The service industry is full of workers who are friendly and eager to help. This is across the board for all service jobs, particularly the restaurant business.
Employees always go the extra mile with a smile in order to make sure that their customers are satisfied with their experiences. And it’s the same for fast food restaurants such as the Chick-fil-A chain.
An interesting thing about the employees at Chik-fil-A is that they won’t actually say “you’re welcome” whenever you thank them. Instead, they will usually answer with “my pleasure,” a response that they get trained to repeat. In fact, the company policy is a big part of the company’s culture and values.
The company strives to be a friendly chain, and it has not gone unnoticed. According to QSR Magazine’s annual drive-thru report, it was found that the employees of Chick-fil-A were the most polite out of the 15 different chains – saying phrases such as “please” and “thank you” to their customers, as well as smiling at the drive-thru customers.
This survey only confirmed stats that 95.2% of Chick-fil-A employees said “thank you” while interacting with drive-thru customers. These stats were based on nearly 2,000 visits to 15 different chains, including some big names like McDonald’s. And it is this sort of customer service standard that makes loyal repeat customers.
So, why is it exactly that Chick-fil-A employees say, “my pleasure” to their customers? It comes down to a simple Chick-fil-A employee policy where they swap out the usual phrases like “you’re welcome” for more specific phrases like “my pleasure.” This policy comes down to the chain’s founder, Truett Cathy.
According to Food News, Cathy first got the idea after staying at a Ritz Carlton. While saying “thank you” to a hotel employee, they replied to him with “my pleasure.” Cathy was struck by the phrase and decided to employ it within his own business, believing that it was a show of great customer service and an exceptional business. And it turned out to be a great success within the business.
It’s a true practice as well, with one of Chick-fil-A’s employees confirming that it is unofficially part of the company’s policy. In a Reddit post, they wrote, “It’s a courtesy thing. ‘You’re welcome’ seems too indifferent and we’re told to use elevated language.”
The employee further added, “Working there is legitimately satisfying. The hours are flexible, everyone is pretty nice, and we get treated fairly. One of my managers offered to pay for my $50 jacket. That’s how nice everyone is.”
Did you know the reason behind this Chick-fil-A response? Let us know!