Case Study Update #2

So far, I have noticed that there is a general theme for the employees at Chick Fil A – enthusiasm and passion about the company and the experience they provide. This was not very surprising to me because the customer service is always great and the employees seem to be happy to serve the customers. After all, it is “their pleasure” to serve you.

After speaking to some of the back of the house staff at Chick Fil A, I have the inside scoop about what makes Chick Fil A so great! I found that the strong customer service comes from the core. The managers look for people who are passionate about their company and have the personality to be hospitable every second on the job. They are selective about who they hire because they want to make sure their employee’s values align with theirs and that they represent their company by creating positive experiences for everyone.

Some of their strengths at Chick Fil A seem to be the way they manage their employees – with encouragement and compassion. In addition, the management guides the employees to get the task done, but also builds relationship with them and provides them with new opportunities. There is room for growth for those employees that take the initiative and show dedication and bring their bubbly personalities out. Each person that I interviewed has been working at Chick Fil A for over three years, because they all love it. That is definitely hard to find for fast food restaurants, and just the hospitality industry in general, where the turnover rate is so high. This shows that the company really takes the time to train the employees and managers well, and allows them to grow with the company. I think that this definitely is seen from the guest perspective. The employees seem to be genuine about their service and create a light, carefree atmosphere that draws people in.

Some of the weaknesses seem to be that there is not too much room for the employees to input their own ideas. It is more of a role that is already planned out, from the script to the tasks, and not too much diversity in daily functions. However, with the right attitude the employees did not see this as a deal breaker, and continue to grow with the company every chance they get. They also felt that when working in the customer service industry, every day is a new day because of the constant interaction with different people with unique personalities. I think the main thing about the Chick Fil A employees is their positive mindset and need to create that same environment for others to enjoy.