-written notice with uneven strokes, including an announcement about today’s special offer room. I was both surprised and pleased. I believed this small change was the work of Tongzi. Although it wouldn’t change the current business situation, it at least proved he was thinking about the guesthouse’s operation.
I nodded in satisfaction and walked into the guesthouse. Tongzi was dozing at the front desk. I knocked on the table, and he looked up sleepily. After a moment, his face lit up with joy. “Yang Ge, you’re finally back!”
“Have I been away from the guesthouse for a long time?”
“It wasn’t that long, but I really couldn’t handle it anymore.”
“You’ve worked hard the past two days. Tonight, I’ll treat you to a bar, so you can relax.”
“Great! These two days have been so boring!”
I smiled and asked, “How was business yesterday?”
Tongzi proudly said, “We rented out five rooms yesterday!”
I wasn’t surprised. After all, yesterday was the weekend, and the tourist season was gradually approaching. In fact, this occupancy rate was actually quite low. You see, guesthouses in scenic areas only make money during this season. If the occupancy rate doesn’t reach 70% during peak tourist season, it might even result in losses, especially for guesthouses like ours with high rent costs.
To avoid discouraging Tongzi, I still nodded approvingly and said, “Not bad… By the way, was that small blackboard outside your idea?”
Tongzi looked mysteriously pleased and smiled, “I had some expert guidance!”
Curious, I asked, “Where did this expert come from?”
“Hehe… It was that red-clothed woman we met by the river. She came to our guesthouse yesterday.”
I was shocked, “What! Is she staying at our guesthouse now?”
“She originally intended to stay, but after I showed her the rooms, she wasn’t satisfied. She said our guesthouse was too monotonous, then left some suggestions and left… However, her suggestions were really effective. She told me to prepare one or two special offer rooms each day and write them on the blackboard. Indeed, some tourists came specifically for the special offer rooms.”
Because I had been fully focused on implementing the “Perfect Travel Plan,” the guesthouse hadn’t really taken any promotional measures in its early stages. Although the red-clothed woman’s suggestion was a very simple promotional idea, it reflected a more detailed approach to management. It seemed her intention was to remind us to pay attention to the finer details of running the guesthouse.
Seeing that I remained silent, Tongzi asked me, “Yang Ge, do you think that red-clothed woman will come back to our guesthouse?”
I nodded and said, “Once our guesthouse meets her standards for accommodation, I think she will come back.”
“Really?”
I nodded again and told him, “Go write another notice on the blackboard now: all guests who stay at our guesthouse will receive a free cup of warm coffee at dusk.”
With a knowing look, Tongzi smiled, grabbed a piece of chalk, and walked outside to write on the blackboard mounted on the stand.
…
That morning and afternoon, I stayed at the guesthouse without leaving, further refining the “Perfect Travel Plan,” and then called A Feng to come and meet me.
Soon after, A Feng rushed over, and with concern in his voice, he asked, “Zhao Yang, all the merchants I contacted are waiting for your news. Did you reach an agreement with Yi Rong Travel Network?”
“We did.”
A Feng looked pleased, and I continued, “Now give me the list of merchants. I’ll spend two days experiencing their services and food, and then do some screening.”
A Feng hesitated slightly and replied, “It might not be good to screen them. After all, we’ve already made contact, and they’re all neighbors doing business together!”
I shook my head and firmly said, “A Feng, what we’re about to execute is a so-called perfect business plan. In business, we naturally have to follow business rules. I hope that when we implement this plan, we can truly provide the best service to tourists, thereby earning the best reputation. This will differentiate our newly formed small group from other merchants and create a strong competitive advantage, making us the representative merchants of Xitang scenic area.”
After my persuasion, A Feng finally overcame his concerns. He immediately found paper and a pen, wrote down the list of merchants, and handed it to me. He then asked, “Zhao Yang, how high is the chance of success for this plan?”
“That depends on your definition of success. If your goal is to make a profit in the short term through this plan, I can confidently tell you that with Yi Rong Travel Network’s advertising resources, we can maintain a steady flow of tourists throughout the entire tourist season.”
A Feng nodded and asked, “What about the long-term prospects of this plan?”
“I want to use this plan to organize these quality merchants, package them with good reputation, and then promote this model to various tourist attractions across the country. Through this kind of comprehensive expansion, we can eventually achieve scale.”
“So you’re saying Xitang is just a pilot project?”
“Exactly. That’s why I care so much about the quality of the merchants. Once we start due to inconsistent merchant quality, resulting in poor service, it will damage this reputation marketing, turning it into bundled consumption that tourists dislike. After all, tourists will be paying us a one-time service fee. It’s a thin line between reputation and bundling.”
“I understand. I’ll do my best to support you.”
I extended my hand to A Feng: “Come on, I hope Xitang will be the place where we set sail.”
A Feng shook my hand and smiled, saying unexpectedly, “To be precise, it’s your place to set sail. I don’t have such lofty ambitions as you. What I want is just to run my bar well in Xitang, sing songs and heal the emotional wounds of tourists while ensuring a comfortable life for myself. That’s enough for me!”
I was silent for a while and then smiled, saying, “Everyone has their own aspirations. I can understand. Maybe you’ll end up living a much easier life than me!”
A Feng seemed to sense my helplessness. He just patted my shoulder without saying anything else and walked out of the guesthouse. I watched his back disappear, and besides feeling helpless, I couldn’t help but feel a bit envious. I envied his simple pursuit of life, but I couldn’t be like him…
Because I am Mi Cai’s man, and she is my woman. I cannot afford to be ordinary!
In my melancholy, I took a cigarette from the pack and was just about to light it when suddenly I noticed the beautiful woman who liked to wear red clothes standing in front of me. She asked me in a calm expression, “Does your guesthouse provide a warm cup of coffee to guests at dusk?”
“Yes.”
“What if I don’t want to stay at your guesthouse, but I still want to taste that warm coffee at dusk?”
I thought for a moment and smiled at her, saying, “That’s okay, but…”
“But what?”
“You have to tell me your name. It’s awkward for us to interact without knowing each other’s names!”
She thought for a moment and replied, “Okay, no problem.”
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