Concentrated on providing services to residents, this back street in Lujiazui brings together craftsmen to the kitchen master | craftsmen | back street

After resident Xiao Liu's bicycle tire was punctured by a picture pin, he couldn't find a place to repair it. "The vast majority of the car dealerships found on the map only repair electric bicycles, claiming that they lack the skills and tools for repairing bicycles' tires."

This is probably not a unique experience for Xiao Liu. Although there is not much demand for small skills such as repairing cars, shoes, umbrellas, and sewing in the current market, it is inevitable that everyone will encounter some similar small awkwardness. Encountered, how should we solve it?

Starting from the second half of last year, Weifang Xincun Street in Pudong New Area has vacated a storefront and several small compartments in a self owned vegetable market, and plans to establish a "convenience service station" that focuses on providing daily necessities.

The vegetable market is located on Laoshan Road, which has the most "fireworks" atmosphere in the back street of Lujiazui. In the surrounding old communities of Weifang, including villages 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10, nearly one-third of the elderly live, and many are young tenants working in Lujiazui.

Shoe repairman Lao Yu has been setting up a stall at the entrance of Jiucun in Weifang for 27 years. He thought that as citizens' lives improved, the skill of repairing shoes would no longer be needed. Unexpectedly, from repairing shoes for elderly customers to laying soles for young customers, until he moved into the newly established "convenience service station" on the street in October last year, his stall could still earn over 200 yuan per day.

"It is precisely this objective phenomenon that has made us realize the necessity of establishing a 'convenient service station'," said Zheng Dan, a staff member of the Xincun Street Community Autonomous Office in Weifang.

The station is now located within the Wucun Market in Weifang, within a distance of less than 10 meters from the vegetable stalls and cooked food shops commonly visited by surrounding residents. In the site, four craftsmen are stationed, including Lao Yu, who is responsible for repairing shoes and umbrellas, tailor Master Chen, clock maintenance Master Yao, and Aunt Li, who is skilled in knot weaving.

In addition, the street has also cooperated with the social organization Jinchang Public Welfare to standardize the operation mode of service stations, forming 6 categories and 26 service items including life service group, disability assistance service group, and electrical appliances group. Clear management regulations and rotation methods have been formulated, and the "Craftsman Service Convention" has been passed to clearly stipulate that preferential discounts will be given to the elderly and disadvantaged groups in the community in terms of service fees.

In theory, centralized management of minor repairs and repairs is a win-win approach. From the perspective of urban managers, the possibility of setting up stalls indiscriminately has been reduced, and centralized industrial and commercial registration has been achieved, ensuring the legality of business operations. From the perspective of small craftsmen, the government provides rent free venues, improving the previously sunny business environment. For citizens, intensive service stations can solve various problems in one package, without the need to worry about finding a particular service.

However, it is strange to say that the "Convenience Service Station" is only 50 meters away from the place where Lao Yu used to set up a stall, but since Lao Yu moved, business has been lost. "Now he earns a maximum of 20-30 yuan per day, and his old acquaintances are no longer coming." Old Yu felt a bit discouraged, thinking that he was almost 70 years old. "I'm going to stick to it for a while before I quit."

This actually caused difficulties for the streets. Zheng Dan told reporters that the process of recruiting craftsmen is not easy. Although the streets have publicly issued recruitment orders and widely mobilized community surveys in the early stage, the number and types of artisans are still very limited, and they are generally older and have relatively limited skills to master. "Once someone exits due to not meeting business expectations, it will have a certain impact on the functionality of the convenience service station."

At present, the streets have begun to find ways to compensate for the shortage of traditional handicrafts by introducing machines, such as sharpening knives. Due to the inability to find a suitable knife sharpener to settle in, a few days ago, Xincun Street in Weifang purchased an electric knife sharpener. If residents have a need, they can go to the convenience service station to operate it.

"There are retired craftsmen like Aunt Li who are driven by interest, and they are also the objects we continue to explore," Zheng Dan said. Since joining the station in April this year, although Aunt Li's "business" has not started, she has been punctually "commuting" every day. "Anyway, I don't want to make much money, just to pass the time."

In recent years, Shanghai has created a "15 minute community living circle" throughout the city, and many streets and towns are exploring ways to gather small artisans who were once scattered in one location to provide services to citizens. At the same time, it is convenient and indeed enhances the appearance of the city. However, the core of services is always people, and finding and concentrating craftsmen is the first step. Cultivating and supporting the survival of craftsmen also needs to be put on the agenda.

At present, Xincun Street in Weifang is planning to use policies such as promoting employment and providing assistance to help strengthen the employment security of craftsmen and ensure the sustainability of services; At the same time, the street is also accelerating the promotion and improvement of the awareness of convenience service stations, and exploring a combination of "store service+home service" when conditions permit, in order to truly connect the supply and demand sides and bring back the "old acquaintances" of craftsmen.