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The secrets of Shan's 16-year success
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-27 10:07 Special related business tips Shan Shuzhi shares with METRO reporter Qin Zhongwei the secrets of her success and some lessons she has learned during the past years.
Never cheat the customers, this is what Shan always reminds herself and others. Don't overcharge the guests simply because they come from the city. Shan believes more city dwellers will come, if the price is reasonable. Less is more. That's why 95 percent of Shan's guests are regulars.
* Have your own trump card. This is another important reason why Shan's guesthouse is always filled with regulars. Her famous dish is stewed pork with chestnut, which was awarded the "countryside cuisine" by Beijing TV station. Her homemade marinated tofu also makes her house difficult to forget. * Clean toilets are a must. Sanitary conditions are what most guests are concerned about. Though most of the guesthouses in Shan's village have toilets, the trick is to clean them frequently. It will be nice if tissues are available. * Do use white sheet. It's common for Chinese rural families to have colorful sheets with flowers. But foreigners have difficulties accepting that, thinking they are not clean, Shan said. So she uses white sheets to make foreign guests feel more comfortable. She said it's also important to sterilize the slippers every time customers come. * Not always meat. People in the countryside used to show their hospitality by offering dishes with all meat. Shan also did that before. But the dining habits of urban citizens have changed. More people go there for a healthy diet, like fresh fruits and vegetables without pesticide. Prepare non-meat dishes because some are vegetarians. * Learn some English, such as 'beer'. When the first time an unexpected foreign guest knocked her door and asked something to drink, Shan was embarrassed that she did not understand what "beer" meant. Body language is not enough. So far, she mastered about 100 simple English sentences by listening to language instruction tapes whenever she is free. The result is that around 400 to 500 foreigners stay in her place every year. Some even mail her postcards from their home countries during the New Year. * Internet is good. Shan set up the first website for her guesthouse in 2001, when the Internet was still a new thing. It cost her around 500 yuan but she never regretted it. Shan said she never did promotions in newspapers or on TV, but most people got to know her guesthouse through the Internet. "It is quite convenient and effective," she said. |
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