1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 457 Major Rectification

When Ronan and Sandrine first met, the veteran saleswoman at Galeries Lafayette offered many suggestions for improvement to the 'Lourmaran Crafts Cooperative'.

Ronan listened to some of the suggestions and implemented them immediately, while others were temporarily shelved due to various objective reasons.

This involves the issue of patterns.

Sandrine pointed out that Ronan and Cafu's cooperative model had significant hidden dangers, which could seriously hinder the future development of the cooperative.

Ronan and Cafu appear to be a unified entity, but in reality, they are separate entities.

The two people are paid according to the number of items, and the settlement is made every half month.

Cafu stated that day that he was willing to change the cooperation model with Ronan as long as it was beneficial to the Lourmaran cooperative and did not affect the brothers' ability to make money.

In fact, Cafu also subtly expressed a more implicit attitude that day—if he could have Ronan as his 'big tree' backing, he would wholeheartedly agree!

This gives me a lot more security than if I were to work hard on my own.

But Ronan did not heed Sandrine's suggestions for improvement that time.

Not wanting, but not dare.

This is mainly due to financial problems.

If we were to "incorporate" Cafu, we'd have to pay salaries to twenty or thirty young men every month as soon as we opened our eyes.

Although he sold and distributed a lot, Ronan still felt immense pressure.

At that stage, Ronan and Lucas's collaborative project on the artificial cultivation of black truffles was in limbo. After meeting with Mr. Fernand, the costs kept rising, and an additional expense of purchasing host tree seedlings was added.

Ronan must set aside sufficient funds as reserves to deal with the possibility of a sudden, 'huge' bill.

Although there was no rush to make improvements, the number of orders for the knitting business increased one after another, and everyone made money. The following months passed peacefully without any conflicts.

However, with the launch of the weaving experience program in Lourmaran and the official start of the travel season, the drawbacks of this collaboration model gradually became apparent.

In the past two weeks, Ronan has stepped in and resolved several problems, forcing him to take a serious look—the model must be changed.

Previously, the people who visited the cooperative were relatively uniform in composition; they were all potential customers invited by Kafu and his team.

Occasionally, some tourists come by, but they just take a look and leave.

However, starting in late April, a large number of tourists appeared among those visiting the weaving workshop, even outnumbering potential customers.

With a larger tourist base, more people will make direct purchases, making it more difficult to distinguish which type of person they are.

In particular, this knitting tour project has nothing to do with Cafu; it's managed by Barty and Sandrine. Whether it's setting the selling price or how the profits are split, it will create a chain of problems.

The team members also lacked relevant experience in solving problems, and Batty and Cafu often could not reach a consensus.

Who wouldn't want their brothers/sisters to earn more money?
If they can't reach an agreement, they'll have to take it up with Ronan.

But Ronan doesn't have God's perspective, and even if he tries his best to be fair and just, he will still make mistakes.

Because of some 'unexplained' cases that occurred with the products sold through this channel, the guys at Cafu gradually lost enthusiasm for the project.

It's clear that the proportion of potential customers visiting recently is getting smaller and smaller; almost all of them are tourists who came after seeing the introduction at the Lourmaran Visitor Center.

This undoubtedly hinders the development of the Lourmaran Handicraft Cooperative and poses a significant hidden danger.

If the sales staff aren't putting in the effort to promote the product, how can it still sell well?
Ronan looked at Cafu and said:
"Let's talk about your side first."

Cafu leaned forward slightly, waiting intently for Ronan to say what he was about to say.

Ronan brought his five fingers together and made several clasping gestures:
"Are you and your brothers willing to join us?"

"Of course I'm willing, of course I'm willing." Cafu had thought about this question long ago, and he thought it through very clearly. He almost blurted it out, "As long as the brothers make a good amount of money every month, I'm fine with becoming a regular salesperson."

Cafu is a loyal and affectionate guy.

The young men under him have all worked for him for over a decade, following him from the decoration industry all the way to the knitting business, which shows how reliable this boss is.

Kafu would rather lose money himself than let the young men suffer a loss.

No matter what the model changes to, Cafu has only one requirement—he cannot let down the brothers who have followed him and trusted him all the way.

His own position and the treatment he receives are secondary.

