Chapter 17: Door-to-Door Service

In just three days, Duke managed to gather his staff.

The two new card repairers, Muraf and Simmons, were introduced by Delanco. Duke personally recruited them, offering a higher profit-sharing rate than even Bast Card Repair Shop.

With the earnings shared among the three card repairers, they effectively claimed the lion's share of the repair fees. This was a move out of necessity.

However, Duke wasn't overly concerned. He believed that as long as he retained the clients, he could recoup the money through other means in the future. Furthermore, if he could outcompete Bast Card Repair Shop and undermine their reputation, everything would be restored.

For the counter position, a widow in her thirties named Sally was chosen. She lived nearby with her two children. Duke had investigated her and found no rumors of misconduct. Having attended the local literacy classes, she was proficient in arithmetic. Additionally, her sturdy appearance made her suitable for customer service, while deterring unwanted advances.

As for the kitchen position, a woman named Abby was hired. Abby had previously worked as a servant for a wealthy family. When that family moved to Chenjiao City, she lost her job. Duke had her prepare a meal and found her culinary skills satisfactory.

The two new apprentices, Siphys and Diett, were Simmons' nephew and a young man Duke had hired personally.

The two delivery personnel, Dutlan and Steve, had applied on their own.

"Duke, are you sure this approach will sustain the card repair shop?" Delanco asked, puzzled by Duke's swift recruitment of so many people. "The monthly payroll alone could consume all the profits from card repairs, and you're also providing meals."

Delanco never ate at the shop since he found the food there too plain.

However, everyone else, including the apprentices, praised the quality of the food.

"Teacher Delanco, please trust me."

"Well, the shop is yours, so of course, I trust you." Delanco shrugged, though he wasn't entirely convinced of Duke's confidence.

Duke didn't elaborate further. He called Dutlan and Steve, the delivery personnel. "Both of you, come with me. We're going to the tailor's to get uniforms and then buy two second-hand bicycles."

"Wow, boss, the treatment at the shop is great!" Dutlan exclaimed.

"The treatment is linked to your work," Duke said. Though he was young, his authoritative demeanor was well established. "In the future, both of you will be responsible for canvassing the streets. Allocate two days each week to visit all the houses in the nearby alleys."

Duke's approach was simple. In addition to delivering cards, they were offering doorstep service. Many families might not have the time to come repair their cards immediately. With Little Sam's Card Repair Shop offering free pickup and repair, Duke believed most families wouldn't decline.

...

A busy morning passed.

Dutlan and Steve donned uniforms embroidered with "Little Sam's Card Repair Shop" and each received a second-hand bicycle.

"Steve, help out at the shop for now, Dutlan, come with me."

Duke brought the business card of Little Sam's Card Repair Shop with him. It was similar to a business license card in the real world, without which they couldn't run the shop.

Dutlan pedaled the bicycle while carrying Duke, riding along Second Vertical Street heading north.

Passing by the first alley, they knocked on the door of the first house they reached.

"Good day, madam. I'm Duke, the new owner of Little Sam's Card Repair Shop. Old Sam has handed over the shop to me, and this is my business card." Duke took out his business card and handed it over for inspection. "We've introduced doorstep and procurement services at our shop. This is Dutlan, our delivery person. He will visit once a week. If you have any spirit cards that need repair, you can give them to him for free service."

"Oh, I've heard that Old Sam transferred the shop to you. So, it's you!" The middle-aged woman spoke with joy. "We actually have a storage spirit card that's broken. Can we give it to you for repair now?"

"Of course." Duke nodded. "Dutlan, take note."

"Sure thing." Dutlan pulled out a notebook and jotted down the house number and the serial number on the spirit card.

Duke added, "Once it's repaired, we'll provide you with an itemized bill for the repair cost. You can pay when we deliver it back to you."

The middle-aged woman inquired, "That sounds great. When can we expect it to be delivered back?"

"In two to three days."

"Great."

"Could you please confirm once more? Our delivery person, Dutlan, will be the only one delivering to your home from now on. This is to prevent anyone impersonating and deceiving you with regards to your spirit cards."

"I'll remember this young man." The middle-aged woman was quite satisfied with Duke's attentiveness. "Our family has been getting our spirit cards repaired at Old Sam's Card Repair Shop for over a decade. We've always trusted your shop... By the way, young man, what's your relation to Old Sam?"

"Old Sam was my teacher. He transferred the shop to me and made it clear that if I mismanage it or damage its reputation, he'll take it back." Duke smiled and answered, making use of Old Sam's decades-old reputation.

"Old Sam's a good person. Young man, work hard and don't tarnish his legacy."

"Don't worry, I won't."

Duke went door to door, mingling with residents who were home, and noted the house numbers of those who weren't. He planned to revisit the latter group another time.

Thanks to Old Sam's Card Repair Shop's decades of goodwill, everything went smoothly. People were willing to trust and express satisfaction with Duke's introduction of doorstep and procurement services.

"It would be great if you could offer repair services for spiritual artifacts at people's homes. My water heater and sewing machine at home are both broken. It's such a hassle to send them to a spiritual artifact repair shop," an elderly man sighed.

Duke chuckled, "For now, Little Sam's Card Repair Shop only handles card repairs. However, we might expand our services in the future."

"If you do, expand soon. Repairing cards can make money, but repairing spiritual artifacts can be just as lucrative."

"You're absolutely right."

"Boss Duke, if you can excel in these two businesses, you'll surely make a fortune."

"I'll take your words to heart."

On the way back, Tranter inquired, "Boss, do you still plan to open a spiritual artifact repair shop?"

"That's something for the future. Let's discuss it later," Duke casually replied. At the moment, his main focus was on stabilizing the card repair shop, ensuring a steady income for himself, and securing the resources for his spiritual cultivation journey in the Sea of Spirit. He didn't want to spread himself too thin.

After all, in this transcendent world, power was the foundation. While the weak could make money, they couldn't hold onto it. Once one's own strength grew, there was less need to focus on making money; others would come to offer financial support.

Upon returning to the shop, Dutlan brought in a small stack of damaged spirit cards.

Seeing this, Delanco smiled and remarked, "Boss Duke, it seems like you had a bountiful day of canvassing."

Earlier, he'd been worried that Duke's management might lead to the shop's downfall, forcing him to seek new employment. However, now, seeing the pile of cards collected from the doorstep service, he had no doubts about Duke's abilities.

"Haha, Boss Duke does indeed have some skills," Simmons, the card repairer, chimed in. "This street canvassing is probably going to keep us busy for the next ten days or so. I'd wager that new Bast Card Repair Shop will have a quiet half month."

The other card repairer, Muraf, a distant relative of the Black Serpent Family, had a somewhat aloof demeanor. He commented calmly, "It's an effective strategy."

Simmons immediately agreed, "In the world of business, you have to be assertive. If Bast is going to be reckless, Boss Duke naturally needs to respond."

Duke smiled, "It's not about retaliation, it's just about securing our customers and preserving the reputation Little Sam's Card Repair Shop has built over twenty years."