When a pie shop closes, it proactively notifies members to refund fees. What kind of professional ethics is required in a catering business?

The store owner, Mr. Luo, is calling every member who has applied for a card to refund money. Photo by reporter Xiao Xi

The store owner, Mr. Luo, shows the reporter the refund information

Changjiang Daily News (Reporter Xie Binglin) "The store contract has expired and will be closed soon. There is still more than 50 yuan in the membership card you have not spent." If he had not received this refund call at 8 pm on the 20th, Mr. Jiang, a citizen, would have almost I can’t even remember that I applied for a membership card at a claypot rice shop in Wuhan called “Daoshi”. When he learned that the store was proactively calling more than 100 members across the city to refund their money one by one, Mr. Jiang gave a thumbs up: "It doesn't matter if you close it, it doesn't matter your conscience. You must give this store a thumbs up!"

On the 21st, Mr. Jiang told the Changjiang Daily reporter that about a year ago, he ate at a claypot rice shop called "Daoshi" on Huiji Road, Jianshe Avenue, Hankou. He thought it tasted good and was close to his work, so he immediately recharged 200 yuan to apply for one. A membership card.

After that, Mr. Jiang ate at this restaurant several times. Due to the relocation of his work address, he has not been there in recent months. The membership card lay quietly in his wallet, completely forgotten by him.

At about 8 pm on the 20th, Mr. Jiang suddenly received a strange phone call. The caller claimed to be a staff member of the "Daashi" claypot rice shop. The other party said that the store contract has expired and will be closed soon. Mr. Jiang had more than 50 yuan left in the membership card that he had not spent, and now the money needs to be refunded to him. Mr. Jiang then told the other party his Alipay account number. After a while, he received a refund of 53 yuan.

Mr. Jiang found out that there are more than 100 people who have applied for membership cards in this store, and the staff is contacting them one by one for refunds. He said: "I have applied for membership cards for many stores, and I have also encountered bosses who 'ran away' with money. Such a conscientious boss deserves praise."

The reporter contacted the store manager, Mr. Luo. When the reporter expressed his intention to interview, he said with some surprise: "This is what should be done. It is just a small thing and not worthy of your reporting." At the reporter's insistence, he described the refund process.

He said that the store was closed due to rising rents, and refunds involved more than 100 members, with the minimum being only 2 yuan and the maximum being 400 yuan. After liquidation, the total refund amount was about more than 6,000 yuan.

Mr. Luo said that the refund work is not easy - sorting out the recorded member information, counting the balance in each member's card, and then calling them one by one.

For the convenience of members who have no time to handle refunds at work, Mr. Luo transfers money through WeChat or Alipay. Over the past few days, more than 90% of members have received refunds, and only 5 members could not be contacted due to phone outages or empty numbers.

Mr. Luo said that the brand has more than ten directly-operated stores or franchise stores in Wuhan. Members who have not received a refund can also go to any "Daoshi" claypot rice store in Wuhan to inquire about refund matters.

“Customers’ trust is more important than anything else. We cannot lose our conscience because of temporary gains.” Mr. Luo said.

Talk to the store manager:

Some members thought they had encountered a scammer after receiving a refund call

At noon on the 21st, a reporter from the Changjiang Daily reported in the "Daashi Times" I met the manager of the Claypot Rice Huiji Road store, Mr. Luo, who was handling refund matters. When he had some free time, the reporter started chatting with him.

Reporter from Changjiang Daily: Why is this store closing?

Mr. Luo: The rent of the storefront is rising year by year. Although we are not losing money, it is difficult to make money. After the facade rent expires this year, the rent will continue to rise. After much deliberation, the company decided to close our store.

Reporter from Changjiang Daily: Why do you want to refund members?

Mr. Luo: When the company decided to close its doors, we thought of it immediately. Our store opened in October 2016 and has become a "canteen" frequented by many office workers nearby. We are a local restaurant and we cannot let down the trust of our more than 100 members.

Reporter from Changjiang Daily: Was the refund process smooth?

Mr. Luo: It’s actually quite troublesome. Compile the list in the early stage, and after calculating the amount, contact each member one by one. Members who are willing to spend money at other branches can continue to use the balance on their cards. Members who find it troublesome to go to other branches can apply for a refund. Starting at 8 a.m. on the 20th, I contacted each member according to the list. After receiving the call, some members thought I was a liar and hung up the phone directly.

I then called or sent text messages to explain to the other party, and then the other party believed it.

Reporter from Changjiang Daily: Why did you decide to call and refund one by one?

Mr. Luo: Member recharge itself is a sign of trust in us. We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused to members due to the store itself. Even if there is only 1 yuan left in the card, we will refund it to members to live up to everyone's trust.

(Changjiang Daily reporter Xie Binglin)

Members like: Although the amount is small, integrity matters a lot

A reporter from Changjiang Daily interviewed several members who received refunds , they also praised in unison. Some netizens said bluntly: "A good person, a conscientious boss."

On the 20th, Mr. Yang received a refund call from the store. Only then did he remember that he had applied for a membership card at the store years ago, but he only spent 60 yuan later. "I didn't expect to receive a refund call suddenly, and they also apologized. After I added the other party as a WeChat friend, all the remaining 140 yuan was refunded." Mr. Yang said, "This surprised me. The boss. Be honest and trustworthy. If he opens a store again in the future, I will apply for a membership card.”

Like Mr. Yang, Mr. Zhang also received a refund call from the store. Because there was only 3 yuan left in the card, Mr. Zhang told the other party that there was no need to return it, but the other party insisted on returning it. "Although the amount is small, integrity matters a lot. This is a manifestation of the spirit of contract compliance in a civilized society and gives people full of positive energy." Mr. Zhang said.