Case Study - Tsui Wah

"Besides money, what can I help you?"

That's how the waiter/waitress at Tsui Wah Restaurant introduces him/herself to the customer. Is that strange? Sure it is, but it is also friendly. Strange is not always bad if it creates a unique selling proposition that touches heart. It is better to impress people at first touchpoint, or better known as first impression, than at a later stage because "well begun, half done." Opening message is always important. It catches people attention when the message is compelling. Positive first touchpoint experience may not necessarily guarantee success, but if it is combined with consistency, then success is only a few steps away.

When people go into a restaurant, they do not only consume food, but also environment and service. The reason why they choose a particular restaurant is either because of past experience or word-of-mouth.

Experience is a personal and unique feeling that an individual senses at every touchpoint. If the experience with the restaurant is positive, then revisiting is very likely. Otherwise, the customer can always pick another restaurant which offers positive experience. Consistent positive experience is a prerequisite for word-of-mouth. People only broadcast when it is worth their efforts.

Retail is about detail, and detail is about every point of interaction, seen and unseen. Customers may value every touchpoint equally, or differently. To a restaurant, food, service, environment, location, and operating hours are the critical touchpoints. Tsui Wah basically excels in all five.

Tsui Wah is truly an innovative restaurant. They launch new products almost every month. Of course they do have signature dishes, but they won't stop there. They try harder, and harder. Of the 5 critical touchpoints, food innovation perhaps is of priority. Service comes next, and then environment. Location and operating hours are convenient. In fact, Tsui Wah has always been the favorite of late night partiers.

The first Tsui Wah was opened in San Po Kwong in 1970s. Now it has 10 outlets around Hong Kong.

Case Study - Aji Ichiban

In Japanese, Aji Ichiban means "the best and superior." But how to be the best and superior? Perhaps Aji Ichiban has the answer.

Aji Ichiban, established in 1993, is a leading confectionery retailer which has been enjoying widespread popularity in Hong Kong. Currently, it operates about 100 outlets located at major shopping centres, housing estates, railway stations, and airport in Hong Kong, such that customers can access it almost wherever they are.

Unlike traditional snacks that are often packed in colorful bags, Aji Ichiban packages products in transparent bags, enabling customers to be aware of how fresh and hygienic the products are. Aji Ichiban has also been taking initiatives in providing a wider range of packaging and product choices. For example, it started to provide individual packaging for preserved fruit since 2001, and launched a new healthy green tea moon cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival of 2002.

Aji Ichiban aims to provide customers with best products as well as superior shopping experience and after-sales services.

Over the years, Aji Ichiban has received many prizes, such as the "Hong Kong Top Brand", the "Top Ten Business Maker Award" in 1999 and "Superbrand" in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

ITALY II Beta

"The love that lasts the longest is the love that is never returned." William Somerset Maugham

ITALY isn't really just Italy, as it means a lot more.

I - I... who am I? If I am not what I am, do I still deserve to love you? But why do we need to care about who deserves who if love is something from the heart but not from the head? Shouldn't love be about giving without asking anything in return?

T - Truly... is love not always true? What is true? Who defines what is true? Something true isn't necessarily the truth. For example, nobody knows for sure whether Thomas Edison actually tried more than 600 variations of filaments before he successfully produced a light bulb, but the truth is that persistance pays off. If love isn't true, what is it? Why people fall in love if it isn't true? However, who knows what will last when nothing truly lasts?

A - Always... is there never-ending? What is eternity? Why can't it be sometimes? Why can't it be occasional? What is required in order for something to be always? Is 24x7 always? If 24x7 represents always, then where do people find time to do something else? Is always realistic?

L - Love... what is love? Look into Cambridge Dictionaries Online, and there are amazingly many different kinds of interpretation, such as like someone, like something, tennis... so, what kind of love happens between a couple? What is love...?

Y - You... will you be my last one? Or are you just someone passing by? Why are you here? Why do you care about your presence in my life? Who are you exactly? Where are you...?

Before using ITALY, please make sure you've understood the real meaning of every single alphabet.

Don't abuse love.
_________

The first part of ITALY was written on 08 August 2006, and is available at ITALY I.

Someone Beta

"To love someone is nothing, to be loved by someone is something, but to be loved by the one you love is everything." Anonymous

Where is that someone? Is s/he far away, or is s/he nearby? Does distance matter if that someone is always on the mind? Is physical presence more important, or mental? How difficult is it to find that someone? And why would anyone want to find his/her someone? What is the meaning of that someone? What would be affected without that someone? The Sun does not rise in the East? If there is critical success factor in business, is love the critical success factor in life?

Why someone but not a name? Does anyone know who that someone is? Who cares to find out who that someone is? Why that someone wants others to guess? Because s/he doesn't have the courage to let others know who s/he is? But why? What is it that someone has to be afraid of? If that someone is afraid of letting others know, then why did it in the first place? Would it be better not to do it at all? If that someone has decided to do it, then why not let others know that s/he is the person who did it?

However, what's wrong with using someone to address oneself? Isn't that special? Isn't special a great thing that everyone longs for? Nobody can prevent special things from happening, so why not accept someone?

Isn't it romantic to love someone without letting someone know? Isn't love more valuable when someone is being loved without even knowing? But, can love be measured? Should it be measured? If love cannot and shouldn't be measured, then who defines how valuable love can be?

After all, what is love? Who is that someone?

Make little things count by being someone loving someone.

Joke Beta

"A joke is a very serious thing." Winston Churchill

It is never easy to tell a joke, because it is both art and science. Some jokes make people laugh, while some only appeal to certain types of people.

It is a known fact that nobody can please everyone, so is there one joke that surely makes everyone laugh?

In an experiment conducted in Britain, people around the world were invited to judge jokes on an Internet site as well as contribute their own.

The research attracted more than 40,000 jokes, and here is the world's funniest joke that claims to make everyone laugh...

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy takes out his phone and calls the emergency services.

He gasps: "My friend is dead! What can I do?"

The operator says: "Calm down, I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead."

There is a silence, then a gunshot is heard.

Back on the phone, the guy says: "OK, now what?"

The joke works across many different countries, and appeals to men and women and young and old alike.

In fact, the hunters joke contains four key elements of a funny joke. First, it makes people feel superior to others. Second, it reduces the emotional impact of anxiety-provoking situations. Third, it surprises people because of some kind of incongruity, and last but not least, jokes containing 103 words are thought to be especially funny, and the hunters joke is 102 words long.

Joke is no joke, for it brings happiness which is rare nowadays.

If joker is funny, it is because s/he makes little things count by making people happy.

Do Not Press Beta

"Better a red face than a black heart." Portuguese Proverb



*Ahem* DO NOT PRESS
... you pressed it again. Okay punk, press it again.
Yeah, that's it. Come on, one more time.
Again.
Do it.
Okay, now you've had your fill. Stop clicking.
You see, this is why we can't be friends.
You're just too selfish.
Grr... now you've asked for it. Do NoT pReSs ThE bUtToN!
You seem to be immune to my mind control.
Time for Plan B. Press it. You know you want to.
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Why did you keep pressing when Big Red asks you not to? Is that human nature? You simply like to go against anyone's will? What if others go against your will?

Make little things count by putting yourself into someone else's shoes.