Most restaurants, unlike retail or any other form of customer care profession, are known for providing great customer service. Restaurant personnel are educated to say and do things that demonstrate to the customer that they are willing to go above and beyond to ensure your satisfaction with their services. This is no different for the Chick-fil-A franchise. Their personnel will never respond to a consumer with “you’re welcome”. Typically, they are educated to say “my pleasure” as part of business policy, which is an important aspect of their company culture and values.

Chick-fil-A is considered as one of the most welcoming and respectful restaurant chains in the United States. According to QSR Magazine’s annual drive-thru report, Chick-fil-A personnel were the most likely of the 15 chains tested to say “please” and “thank you” and smile at drive-thru customers.

This survey also confirmed that about 95.2% of Chick-fil-A personnel stated “thank you” during drive-thru transactions. The analysis is based on nearly 2,000 visits to 15 different restaurant brands in total. This explains Chick-fil-A’s tremendous success over the years and why many consumers prefer to return to this restaurant over other franchises such as McDonald’s.

So, why does Chick-fil-A use “my pleasure”?
It was recently uncovered that Chick-fil-A’s policy of using specific terms like “my pleasure” instead of “you’re welcome” stems from the chain’s founder, Truett Cathy. She got the idea while staying at a Ritz Carlton, where he said “thank you” to a hotel employee, who responded with “my pleasure.”

Those two sentences alone portrayed the organization as a well-rounded, premium establishment that genuinely cares about providing the best service possible to its visitors. Truett then decided to implement the same philosophy in his own businesses in order to reach the same level of success.

A Chick-fil- An employee stated on Reddit that, while it is an unofficial aspect of corporate policy and not even addressed in the training films, “It’s a courtesy thing. “You’re welcome” appears too disinterested, and we’re instructed to employ elevated language.

While the behavior is technically “learned,” the same employee stated that they actually like working at Chick-fil-A, in part because of the individuals they work with. “Working there is genuinely satisfying. The hours are flexible, everyone is friendly, and we are treated decently. One of my bosses agreed to pay for my $50 jacket. “That is how nice everyone is.” Hiring managers are clearly identifying the right candidates!

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