Ronan almost blurted it out:

"You used to pay them by the piece, but in the future I will use a base salary plus commission. The base salary will be the same as the sales base salary in other industries. It mainly depends on whether the young men can sell more. But I will provide them with formal social insurance. The requirement is that you must get to know the Bati and the women as soon as possible, and you also need to send people to Lourmaran to be in charge of sales after visiting the project."

Ronan and Cafu discussed his situation.

Despite his successful-looking appearance, Cafu is actually a real "roughneck" who dropped out of high school to work as a laborer.

I got to where I am today not because of my brains, but because of my brute strength.

When he was selling woven ornaments with his brothers, he didn't think much about it. He just felt that these things could be sold and that they had a better future than doing decoration, so he did it. His model completely imitated Ronan's cooperation with the women.

Women are paid a certain amount for each item they make, but at Cafu, they are paid a certain amount for each item they sell, which is completely different from the treatment of regular salespeople.

Of course, they adopted this wage method because that's how they were paid when they did renovations before—they got paid when there was work, and went hungry when there wasn't.

Ronan had carefully studied the income of the Lourmaran handicraft cooperative over the past two months and could easily deduce the situation in Cafu.

Based on the recent sales figures of the Lourmaran Handicraft Cooperative, if the two teams were merged into one and everyone were paid a base salary, Ronan could easily afford it, and the brothers' wages would only increase, not decrease.

Moreover, there won't be any issue of paid salaries going down the drain, because after more than half a year of experience, the sales staff who are still in the team are doing quite well, and those who weren't a good fit left on their own in the first half of the year.

But the only one who was affected was Cafu.

Cafu lost money for a while at the beginning of the year and invested a lot in renting a house, but he has made real money in the past few months, and quite a lot of it. If the money is combined, the amount he receives may be less.

However, Ronan took this into account and added:

"Your compensation is also a base salary plus commission, but you will receive commission from all channels, including tourism and sightseeing projects as well as offline stores. You will be in charge of the flagship store in Lourmaran once it opens. Of course, if you don't want to close the store in Apte, that's fine too. We will evaluate whether it is worth the investment."

Ronan thought Cafu would hesitate for a moment, at least to calculate whether he was getting more or less each month, but Cafu still blurted out:

"I have no opinion."

Cafu wasn't worried about his income at all. He knew Ronan was just like him—a guy who would never mistreat his brothers.

That's why he took the initiative to cooperate with Ronan.

Being tied to Ronan means that one's future is tied to Ronan's.

Is knitting the only skill Ronan knows?

Who can guarantee that he won't open a second or third cooperative in the future?
Or has the Lourmaran cooperative added other varieties?

In short, by following this trustworthy and incredibly lucky guy, you'll never lack opportunities to make money!
Ronan and Cafu talked very calmly, and even though they reached an important business agreement, they did not show much emotion, such as excitement, nervousness, or anxiety.

But Batistuta, watching from the side, was getting anxious.

He was usually a very easy-going person, with a mild temperament, and he would never oppose any of Ronan's decisions, but this time he firmly voiced his objections:
"But this means women's income will be lower."

Bati made no attempt to be subtle in helping women protect their rights:
"In the past, when tourists bought things, the women would also receive a share, which was another part of their compensation. But now, under this new model, it seems there's no money left for the women?"

There are two groups of people who make direct purchases in Lourmaran: those who come from elsewhere and those who make purchases naturally.

If the spending is generated by individual tourists, Bati strongly suggests allocating a portion to women.

It was precisely because of Barty's insistence that the division of profits with Cafu became exceptionally difficult; he was uncompromisingly serious about anything related to women's rights.

Ronan pressed his hands down, signaling Batistuta to calm down:
"Your proposal hasn't been approved yet. Sandrine and I would like to give you our feedback and consider it further."

Batistuta argued forcefully, saying:

“I even think that a portion of the spending generated by the customers who are brought in should be given to the women. They might just be taking out their wallets because they see these lovely and earnest women, right?”

Sandrine is a very businesslike person, and to be quite objective:

"The income from buying and selling goods should not be shared with women. There is no precedent for this anywhere. They only have one identity. Don't complicate things."

“But—” Barty continued to argue.

