How Chik-Fil-A Leads the Fast Food World and Why All of Us Should Follow

It's no secret that Chik-fil-A is one of the most loved fast food restaurants in the industry. The chicken is great, made with a special secret recipe that no once can seem to duplicate no matter how hard they try. The buns are buttered, the sauces are all house made, and the sweet tea is the perfect balance between sweet, and tea. When you look at the menu, and taste their food, they seem to be doing it all right. But the great food isn't enough for the company, they take it much further by providing some of the best customer service, supporting the community, and only using the best, freshest ingredients, all while maintaining their own values and beliefs.

The customer service practiced in Chik-fil-A is something you wouldn't even see in a movie. It's hard to leave Chik-fil-A without having heard "My pleasure" at least five times first. When you dine in, your food is brought to your table, and you are checked on multiple times throughout your meal. Workers will ask if you would like another refill, more sauce, more napkins, etc., even when they know those are all items you can get yourself. If you wait more than just a couple of minutes in the drive through, you can expect a sincere apology from the manager, and perhaps a coupon for a free chicken biscuit or sandwich. This customer service goes above and beyond, and is something every other business should take a good hard look at. Anywhere else you go nowadays, seems to be lacking customer service, and even basic manners.

A huge part of any business, small or large, is supporting the community around them. Chik-fil-A excels in this area. They host fundraisers for local schools, police officers, and even offer a military discount for those serving. They partner with blood drives and offer a free sandwich when you donate. A few nights a month, you can see an advertisement for a family night or kids day, where face painting, costumes, games, and prizes(including free food) will be included. These things that Chik-fil-A does is not only great marketing for them, but really gets the community involved and lets everybody know that they are there more for the community, and less for themselves. Many other business fail at involving the community, and offering discounts for those in public service. They might see it as a loss or an extra cost, but it actually pays off in the long run. When a business creates a relationship with their community, they establish a relationship where they know those customers will keep coming back for more. Customer loyalty is a major key to running a successful business.

Chik-fil-A has certainly caused some controversy in the past, when their CEO revealed his thoughts on the LGBT community. As a Christian business, their beliefs do not included ideas such as that. Many people were upset, saying that the business was discriminatory, and that nobody as big and influential as Chik-fil-A should be allowed to express things like that and get away with it. Although the company struck a sensitive cord with many people, there were plenty of others, on both sides, that respected Chik-fil-A standing their ground on something they believed in, even when millions of dollars, and millions of loyal customers were at stake. People supported them through this time, just as they do every Sunday when they pull up to the drive through and remember that they are closed for business on that day. Chik-fil-A has stayed true to their beliefs, and in the end, it really has paid off for their business. Too many businesses nowadays are obsessed with making sure they are well liked, and getting the nod of approval from every type of customer and partner they might possibly have.

The point is, every business needs to take a few tips from Chik-fil-A, because whatever they are doing, they're doing it right. What's most important to learn is that when a business only focuses on its product, such as the food, everything else can fall through. It's important to maintain good business all around, and it will always pay off in the long run.


 By Lauren E Holland


Article Source: How Chik-Fil-A Leads the Fast Food World and Why All of Us Should Follow