It Must Ring (1)
We once had a meeting to decide the very first guest for the Super Day Tour. Many ideas came up.
"How about collecting stories and choosing the most touching one?"
"After all, the recruit promotion is our driving force, so inviting a couple who met through the recruit promotion would look good."
"As this is the first, of course, it should be the chairman. It has to be the chairman, no matter what."
Everyone gave decent ideas. But were they just... ordinary? As the first guest, something felt lacking.
The importance of the first guest isn't just about symbolism.
Our Super Day Tour has quite a few shortcomings, and we need to supplement these somehow.
A typical Super Day Tour would be priced at over one million won.
Starting with a hotel stay, offering close-up guidance and gifts—top-notch service must be provided.
But ours? The Super Day Tour is free.
I once discussed the Super Day Tour with the Strategic Opportunities Division. Kim, the executive vice president, said this:
"If we set the price as high as possible and offer services to match, Next Planet will get good publicity. Pass this over to us, will you? I don't think the Reform Division can handle this."
Of course, I ignored him. To be blunt, who would pay good money to apply for the Super Day Tour at Next Planet? Are we D*sney or something? Knowing it wouldn't work is why we're offering it for free.
"I don't get it. Why is the Reform Division so lacking in confidence about our company? Your company loyalty is lacking. If everyone was as loyal as me, we'd get things done."
Haaa!
Loyalty, loyalty... People who go on and on about loyalty never actually get things done, only show interest in the crumbs falling from the vice CEO.
Honestly, I wouldn't hate making the Super Day Tour a premium high-priced product.
I mean, it sounds cool.
But, at least for now, it's a no-go. And even in the future—who knows? It's not really a product that fits my ideals.
Why even do a Super Day Tour? Sure, a big reason is for publicity. But life is strange—if you do something solely for publicity, it often fails to have the desired effect.
That's why I want to give the Super Day Tour a special meaning. It's about the value I want to offer customers who visit Next Planet.
To give them an unforgettable, perfect day. For a Super Day Tour, that value needs to be maximized even more.
But, since we're short on cash, there's only so much we can do.
Aside from finances, our other weakness is that the theme park lacks an overarching story and the content we've built up so far is still weak.
That's why we're putting so much effort into selecting the first guest.
Honestly, it's no exaggeration to say this person could decide the fate of the Super Day Tour.
"If the division director isn't satisfied anyway, wouldn't it be better not to do it at all?"
Choi Hyena's practical remark.
"The division director already has tons to do—this'll just make things even harder for her."
She was right, and I knew it.
But for the future of Next Planet that I dream of, I have the urge to get started now.
Maybe she thought her words were too harsh, because she glanced at me, gauging my reaction.
"It's really hard to create something special when you have no resources available. Well, but that's always how we've done it, right?"
She shrugged as she continued talking.
"I'll give it more thought too. But as you know..."
"Yes, please support the Marketing & PR Team well."
I had, you might say almost recklessly, scheduled a 115km mini-concert.
Because of that, Choi Hyena has been struggling lately, bridging the Marketing & PR Team and the External Business Division.
On top of that, she's also helping with Marketing & PR Team tasks.
"Division director, please don't feel sorry towards me."
Choi Hyena smiled at me.
"I'm enjoying myself now. Really..."
She pointed to the dark circles under her eyes.
"I'm just tired to death, that's all."
"I just heard 'to death,' but if I don't feel sorry, wouldn't that be a problem in itself?"
"What kind of problem?"
"A workplace where the boss is a performance-obsessed sociopath, for example."
"Well, I wish you were more obsessed about achievements. I know you're not a sociopath though, so it's fine. Just buy me some coffee so I can do a caffeine transfusion—an iced Americano, six shots."
"Six shots? For your health, how about compromising with four shots."
"Four's too weak... Alright, since it's your suggestion, I'll accept it this time."
"I'm the one buying, though..."
"Division director, you're going to tour the theme park, right?"
Whenever I have a spare moment, I walk around the theme park.
The reason is to see firsthand what's needed or missing on-site.
When I nodded,
"I want to wake up a bit and get some sunlight, so I'd like to walk too. Not the in-house cafeteria—let's go to the café by the entrance. While we're there, I'll see Yunjung for a bit."
"Alright, let's do that."
We walked towards the entrance.
A breeze blew and her hair fluttered. She looked in the direction the wind was blowing and smiled.
"What makes you so happy?"
"This view, right now."
She touched her ear and said,
"Can you hear it? Should I call it screaming, or cheering?"
She looked off toward the roller coaster.
Among those on the ride, the brave would have their arms up, the timid would grip the safety bar—a variety of expressions, no doubt.
"In the past, you could only hear the sound of the coaster itself, not people. Now, for some of our popular attractions, there's an actual wait time."
"Even so, at peak, it's only about ten minutes."
"Still, what a change! To see Next Planet evolve like this is hugely satisfying for me."
