Qiyunxuan:A Beverage Shop Committed to Quality and Student Improvement

Editor’s note: The Yunshan Student Work-Study program of GDUFS was established in September 2003. To date, it has founded 22 venues for work-study, including the Yunshan Coffee House, Yunshan Fitness Room, Yunshan Bakery and Yunshan Images, providing nearly 2000 work-study positions for students in total. All of these economic entities are managed independently by students under the guidance of the Student Work Department. Students can hold the posts of director, manager and employee, providing an opportunity for them to fully utilize their enthusiasm and creativity. The Yunshan Student Work-Study program achieves the dual goals of aiding students in need and cultivating entrepreneurial practice, allowing them to better engage with the market and society. This series aims to introduce the “Yunshan Work-Study Program” to better deepen appreciation and understanding of the program on campus.

Qiyunxuan, is a popular beverage shop located on the first floor of the No.6 teaching building on GUUFS’ north campus, which is widely popular among teachers and students for its delicious drinks. The shop offers a range of drinks, including different kinds of milk tea, coffee and fruit tea. In addition, sticky rice pudding (a traditional snack of Guangdong) is another popular product, which wins the wide acclaim from customers. It is also worth mentioning that Qiyunxuan launches seasonal drinks, like “watermelon season” and “strawberry season”, as well as organizes promotions and discounts. According to one of the student employees, the top three hot-selling drinks are lemon aloe honey, iced lemon tea and chai latte.

the best-selling drink: lemon aloe honey

What sets Qiyunxuan apart is its commitment to prioritizing quality and efficiency. On the one hand, the shop strictly measures and examines the dosage of sugar and the quality of ingredients used in their beverages, with a focus on providing students with healthy and wholesome drinking options. On the other hand, as a beverage shop with a prime location in a teaching building, it must strive to provide quick service to meet the high demands from students who like to purchase a drink before class. To guarantee employees are enabled to manage the work and handle with emergency situations and ensure that its customers receive expedient and reliable service and efficiently, all the recruits at Qiyunxuan will receive vocational training before they take on their roles. This commitment to quality control and customer satisfaction underscores Qiyunxuan's reputation, which is dedicated to meeting the needs of its patrons.

Qiyunxuan opens every day from 8:00 am to 8:30 pm and employees work for one hour per shift. Three to four employees are on duty at any given time. As one of the entities under GDUFS’s Yunshan Student Work-study program, the shop provides work-study positions for students. Careful management of the schedule of student employees guarantees that their learning time goes uninterrupted, with emphasis on creating a working schedule that is reasonable and closely suited to their needs.

Qiyunxuan

Qiyunxuan boasts a well-organized and experienced squad with five departments. Each of features has a clear division of labour, such as the business department for employee training and quality assurance; the marketing department, which handles publicity planning; the human resources department for staff management as well as the financial department and office department. Their routine is to purchase and make an inventory of goods and supplies in the early morning, while also cleaning machines and washing bottles. Of course, their primary job is to make delicious beverage to satisfy the customers throughout the workday. They will also hold regular meetings to report on the status of their work, summarize the results and put forward modification proposals. In the spare time, student employees get together for activities, including climbing mountains, talent shows and potluck dinners, with the aims of deepening mutual understanding and of relaxation and entertainment.

As to their personal experiences working at Qiyunxuan, one staff member answered with a bright smile, “Every day, I interact with different people. I used to be a shy and diffident person, but now I step out my comfort zone and communicate with our customers freely.” Not only did he achieve self-improvement, but he also made many like-minded friends.

Qiyunxuan is not just a shop providing drinks and deserts, but also a platform for chasing dreams and social interactions.