Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

This incident spread quickly throughout the hotel like a gust of wind, and soon reached Wang Jianye's ears.

Wang Jianye was checking the accounts in his office. When he heard the news, he frowned and felt a little worried. So he put down the accounts in his hand and immediately got up and walked to the kitchen.

When Wang Jianye came to the kitchen, the quarrel was still going on. He frowned and raised his voice and said, "Stop quarreling!"

This majestic rebuke instantly quieted the entire kitchen. Lao Zhao and Xiao Li also stopped arguing and looked at Wang Jianye somewhat at a loss.

Wang Jianye walked up to the two of them, his tone softened a little, and said, "Lao Zhao, Xiao Li, both of you come with me." As he said that, he turned and walked to a corner of the kitchen. Lao Zhao and Xiao Li looked at each other, then followed behind with their heads down.

In the corner, Wang Jianye looked at the two of them and said calmly, "You two are both capable chefs in our restaurant, and everyone can see that.

Lao Zhao, you have worked in our restaurant for so many years. Your cooking skills are beyond reproach. Many old customers come here for your dishes. The dishes you cook have always been of a high standard and have won a lot of reputation for the restaurant. "

After hearing what Wang Jianye said, Lao Zhao's tense expression relaxed a little. He scratched his head a little embarrassedly and said, "Boss Wang, you are too kind. This is what I should do. I just want to make every dish well and not ruin the reputation of our restaurant."

Wang Jianye nodded, then looked at Xiao Li and continued, "Xiao Li, you are not bad either. You are young and energetic, have ideas, and learn things quickly. After you came here, you brought a lot of new ideas to our kitchen. Customers like the new dishes you made very much."

Xiao Li's expression, which was a little stubborn because of the argument, softened at this moment. He whispered, "Boss Wang, I just want to contribute more to the restaurant, make the new dishes better, and satisfy the customers."

Wang Jianye patted them on the shoulders and said earnestly, “I know that this time the quarrel was about the stove, and I can understand that everyone is anxious to finish the dishes.

We are all for the good of the hotel, I know this very well. But we have to understand that we are a team, like a precision machine, every part is important, no one can be missing.

We can't let this little thing ruin our relationship. If we're not united, the machine won't run smoothly. Don't you think so?"

After hearing this, Lao Zhao and Xiao Li nodded thoughtfully.

Wang Jianye continued, "I have an idea. We can set a timetable for stove use in the future. We can arrange the time for each chef to use the stove in advance according to the daily orders. Everyone can use it according to this schedule. This will be fair and reasonable, and there will be no more disputes like this. What do you think?"

Lao Zhao thought about it and said, "Boss Wang, this is a good idea, but sometimes the order situation may change. If there is an urgent order, won't the schedule be messed up?"

Wang Jianye smiled and said, "This is indeed a problem, but we can handle it flexibly. If there is a temporary urgent order, we can first see which chef's dishes can be delayed a little, and then coordinate the use of the stove. Of course, this requires everyone to have a sense of teamwork, mutual understanding and cooperation."

Xiao Li also said: "Boss Wang, I think this method is feasible. We can put a whiteboard in a conspicuous place in the kitchen and write the daily stove usage schedule on it, so that everyone can see it and it is convenient to adjust it."

Wang Jianye nodded in agreement: "Well, this is a good idea. Also, we can assign someone to be responsible for coordinating the use of the stoves. This person must have certain experience and be able to make timely adjustments based on changes in orders. Who do you think is more suitable?"

Lao Zhao thought for a moment and said, "I think Chef Zhang is more suitable. He has a lot of experience and is more familiar with the kitchen situation. Besides, everyone respects him."

Xiao Li also nodded in agreement: "Yes, Master Zhang can do it. He will definitely get it done."

Wang Jianye said, "Okay, that's settled. From now on, Master Zhang will be responsible for coordinating the use of the stoves, and everyone must follow his arrangements."

After hearing this, Lao Zhao and Xiao Li lowered their heads in embarrassment.

Lao Zhao was the first to speak up: "Boss Wang, I was impulsive. I shouldn't have quarreled with Xiao Li. I should have discussed it with him properly and shouldn't have yelled so loudly and affected everyone."