Every time I heard things like this, I couldn't quite find the words, but I suppose you'd say my heart was moved.
That kind of emotion welled up, and I felt determined to work even harder.
"Oh? Isn't that Junho-nim over there?"
She was right. Kim Junho was walking with an elderly woman, supporting her closely—she seemed to have trouble moving on her own.
Here was a problem:
"Isn't Junho-nim on vacation today?"
"Yes, I am."
An employee who comes to work on their vacation day? Especially one who's never used a vacation day since I've been here? What the...
Kim Junho spotted us.
So we approached Kim Junho and the elderly woman.
"Hello, division director. This is my grandmother."
"Oh!"
I immediately bowed at a 90-degree angle.
"Grandma, this is our division director I've told you about."
"Oh my. Division director, please take good care of our Junho. He grew up without parents and I wasn't able to do much for him, so I always worry..."
Grandmother took my hand in her wrinkled ones and bowed repeatedly. I bowed as well each time.
When I met Kim Junho's gaze, he said,
"My grandmother used to love coming to Next Planet for walks. She'd say it was where her grandson worked."
Suddenly, my chest felt tight.
The words he left unsaid were that, since I abolished the senior discount, grandmother could no longer come for walks here.
Sensing that there was more to say, Choi Hyena took grandmother to the café, saying she wanted to buy her a drink.
"There's nothing for you to feel bad about, division director. It's a shame my grandmother lost her walking route, but to me, Next Planet itself is more precious."
He stroked a branch sticking out onto the road as he spoke.
"That's why I reached out and joined your team, division director."
"I see."
"I told you when we first met. Back in high school, I visited the theme park for the first time, but with no one to go with, I rode the Ferris wheel alone."
"Yes, I remember. You said you cried as you got off, and a staff member gave you a can of coffee."
"After I was offered the job at Next Planet, before I officially joined, I brought my grandmother to visit. I wanted to show the most precious person to me why I liked this place so much."
I studied Kim Junho's face for a moment. Not a hint of falsehood. As always.
"Grandma seemed to like Next Planet too. Maybe it was because her grandson worked here, but after that, she'd come every chance she got."
"She must have been disappointed not to come because of the admission fee."
"She was, but she understood it was necessary."
"I'm relieved to hear that."
"Next Planet has changed a lot. I love these changes. That's why, today, I took time off to bring grandmother and show her how the place her grandson works and loves has changed."
My heart was moved again. I'm not yet at the age where I'm short on testosterone, so why do I feel so sentimental?
Choi Hyena soon returned with grandmother, each holding a drink.
"Please enjoy your time here with your grandmother."
With that, Kim Junho and grandmother started walking through Next Planet.
I found myself watching their backs for a while.
Then a thought occurred to me.
"Hyena-nim, isn't Junho-nim's grandmother special?"
"Sorry? Special... in what way? She just seemed like a regular grandma."
"I mean, as in—wouldn't it be special to have her as the very first guest for the Super Day Tour?"
"Oh! Wait, just a moment, division director."
She quickly took a notebook and pen from her pocket and began furiously scribbling down ideas.
"I feel like something is coming to me. I want to jot down everything that pops into my head for now."
"Junho-nim's grandmother has a story with Next Planet, lives in Nonsan, and is a guest outside the usual type."
"Yes, division director! And if we use Junho-nim and grandmother's story well, we can turn it into a full event."
"Anything concrete come to mind?"
"We can show that Next Planet hasn't abandoned Nonsan or our seniors—that we'll keep paying attention. And it sends the message that Next Planet takes care of its employees, too. Plus, a warm story of a grandmother and grandson is a format that always works."
Choi Hyena, suggesting very specific execution ideas, didn't stop talking until she'd finished the entire drink.
"I strongly support your idea to invite Junho-nim's grandmother, division director. If there's any opposition, I'll cut down everyone to see it through."
"Don't get carried away out of excitement. By the way, weren't you the one who suggested inviting the chairman?"
"That's right. I care a lot about lord-vassal relationships. If we were in feudal Japan, you'd be a daimyo and the chairman would be the shogun. Naturally, you serve the shogun first."
There she went with another strange analogy. She went on for a while about lord-vassal duty. I barely listened.
By the way, the effect of the chairman giving Choi Hyena some attention was impressive.
The amount of pocket money the chairman gave her wasn't a huge sum, but he inspired this much loyalty?
Employees must always crave attention from their boss.
Direct praise really works wonders—I should use it sometimes myself.
Choi Hyena clenched her fist and said,
"I'd love to serve the shogun as the first Super Day Tour guest, but! To a content standpoint, if we're talking about who's truly special, Junho-nim's grandmother is a cut above."
Hearing her say this gave me confidence. I guess it's true for leaders, too:
They gain strength from their subordinates' trust.
"Then, let's start figuring out exactly how to give our most special guest an unforgettable, perfect day."