Chapter 494: Worry about Customers’ Worries and Think about Customers’ Thoughts
The Raffles Hotel is located right near the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe, less than a three-minute walk away. A place that can build a hotel here must have something special to offer.
The most commendable thing here is the spa: the entire spa is white: from the floor to the walls and ceiling, from the sofa to the pillows to the table, except for the light blue color in the pool and the silver-plated decorations such as the pillars and mirrors, this is an ethereal world where you can get complete relaxation.
"How did you end up with such relatives?" Shao Feng, wearing a white bathrobe, said helplessly as he sat on the sofa. "Actually, they're all pretty much the same. My family's situation is pretty bad too. Back then, when my dad's gas tank factory was doing well, my uncles and aunts all held shares in the factory. Later, when gas tanks fell out of favor and the factory wasn't doing well, they all withdrew their shares without a word and asked for a share of the profit. They took all the money and left a mess for my dad. They went to the city and bought houses, becoming city dwellers and looking down on our family. Now that they see we're doing better, they've changed their attitudes again, calling ten times a day! Before I went abroad, my second uncle and his family told me, 'They've made a huge contribution to our gas tank factory's success, and we want their shares back!' Damn, are you going to lose face?"
Xiao Peng sighed and said, "If you are poor in a busy city, no one will care about you. If you are rich in the mountains, you will have distant relatives. If you don't believe me, just look at the wine at the banquet. Every cup is offered to the rich first. If there is a tall horse tied at the door, even relatives are relatives. If there is a begging stick at the door, relatives and friends will not come. In this world, making friends requires gold. Without enough gold, friendships are not deep. With money and wine, there are many brothers, but no one will help you in times of crisis. You will go through poverty and wealth three times in your life. How many people will rise and fall in ten years? Who doesn't have people talking behind their backs? Who doesn't talk behind others' backs? I didn't understand the "Xian Wen" when I was a child, but now I understand it and I feel sad. I will return to China after I finish my busy period and take care of my family affairs."
Shao Feng nodded and said, "This matter is not easy to handle. Now my uncles are everywhere saying that I am 'ungrateful' and 'disloyal and unfilial'. Just like what you said, 'Who doesn't talk behind their back? Who doesn't talk behind others' back?' I finally understand. Unless I give them all the money in the family, they won't be satisfied. Look at the little money I have compared to you. It's not even a little bit. Even this little money has so many people coveting it, let alone you. So I can understand why you cover your face during the live broadcast."
Xiao Peng asked curiously, "Brother, there's something I don't understand: You said so many people were selling gas cylinders in the Middle East, so why were you the only one arrested? What exactly did you do?"
He asked this question because he always felt that Shao Feng’s arrest had something to do with him?
It wouldn't matter if he didn't ask, but when he asked, Shao Feng felt awkward. This made Xiao Peng feel that he was right!
After repeated questioning, Shao Feng finally explained the whole story: "Dude, you just said that with so many people selling gas cylinders to the Middle East, the competition here is really fierce! If you don't have some advantages to show for yourself, you can't compete with others. In the business world, price wars are always the worst strategy."
"Then what?" Xiao Peng asked in confusion. Shao Feng's answer was obviously irrelevant to the question. What was the point of this vague and mysterious thing?
Shao Feng explained: "Then, in order to increase competitiveness, I made some 'slight' modifications to those gas tanks."
"Reform?" Xiao Peng became even more confused after hearing this.
Shao Feng coughed twice and said, "Everything should be customer-centric, right? If you want to sell well in sales, you have to 'be concerned about the customer's concerns and think about what the customer wants.' Do you think I'm right?"
Xiao Peng said helplessly: "Brother, stop beating around the bush. What did you do? Tell me quickly whether it's okay or not."
Shao Feng was a little embarrassed but asked back: "Dude, do you know how our country's pickup trucks snatched the Middle East and African markets from the Japanese?"
Xiao Peng blinked. "Can we get back to the point? Why are you talking about pickup trucks again?"
Shao Feng explained to himself, "Car manufacturers weld a metal frame to the back of their pickup trucks. Don't underestimate this small metal frame. In war-torn areas, if a person stands on the back of a pickup truck with a machine gun, it becomes a war vehicle! This built-in metal frame saves them the process of welding it again. Our country's pickup trucks can grab a piece of the market from the Japanese. Good quality and low price are one aspect, but this 'considering the user' approach is the real key to grabbing the market!"
Xiao Peng seemed to understand something: "Just tell me what you did to your gas tank?"
Shao Feng said a little embarrassedly: "I also welded a metal pipe on the gas tank..."
"Pfft!" Xiao Peng laughed. "Who else should we arrest if not you? Are you afraid that your gas tank won't turn into a 'heartless cannon'?"
While the "heartless cannon" made from gas canisters is simple to make and operate, it's inconvenient to load into the barrel. To address this, some expert "heartless cannon" builders there attach a stick to the canister for easier loading. Shao Feng, truly embracing his customers' needs, welded it directly onto their barrel...
"What did you say when the DRSD people questioned you?" Xiao Peng asked curiously, "How do you explain why you did this?"
Shao Feng spread his hands: "Of course I'm telling the truth."
"Tell the truth?" Xiao Peng was stunned after hearing this.
Shao Feng nodded. "Yes, from what I understand, transportation is inconvenient in many places in the Middle East, especially in mountainous areas where the main mode of transportation is donkey carts. So I installed a metal pipe like this. The two gas tanks can be placed on top of each other with the metal pipe to form a 'shoulder pole' for easier transportation."
Xiao Peng was dumbfounded after hearing this: "Do they believe your nonsense?"
"I don't know whether they believe it or not, but I do!" Shao Feng spread his hands and said, "You are a wealthy man now, after all. Who hasn't said nonsense when making money?"
"Pfft!" Xiao Peng laughed. "You're damn right! I've been talking nonsense for the past two years, and even before I came here. But..." After hesitating for a while, Xiao Peng said to Shao Feng, "There's something I want to tell you. Let me be clear, I'm not hiding this from you on purpose. I just don't know how to start telling you this!"
He thought Shao Feng would ask him a few more questions out of curiosity, but Shao Feng said, "Oh, you're talking about Miao Pei, right?"
Xiao Peng was shocked when he heard this: "WHAT? How did you know about Miao Pei?"
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