Xiao Li also hurriedly said, "Boss Wang, I am also wrong. I should be calmer and not so impulsive. Our quarrel ruined the atmosphere in the kitchen and wasted everyone's time."

Wang Jianye smiled and said: "Okay, it's good that you can correct your mistakes. We are all family, it is normal to have some minor frictions occasionally, the important thing is to solve them in time and not let these minor problems affect our unity.

In the future, we should unite and cooperate to make the food in our restaurant better.

The success of our hotel today is inseparable from the efforts of everyone. I hope everyone can cherish this team. "

Lao Zhao and Xiao Li both nodded firmly and said, "Boss Wang, don't worry, we won't do this again in the future."

Since then, the hotel has formulated a detailed stove usage schedule based on the plan proposed by Wang Jianye, and Master Zhang is responsible for coordination.

Whenever a new order comes in, Chef Zhang will arrange the use of the stove reasonably according to the difficulty of the dishes and the time requirements for serving the dishes.

Once, I encountered a similar situation again.

A customer suddenly ordered a dish that required a long cooking time, but the stove was already occupied by other chefs.

After learning about the situation, Chef Zhang said to Chef Xiao Wang who was using the stove, "Xiao Wang, can you please stop cooking this dish for a while? We have an urgent order and we need to use this stove to cook the dish for a while.

Your dish won't be ready for a while, so you should be able to make it in time."

Xiao Wang looked at the food in the pot, thought for a moment, and said, "Okay, Master Zhang, I'll stop for a while. Customers' needs are the most important. It doesn't matter if my food is a little late."

In this way, through everyone's joint efforts and cooperation, the work in the kitchen became more orderly, and there were no more disputes arising from the use of the stove.

This incident also sounded the alarm for the entire hotel, making the hotel management realize the importance of communication and teamwork among employees. Since then, the hotel has paid more attention to the cultivation of teamwork spirit among employees and has taken a series of measures.

The hotel regularly organizes team-building activities, including not only outdoor training but also some fun competitions within the hotel.

During a team-building activity, all employees were divided into several groups to participate in a cooking competition.

Each group needs to work together to complete a creative dish, and complete the plating and presentation within the specified time.

During the event, Lao Zhao, Xiao Li and other chefs were divided into different groups.

After the competition started, each group took action quickly. Everyone had a clear division of labor. Some were responsible for cutting vegetables, some were responsible for cooking, and some were responsible for designing the presentation of the dishes.

The team that Lao Zhao was in encountered some difficulties during the production process. They found that the ingredients they had prepared were not enough. Lao Zhao said to the team members: "Don't panic, let's see if other teams have any extra ingredients and borrow some."

So, Lao Zhao came to Xiao Li's group and said a little embarrassedly: "Xiao Li, our group is short of ingredients. Do you have any extra ones? Can you lend us some?" Xiao Li smiled and said: "Lao Zhao, no problem. We are all colleagues and we should help each other. What do you need? We have extra vegetables and some seasonings."

Lao Zhao said gratefully, "Thank you so much, Xiao Li. We are just short of some vegetables. Can you give us some?"

Through this activity, employees also pay more attention to communication and cooperation in their daily work.

The waiters will share their experiences in serving customers with each other, such as how to deal with picky customers and how to better recommend dishes.

The purchasing staff will also communicate with the chefs in a timely manner about the supply of ingredients. If any new ingredients come on the market, they will inform the chefs as soon as possible so that the chefs can develop new dishes based on the ingredients.

……

Recently, the careful Wang Jianye discovered that Xiao Zhou seemed like a different person. His previous smile disappeared, replaced by a face full of sadness and fatigue.

He is often absent-minded at work and occasionally sits in a corner feeling sad.

After some inquiries, Wang Jianye learned about Xiao Zhou's predicament.

It turned out that Xiao Zhou's father suddenly fell ill and was hospitalized. It was a difficult disease that required long-term treatment and high costs.

This sudden change was undoubtedly a huge disaster for an ordinary family like Xiao Zhou's.

