Dian Xiao Er - Promising Brands Winner

CHINESE restaurant Dian Xiao Er opened its first outlet in 2002 as a place for people to refill, refresh and recharge. It was the vision of its owner Samuel Yik (above) to serve traditional Chinese fare in a friendly and warm ambience.

But to differentiate itself from other players in the field, Mr Yik recognised that he needed more than just delectable dishes to entice customers and get them coming back for more. So he marshalled a team of staff dedicated to quality service and professionalism.

To motivate his staff to deliver on this brand promise, Mr Yik inculcates among them a sense of the family spirit.

He achieves this through open communication, instilling a sense of belonging and pride in their work, and most importantly, extending the same respect to every staff member regardless of their positions in the company.

"At Dian Xiao Er, our people come first and they are viewed as partners," he says.

"Although there is a hierarchical structure in the organisation, everyone - from the chef and server to the sales manager - is treated with the same level of respect. Our designations and responsibilities may be different, but we are all working towards the same goal."

His belief is that with respect comes teamwork, and a team that shows solidarity will empower a business to grow and prosper.

"Only when we work as a family with members respecting each other can we live up to the promise of delivering the very best to our customers," he adds.

Obviously, this approach has worked well for the company. Not only is staff turnover low, Mr Yik's chain of four food outlets has also chalked up a 150 per cent increase in revenue in the last financial year. A fifth outlet recently opened at Changi Airport's Terminal 3.

Another sign that the company is doing well: the long queue of people waiting to get a taste of Dian Xiao Er's food.

Winning the Singapore Prestige Brand Award (Promising Brands), says Mr Yik, is a significant achievement as it is confirmation that the firm is heading in the right path to attain its goal of serving good food and providing service.

"The award is recognition of our dedicated team's contributions and sacrifices. Dian Xiao Er is what it is today because of their efforts and this award truly belongs to them."

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