Truett Cathy, was a devout Christian, as is his son and current Chick-fil-A Vice President, Donald M. They encourage employees to provide “Second Mile Service,” a reference to Matthew 5:41-And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two-to go above and beyond the call of duty in an attempt to see their customers are taken care of. The chain’s hospitality principles, their “Core 4 recipe for service,” include eye contact (it shows your listening), a warm smile (a guest can tell if you’re forcing a grin), speaking with enthusiasm (remember that your posture conveys tone), and staying connected (call customers by name, and make each interaction hospitable rather than transactional). I learned that the exchange I overheard is only the tip of the iceberg: Chick-fil-A employees undergo a comprehensive crash course in all things people skills before hitting the floor. Intrigued by what I overheard the supervisor saying to the new employee, I decided to dig deeper into the training that Chick-fil-A offers employees. “Can I offer you some fresh-ground pepper for your waffle fries?” a middle-aged women with a bright smile catches my eye and asks me, temporarily suspending my eavesdropping. It also explains the fierce customer loyalty, a group in which I include myself. The ethos that permeates the restaurant-one where all are treated with equal respect and kindness-must be the reason for the unfailing joy that all employees, from management to servers, embody. I smile to myself as I consider how this rule helps explain Chick-fil-A’s wild success. “Here at Chick-fil-A, we treat our colleagues in the back kitchen as well as we treat our customers,” I overhear a supervisor sharing with a new employee. Unthinkingly, I tune in to a conversation happening at a window table to my right. It’s a rainy day in Fort Wayne, Indiana, so the warmth of the spicy crispy chicken sandwich I prepare to sink my teeth into enlivens me. They have replaced, or at least demoted, the old 4Ps of Price, Product, Place, and Promotion.įinally, if you’ve not seen this Chick-fil-A training video, please invest a couple of minutes right now.I sit down on a plush, blue-grey booth seat and admire the freshly cut daisies on the table in front of me. It’s another example of what we call “the new 4Ps of Marketing.” Purpose, People, Process, and Position. Or as we like to quote Coach Vince Lombardi, chasing perfection and catching excellence. The what doesn’t necessarily take care of itself, but with everyone rowing in the same direction and the right direction, you can spend more time perfecting the what instead of working on basic blocking and tackling. When you have a why that is bigger than the what, you attract the right people. I don’t see anything about chicken or making better chicken sandwiches or exceeding profit objectives or even providing jobs that pay more than most “quick-serv” jobs. To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A. Here is Chick-fil-A’s published corporate purpose: And to quote my then teenage son who is now a priest, it’s “not hard.” So why does it seem to be for so many organizations? It starts at the top. If one totals the Chick-fil-A scores, no one else is even close.
Among these are “please” and “thank you.” Here is the most recent study from October 2018. QSR Magazine does an annual Drive-Thru Study on “quick serve restaurants.” Among many things measured are Service Attributes. His panic became a smile as he read the note and its compliments regarding “the nice young man who always says ‘thank you.'” He got a 25-cent an hour raise, but called not to tell me about that as much as to cite the game we used to play and how “not hard” it is to say please and thank you.
He had been called into the owner’s office to be shown a letter from a regular customer. Several years later, my younger son called me at work from his job at a local burger place. (There was not a Chick-fil-A in KC at the time.) After a couple of weeks we stopped the game because whoever was the first to guess “no” always won. To make point, I started a guessing game, yes or no, whether we would hear a “thank you” at any time during the transaction. At Dunkin’ Donuts, not as much.Ī couple of decades ago when my sons were playing soccer in grade school, we would often stop at a drive-thru on our way home.
At places like Chick-fil-A where purpose flows through the organization like a spring breeze, they are. Please And Thank You Should Not Be Taught
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