America's Love/Hate Relationship with Chick Fil A

July 07, 2015

America's Love/Hate Relationship with Chick Fil A

April 24, 2012 at 4:47am

Face it. We love and hate Chick-Fil-A

Now, don't get angry with me. I come in peace and I love the Chick as much as any Chick-Fil-A loyalist. I remain convinced, however, that as much as any of us love this place, we have equal disdain for it.

And so goes my case...

This is not a very "PC" etablishment and Americans are caught a bit off guard by that. This company has unapologetically declared an official statement of corporate purpose that is faith based. It goes a little something like this, "To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A." S. Truett Cathy, the owner and founder of the restaurant chain started the company with a foundation based on his Christian faith and he continues it with a corporate purpose statement that reflects the same. As you can imagine, that is met with both cheers and jeers. In a day and age where faith-speak is not always openly welcomed, Chick-Fil-A faces a fairly constant dialogue of being against against certain groups or issues because they have made such a clear statement of what the company is for. At the end of the day, though, I think they find that these folks are just FOR loving people and serving up some amazing chicken.

S. Truett Cathy chose to put proof in the faith pudding by closing the doors of this restaurant chain on Sundays (yes, every single Sunday) and for Thanksgiving and Christmas. He said, "I was not so committed to financial success that I was willing to abandon my principles and priorities. One of the most visible examples of this is our decision to close on Sunday. Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and of directing our attention to things that mattered more than our business." Note: Cathy doesn't care if you are having a chicken craving that brings you to tears on a Sunday. For just that one day, you're gonna have to ditch the "Eat Mor Chikin'" slogan. The chicken sandwich folks are having church.

So, what do we love about Chick-Fil-A?

Plain and simple, we love their food. Chick-Fil-A prides themselves on using fresh produce that is prepped on location, peanut oil that is better for you than what the average drive thru experience brings to the table, and whole breast, hand breaded chicken. We appreciate their efforts and we love the punch it packs. Chick-Fil-A has truly hit the fast food pot of gold and customer reviews are the rainbows to each location.

We love the customer service at Chick-Fil-A, also. A standing joke about Chick-Fil-A is that even if you walk in at 9:55 p.m. (they close at 10 p.m.), it is STILL "their pleasure" to serve you. The faces you see in this fast food chain will serve you with the same smile they were serving up at 9:55 a.m. that morning. The feel good just pours out of every part of this group and you can't help but to leave with a smile.

On a personal note, here are my own Chick-Fil-A "LOVE" moments.

I love their marketing. There is nothing like getting the whole family or a whole 20 floors of Corporate America dressing up in cow gear so that they can get a free chicken sandwich. I'm sorry. Call me crazy, but that is the stuff that marketing GOLD is made of. I give the marketing team an A+ and then some.

I adore their coupons. Only Chick-Fil-A will send me three coupons for three different things... AND allow me to use all three coupons in one visit without requiring me to buy anything else. This company has the marketing game down pat because they aren't afraid to give to their customers. They win us back over and over by just being too good to be true!

Chick-Fil-A has captured the attention of a nation. This is best displayed each year via social networking on April Fools day. I noticed it for the first time this year, but this has apparently been going on for at least two years now. The post is set up in a news release format and looks very realistic... and each year it sets the online community on fire. "Chick-Fil-A Open on Sundays." That single line and an article regarding the same raises annual havoc online and the company is barraged with feedback. Personal news feeds are clogged up with opinions regarding the same. (By the way, it's a joke. They are NOT opening on Sundays.)

You see, I believe that no matter how much anyone loves, hates, or loves AND hates Chick-Fil-A, we have the dialogue for one reason. We're intrigued by a company that takes a stand and doesn't apologize for it. Whether we like the stand that they take or not, America loves it when someone stands for something. Just like our kids are dying for discipline and stability, Americans are dying for someone to say what they mean and mean what they say. Chick-Fil-A has done that and they've done it big. Icing on the cake? They are a measure of corporate success that cannot be denied.

The cows that tote the "Eat Mor Chikin'" signs are not alone, friends. In one way or another, America really does love Chick-Fil-A.