Case Study Update: Chick Fil A

It is known that what makes Chick Fil A great (apart from the food) is the attitude of the employees, but what motivates them to be so friendly? My approach is to find out by interviewing some people that would have the inside scoop.

So far, I have interviewed two Chick Fil A employees with some questions that I came up with to learn more about what makes Chick Fil A so successful and how they maintain such enthusiastic hospitality throughout their work day. They both were extremely enthusiastic about their job and only had great things to say about the company and their personal experiences. Lauren, one of the girls I interviewed said that during the hiring process, they look for young people who are bubbly, personable, caring, and have an overall happy demeanor. They have training on the company values and how to implement them in their daily interactions. The caring aspect of their employees was one of the most important things that they focus on. They want to hire people that want to work there and share the same company values: Customers First, Personal Excellence, Continuous Improvement, Working Together, and Stewardship.

This first impression encouraged me to go further and find out why they had this experience, with a job that many people would not think to necessarily be ideal. My findings were that they are treated well by their managers and are constantly surrounded by positivity. They want to make an impression on everyone they come into contact with, and they realize that the goal is to make people happy. Chick Fil A also goes out of there way to support their customers. For example, they host a lot of fundraiser events as well as have deals to support people, such as free chicken sandwiches for veterans on Veteran's Day or for teachers on Teacher Appreciation Day. I think it is great that they personally acknowledge their customer base and reward them for being outstanding people.

My next step that I will take with this case study is to rework the questions based on the data I received from the two employees, so that I when I interview two managers, I can go into depth about the culture behind Chick Fil A and how they embed such great values in their employees.