Crisis Public Relations
"Hey, Assistant Yu, you're back!" A delivery guy's eyes lit up when he saw him. "Hey, there's some leftover rice from the cafeteria, it's still warm. Would you like to have a bite?"
"Yes! Of course I want it!" You Jiale took the lunchbox from the delivery guy, opened the lid and gulped down a few mouthfuls. She wolfed it down and finished her dinner in no time before burying herself back into a pile of reports.
Something's not right about this quietness, You Jiale thought to herself.
Sure enough, just as he had predicted, "Leji Delivery" made quite a splash, quickly becoming the talk of the town. Its speed made the old guys green with envy. On the surface, they all seemed unfazed, but behind the scenes, who knows how they were plotting to squeeze some profit out of his new venture.
Tsk, these days, it's like that old saying goes: if a child isn't crying or making a fuss, they're definitely holding back a big surprise.
Sure enough, the restaurants that initially cooperated quite well, such as "Wang Ji", "Liu Jia Guan" and "He Shun Ju", have recently changed their tune. They're either saying they're "a bit busy lately" or that "the conditions offered by that other side are too tempting." Some of them have even secretly signed contracts with other platforms.
Well, that's normal. Think about modern society, with Meituan, Ele.me just popped up, right?
Yu Jiale knew one thing well: business ideas are worthless. Nobody would apply for a patent for a business idea.
To truly establish a foothold, one must rely on reputation and technology, and erect a threshold that others cannot easily cross, so that the edifice will not easily collapse.
Xiao You may not have much else, but he has inexhaustible energy.
"Leji Delivery" can't rely on its novelty for long. In the service industry, it all comes down to service quality and what customers say.
On the one hand, You Jiale worked harder to get closer to the partner merchants, understand their difficulties, and figure out how to provide them with more detailed services, such as helping them analyze what dishes customers like to order and how to make the dishes more attractive.
On the other hand, he also cares more about the customer experience, repeatedly reminding the deliveryman to deliver on time, to have a smile on his face, to speak sweetly, and to make changes immediately if the customer has any opinions.
However, a crisis is like your mother hitting you; it comes without reason.
Leji Delivery was launched less than a month ago. A customer in the east of the city ordered liangpi (cold skin noodles) from Fumanlou, but got diarrhea that night. The next day, the customer and his family went to the store to cause trouble. They seemed determined to smash the Fumanlou signboard and even brought two reporters.
"You're harming people!"
"Leji Delivery must take full responsibility for this matter!"
The news spread quickly, though not widely, but it exploded like a drop of oil falling into a hot pan.
Many merchants who had previously been working well with us called to say they needed to "temporarily suspend operations," causing order volumes to drop as well. Even worse, a newly emerged platform, seeing an opportunity, immediately jumped in with its "Gold Medal Safe Delivery" plan, clearly a move to squeeze out "Lak Kee Delivery."
calm.
Of course he was angry, after all, he had been busy for so many days not to be labeled as a "poisonous food" consumer.
But more importantly, we must not let this fire spread to the very foundation.
He first took Lin Zhi directly to "Fu Man Lou," checking everything from the purchase order to the drain at the kitchen entrance, even the vegetable washing basins. As expected, the problem wasn't in the delivery process; the chefs at "Fu Man Lou" had secretly substituted inferior ingredients to save money. You Jiale then personally went to apologize, providing hospital diagnostic certificates, compensating for medical and meal expenses, and even giving them a "year-long free delivery coupon."
Then, they personally visited to apologize, presented a medical certificate, and delivered a reimbursement form for the medical and meal expenses, along with a "year-long free delivery coupon."
"This meal was our platform's fault. Regardless of whether I personally delivered it or not, I take full responsibility," You Jiale said sincerely.
The customer, who was initially furious, softened considerably after hearing You Jiale's words, only managing to say, "At least you still have some conscience."
Finally, You Jiale decisively terminated her cooperation with "Fumanlou". The next day, notices were posted on the bulletin boards of the delivery station and stores: "Food safety is our bottom line. No matter the size of the business, once verified, we will not tolerate it."
As soon as the crisis emerged, You Jiale swiftly came up with a complete and mature set of countermeasures. Fortunately, I had studied business administration for a few days back then, although I wasn't very good at it, but it seems to be enough now.
However, You Jiale knew in her heart that this was just the beginning. Behind this storm, who knows which bastard was stabbing her in the back. It was obvious that they weren't after those few servings of cold noodles, but after "Leji Delivery".
However, no matter what, we must first do a good job internally to avoid a situation like this from happening again.
