Hollis Johnson
- Chick-fil-A’s success is at least partially built on its reputation for hospitality and incredible service.
- Quirks such as workers saying "my pleasure" instead of "you’re welcome," placing flowers on tables, and offering free food are all part of Chick-fil-A’s game plan.
- Here are six ways that Chick-fil-A sets itself apart from the rest of the fast-food industry.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Chick-fil-A is a chain like no other.
Many fast-food chain visits conjure up images of grim dining rooms, dirty kitchens, and unthinkably gross bathrooms. Workers can be distracted at best, and — at worst — they might spit in your burger.
However, Chick-fil-A has achieved massive success while bucking this trend. The chicken chain is statistically the most polite chain in the restaurant business, according to QSR Magazine’s 2016 drive-thru report.
Read more: Chick-fil-A is the most polite chain in fast food
Kalinowski Equity Research founder Mark Kalinowski told Business Insider that Chick-fil-A’s unfailingly great service is a huge part of the chain’s success.
"Little things like being told ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ — it feels like you’re appreciated as a customer and a human being at Chick-fil-A," Kalinowski said. "And especially in today’s very complex world, it’s just very nice to be able to go to a place where you feel appreciated."
These things don’t happen by chance. Chick-fil-A has developed an airtight training plan for employees and has added other little details to make locations feel more hospitable and friendly.
"We have this really … generous approach to our guests and we want them to feel restored and cared for — not necessarily that it’s like home for them, but it feels warm and inviting and that they want to come back and they want to spend time there," Khalilah Cooper, Chick-fil-A’s director of service and hospitality, told Business Insider.
Here are six ways that Chick-fil-A cements its reputation as the most polite and hospitable chain in the fast-food industry:
Saying "my pleasure" instead of "you’re welcome"
Associated Press
Chick-fil-A employees are trained to use some specific language that differs slightly from the average fast-food worker’s vocabulary. One of the most noticeable among these is always saying "my pleasure" when customers say "thank you."
Building a menu of "entrées"
Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
Another quirk of Chick-fil-A vocabulary elevation is swapping the language of fast-food "combos" for "entrées."
"An entrée is different than a combo or a six-piece. It’s a different language. … That language is part of my experience in helping change the expectation," said Quincy L.A. Springs IV, who runs a Chick-fil-A location in the Vine City neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia.
Unlimited refills or beverage "refreshments"
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A offers unlimited refills for customers who are dining in the chain’s locations. In fact, employees are told to go around to customers and ask: "May I refresh your beverage?"
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- How Chick-fil-A uses 5 steps to decide what items — from spicy chicken to brownies — to add to the menu
- The rise and fall of JCPenney, one of America’s largest department stores
- These retailers could be worst hit by the trade war with China
Source: Business Insider – ktaylor@businessinsider.com (Kate Taylor)