Where customer is KING

By Qiu Yijiao (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-22 14:19

Lu Jujie likes his warm water with a bit of lemon juice, putting his new knowledge of healthy living into practice. As general manger of the Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong, the most popular Japanese-style hotel in Beijing, he tries to incorporate the idea of a healthy lifestyle into the hotel's everyday operations.

In New Otani Chang Fu Gong, no effort is spared to ensure the well-being of guests. Take water, for example. Every year, samples are sent to Japan to make sure it meets Japanese standards for drinking water.

"I am impressed by the attention to detail and customer orientation in Japanese management," says Lu. "Being particular is necessary and helpful in our line of work."

Lu is a veteran of the hospitality industry, having been in it for 28 years. Before moving to Chang Fu Gong three years ago, Lu worked in five joint-venture hotels in Beijing and Xi'an.

"Loyalty is important in Japan's working culture. In my opinion, this doesn't mean I must stay in one place for life but try my best to make the hotel look perfect, " says Lu.

His rich experience has helped him find a niche in an ever-changing environment. With Chang Fu Gong, Lu wants to go beyond its two-decade-long tradition with Japanese style and position as a five-star hotel.

"People joked that there was a fresh breeze blowing into Chang Fu Gong when I came here," says Lu.

Most of the hotels he has previously worked in are managed by US-based groups, which emphasize professional service and branding. In Chang Fu Gong, Lu tries to mix and match management styles from the US and Japan.

Lu knows the power of branding, especially at a time when the number of international hotels in Beijing is growing and brewing fierce competition in the industry.

"My idea of branding is telling stories," Lu says. "Chang Fu Gong is not an abstract name of a hotel, but a collection of warm and touching stories."

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