Q: Why do I love Chick-fil-A?
A: They do a lot more than chicken right.
It's high noon in Greenville, S.C. Cars, trucks, pickups, vans, you name it, have once again clogged Woodruff Rd, one of the most dreaded thoroughfares in the city. When you're on this stretch of road it's a whole lot more stop than go.
I'm a big Chick-fil-A fan. When I decide I need a Chick-fl-A fix, I leave the office a little early to beat most of the street clutter. Even then, the parking lot at Chick-fil-A is already getting packed and the drive-through has a long trail of customers. Inside, the counters have four or five stations with courteous employees serving customers and their families. Tables and booths fill up rapidly. When people are finished, a Chick-fil-A associate is on the case to make the table ready for the next customer.
Recently a coworker asked me to join him at another fast food chain on Woodruff. Its location is less then ¼ mile from Chick-fil-A. When we arrived the parking lot was virtually empty despite the heavy road traffic. Inside, the counter staff was ready to serve, but they did not have the passion I have always witnessed at Chick-fil-A. It seemed like the people in this restaurant were only there to take an order. And it showed in the parking lot.
So what's the difference here? I'd say it's the corporate culture, philosophy, ideals and constant reinforcement throughout the organization. In Chick-fil-A's case it started with the founder Truett Cathy whose commitment to excellence took him from the operator of a Mom-and-Pop diner to the founder and CEO of a chain of nearly 1,400 restaurants and annual sales of $3 billion.
How did he manage to get there? He started with a simple corporate purpose:
- Glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us
- Have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.
He created a strong culture that expects and rewards high standards and performance with a core belief that you can be successful and honest at the same time. The result is a well-managed organization that consistently delivers a brand experience quite like no other.
Chick-fil-A makes a great chicken sandwich, but when it's all said and done…they do a whole lot more than chicken right.