Xiao Zhou took out all the family savings, but it was far from enough to pay for his father's medical expenses. The hospital's collection notices were like mountains, weighing him down to the point of suffocation. He fell into deep despair.

One day, Wang Jianye found Xiao Zhou in the staff lounge.

He patted Xiao Zhou's shoulder gently and said with concern: "Xiao Zhou, I heard that your father is sick and hospitalized. How is he? You look very bad these days, and I am worried about you. Don't worry too much. If you have any difficulties, just tell me and we will find a solution together."

When Xiao Zhou heard Wang Jianye's voice, he looked up, his eyes were red, and his eyes were full of helplessness and sadness.

He said with a choked voice: "Boss Wang, my father's illness is quite serious. The doctor said that it will take a long time to treat, and the daily cost is very high. I have collected all the money I can, but it is still far from enough. I really don't know what to do now. When I think of this, I..." As Xiao Zhou spoke, tears welled up in his eyes.

Wang Jianye looked at Xiao Zhou with sympathy in his heart, and he comforted him, "Xiao Zhou, don't panic now.

You have to know that you are not facing these alone. Our hotel is a big family, and every member is a family member.

If your family is in trouble, we will not sit idly by and watch you suffer. Just focus on your work and I will figure out the money issue."

Xiao Zhou felt warm in his heart after hearing Wang Jianye's words, but he hesitated and said, "Boss Wang, you have been very good to our employees. I don't want to cause trouble for you and the hotel. But, I really have no other choice now."

Wang Jianye patted Xiao Zhou on the shoulder and said firmly: "What are you talking about? This is not a problem, this is what we should do. Your business is our business, let's get through this difficult time together."

Afterwards, Wang Jianye returned to the office and immediately began to prepare to help Xiao Zhou and decided to launch a fundraising campaign within the hotel.

The next day, all the hotel staff were called to the restaurant.

Wang Jianye stood in front, his expression serious and solemn. He cleared his throat and told everyone about Xiao Zhou's experience: "Dear colleagues, I have called you all here today because I have something very important to tell you.

Everyone knows our colleague Xiao Zhou, right? He is a very hard-working and kind young man who has been serving our hotel wholeheartedly.

However, his family is now in great trouble. His father is suddenly ill and hospitalized. His condition is very serious and requires a large amount of treatment expenses.

Xiao Zhou is now worried about the cost, and we cannot watch him fall into trouble. So, I hope everyone can lend a hand and help Xiao Zhou.

We are a big family, and in this big family, everyone should support each other and overcome difficulties together."

After hearing what Wang Jianye said, the employees started talking about it.

The chef stepped forward and said, "Boss Wang, Xiao Zhou is in a difficult situation. We must help him. I will donate 500 yuan first. Although it is not much, it is a token of my appreciation."

The purchasing manager also said: "Yes, we have to help Xiao Zhou. I will donate 300 yuan, and I hope his father can recover soon."

Other employees also expressed their willingness to donate.

The waitress Xiaoli said: "I will donate 100 yuan, hoping that Xiao Zhou can get through this difficult time."

The waiter Xiao Zhang said: "I will also donate 100 yuan. If we all help each other, Xiao Zhou will definitely be able to get through this difficult time."

Wang Jianye was very moved when he saw the employees' active response. He said, "Everyone's kindness is precious. Every donation is a support for Xiao Zhou. I would like to thank everyone here. I will take the lead and donate 5,000 yuan."

When the employees heard that Wang Jianye donated such a large sum of money, they couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

"Boss Wang is so generous!"

"Boss Wang is such a nice guy. We should donate more too."

Led by Wang Jianye, the fundraising activity went very smoothly. Whether it was the chefs in the kitchen, the waiters in the restaurant, or the purchasing and logistics staff, everyone donated generously and offered their love.

There were many heartwarming conversations during the donation process.

An old employee said to Xiao Zhou: "Don't worry too much, kid. We are so many people, we can definitely help you through this difficult time. Your father will definitely get better."

Xiao Zhou was moved and said: "Thank you uncle, I really don't know how to thank you all." (End of this chapter)