Ronan interrupted Batistuta and said seriously:

"My biggest takeaway from my year in Provence is that professional tasks should be left to professionals. Batti, do you think you're as professional as Cafu and his team when it comes to selling things? It's unhealthy to expect you to greet customers, teach them how to knit, introduce products, and sell things to them all at the same time."

This is another area where Ronan believes the Lourmaran handicrafts cooperative can be improved.

There should also be some of Kafu's staff stationed here for the knitting experience, to improve sales efficiency.

Barty shyly tucked her two long legs together, and said with a wronged expression:

"I just... I just want women to earn more money. They work so hard every day. You have no idea how hard they work."

“I know, of course I know.” Ronan looked at Barty with a firm gaze, his tone incredibly gentle, to dispel any concerns in his heart. “But I’m doing this so they can earn more. Okay, now that we’ve finished talking about Cafu, it’s time to talk about you.”

Barty looked over expectantly, and his whole being seemed to come alive again:
"How do I change this?"

This time, even Sandrine looked at Ronan with curiosity.

What Ronan is doing now is exactly the problem she pointed out a few months ago.

His working relationship with Batistuta must change.

Ronan has now solved this problem very well.

Sandrine didn't see anything that needed improvement in the work Barty was in charge of. So where did Ronan see the problem?

Ronan's tone softened immediately:
"The guys at Cafu are earning more and their pay has improved, so they'll definitely work even harder, which will inevitably increase our turnover. If these guys take over the weaving tour part, I believe that tourists' purchasing will also increase."

The other three nodded, affirming what Ronan had said.

Bringing the Cafu team in will definitely change this month's order volume and turnover, and will inevitably result in a huge increase.

The three thought Ronan would continue to paint a picture of the future, but to their surprise, his tone became even gentler, as if something soft in his heart had been touched:
"With a good income, I feel confident in giving women better treatment. In the future, women can also be paid a base salary plus piece-rate commission, just like sales staff. They should also be covered by regular insurance, the same as other employees. In addition, a design reward fund should be set up. If they design new styles, they should be given extra rewards to encourage everyone to learn actively and strive for progress."

Barty's eyes widened suddenly, and he asked incredulously:

"They're paying a base salary now? And they're getting insurance like regular employees? Is that true?"

Paying per piece is the common settlement method for artisans in Luberon.

Ronan's decision not only changed the structure of women's wages, but also directly determined their social status.

A regular wage plus insurance means these women have transformed from ordinary factory workers into certified artisans!

Bati could also recall the changes in descriptions of this group of people in various written materials. In the past, they were described as "poor but hardworking," but after becoming craftswomen, they were described as "female warriors" wielding tools, and their names would be remembered!
"Really." Ronan touched his nose, looked at Cafu and said, "You and your brothers have to do a good job. Suddenly having dozens of extra employees is putting a lot of pressure on me. You guys have to keep it up!"

Cafu knew that Ronan was a guy who wouldn't mistreat others.

Even the women of Luberon who worked for him received so much and recognition!
He excitedly rolled up his sleeves, showing off his muscles, and said:

"As long as we don't die, we'll fight to the death! We won't let you down!"

Batistuta shouted his slogans even louder than Cafu's:
"My sisters and I won't let you down! I'll lead the women in designing tons of new styles, and we'll be able to handle any number of orders, I swear!!"

Batty and Cafu were shouting and yelling with excitement, and Ronan joined them. The three 'big boys' happily imagined their bright future.

Sandrine, the only woman present, silently observed Ronan's every move.

His new boss is more decisive and courageous than expected; he made such a big decision without any hesitation.

Sandrine couldn't help but think—no wonder her stubborn husband was willing to help this friend.

Ronan certainly possesses extraordinary personal charisma, making it impossible not to believe in him.

Suddenly, Ronan looked at Sandrine:
"Finally, it's your turn."

Sandrine was startled.

The meeting isn't over yet?
Do I need to make changes here as well?

Ronan's neck stretched forward under Cafu's elbow:

"Tell me about the marketing tactics that luxury stores in Paris use to treat 'VIPs'. I plan to promote our high-end craft cooperative when I go to the Monaco Grand Prix."

(End of this chapter)