Chapter 219: Training

Gu Fei held up a finger. "First, hygiene. That means everything must be clean!"

"Whether it’s the food, the bowls and chopsticks, or the bedding in the rooms—every single corner must be spotless, without a speck of dust."

"That includes your personal appearance. You must be neat and tidy, clean from head to toe."

"Second, service with a smile."

"No matter who you are, as long as you’re in uniform, you must answer with a smile if a guest approaches you. Whether or not you can solve their problem is secondary; your attitude is what matters most. Guests are staying with us to relax, not to be subjected to your sour expressions."

"Third, the principle of first responsibility."

"If a guest asks you to feed their horse, you can’t just think, ’I’m a kitchen helper, that’s not my job,’ and walk away without a word. That is not acceptable."

"You need to find the stablehand or the Shopkeeper and explain the matter to them clearly."

"The guest doesn’t care if you chop vegetables or feed horses. To them, you’re an employee of this establishment, and that means you are there to serve them."

"These rules must be followed. If anyone violates them, the first offense will result in a twenty-cent deduction from your wages. The second offense, a one-hundred-cent deduction. A third time, and you’re fired."

"Has everyone understood?"

Standing in a row were Lian’er, Xing’er, Tie Niu, Aunt Liu, and a few others.

Aunt Liu was the first to answer, her voice booming, "Understood!"

Then the others all scrambled to chime in, "Understood!"

Gu Fei nodded. "Good, as long as you understand."

"Our goal is to perfect our service!"

"We want guests to feel like they’ve returned home the moment they step into our inn—no, even more comfortable than home."

"Of course, it may seem very demanding at first, but once you get used to it, everything will become second nature."

"Moreover, your hard work will be rewarded. Every month, we will select one ’Employee of the Month’ and award them five hundred cents."

As soon as she said this, a commotion broke out among the staff. "Is that for real? Such a big reward?"

Gu Fei raised her hand, gesturing for quiet. "And at the end of the year, we will select the two top employees, and the bonus will be one tael of silver!"

Hearing this, Xing’er stared intently at Gu Fei. ’A monthly bonus of five hundred cents and a year-end bonus of one tael of silver... I have to win them!’

Gu Fei stood facing them, seeing clearly how everyone’s expression was now completely fired up. ’Bonuses are certainly a powerful motivator,’ she thought.

Over the next few days, Gu Fei conducted daily training sessions for the staff. She even had them role-play as guests, making all sorts of difficult requests to practice how they should respond.

Time flew by. All the renovations were complete, and the custom-ordered sign had been brought back. It now hung above the entrance, veiled by a swath of red silk. All was in place; only the grand opening remained.

After training one day, Xing’er headed home with a package.

Ms. Qian, who could never stand to see others have something she didn’t, snatched the package from her. "What’s this?"

She opened it to find two identical, moon-white sets of fine cotton tunics and skirts. Ms. Qian’s eyes lit up. Just as she reached out to feel the fabric, Xing’er snatched them away.

Ms. Qian glared at her. "You wretched girl, where did you get these clothes? Give them to me. The fabric is lovely; they’ll fit me perfectly."

Xing’er snorted. "These are the uniforms Little Fei gave us. We have to wear them at the shop. If I gave them to you, Little Fei would send me packing tomorrow, believe you me."

Ms. Qian’s eyes lingered on the fine cotton, which had a soft sheen. "Fine, fine, I don’t want your clothes," she said stubbornly, though she couldn’t tear her gaze away. She clicked her tongue in wonder. "That Little Fei... she’s really willing to spend. To think she’d use such fine material for staff uniforms."