The next morning, You Jiale, with dark circles under her eyes, sat in the small conference room of "Leji Delivery" with her laptop, looking almost lifeless.
He has a clear sense of right and wrong. Although this public opinion storm wasn't significant, it was enough to serve as a wake-up call. Even if the food wasn't spoiled by him, even if there's an 80% chance it was sabotage by a competitor, as long as it came from "Lak Kee Delivery," consumers will only recognize the brand, not the excuse.
That day, he led the way, inspecting everything from the kitchen to the cupboards, from the cleanliness of the floors to the freshness of the raw materials. Anyone trying to bluff their way out was immediately stopped and made to sign a rectification agreement. Those who couldn't pass the inspection were simply told to take a break.
While tidying up her own home, You Jiale didn't sit idle either, immediately launching a three-pronged approach:
The first item was a "Food Safety Commitment Letter." A huge stack of them was printed, and a page had to be inserted into every takeout order: "If any discomfort is caused by food delivered by the platform, the platform will take full responsibility!"
The second thing is the "food traceability mechanism." From now on, every participating shop will have to submit a "food source and operational process sheet." "Transparency—that's our solid approach!"
The third thing is "public relations". There's no use trying to cover this up; the more you hide it, the more people outside will spread rumors.
So early on the third day, the three largest morning newspapers in the city published a public statement signed by "Leji Delivery".
The message, though short and somewhat frank, was quite honest. It acknowledged responsibility, outlined improvement plans, and ended with a photo: a young man wearing gloves and a hat, riding a bicycle emblazoned with "Le Kee Delivery," smiling as he handed a meal to a customer. A caption was added below the photo.
"The food is hot, and the people are genuine."
As soon as the news broke, the onlookers who had been watching the drama suddenly fell silent.
"It's not a blame-shifting, but a direct response?"
"That's really rare."
"Is his assistant the young man from the previous publicity campaign? He's very handsome."
What's even more amazing is that someone in the crowd of onlookers suddenly said, "Although there was an accident last time, they were quite sincere and paid for the medical expenses. I'm willing to give them another chance."
These words, like the first crack in the ice, came alive instantly.
For several days in a row, You Jiale was constantly running between the deliveryman training site and the merchant review list, her feet practically burning with exhaustion.
His eyes were still dark, his face was dull, and his hair was a mess, as if it had been gnawed by rats, but at least the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned.
That evening, after finishing work, You Jiale and Lin Zhi collapsed in the courtyard, each carrying a small stool, panting and resting.
"At least I survived, and the business didn't fall apart." You Jiale scratched the back of his head and muttered to himself, "It just feels like I've aged three years in an instant."
"Jiale, look at you! You've been so busy these past few days that your hair is a complete mess. You have no image at all. If you keep going like this, I won't have any energy left for work!" Lin Zhi said, while deliberately looking You Jiale up and down with an exaggerated expression.
You Jiale rolled his eyes and said weakly, "If I'm the one suffering, then someone else is waiting to enjoy the good life." As he spoke, he rubbed his sore shoulders.
Lin Zhi wanted to say a few more jokes, but her sharp eyes spotted a familiar, tall figure strolling over to the courtyard gate. She immediately stopped laughing, winked at You Jiale, and then quietly slipped away.
Before You Jiale could figure out what Lin Zhi was up to, she heard a familiar, slightly mocking voice coming from behind her.
"Business must be tough, right?"
Yu Jiale was startled and turned around abruptly. Zhang Xiande was standing at the door, wearing a well-pressed dark gray suit with his jacket casually draped over his arm and his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his strong forearms. Standing there, he looked exactly like he had stepped out of a male model magazine.
You Jiale's face immediately lit up with a smile, "Aren't you the one waiting to enjoy the good life? You know how to care for your subordinates now?"
"A large sum of money is worse than empty words of concern."
"Hmph, 'someone else' enjoying the good life? You're quite good at patting yourself on the back." Zhang Xiande strolled in, his gaze sweeping over the newly bound "traceability data sheets," then glancing at the safety rectification flowcharts still hanging on the wall, before finally settling on You Jiale's face—a face that, though haggard, still had bright, sparkling eyes. "However, to have managed to set up this new operation, you've got some ability, kid."
You Jiale's eyes lit up. "Then would you consider giving it to me—"
“These are all things you should do,” Zhang Xiande interrupted him directly.
“But now you should think more carefully,” he looked at You Jiale, his eyes full of meaning, “which path do you plan to take next?”
You Jiale's heart skipped a beat, thinking to herself, "I knew you'd be waiting for me here."
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