A friend recounted a story of summers at his grandmother’s house. While visiting, the grandmother had some rules when visiting her house on the banks of a north Alabama lake.
- Always say, “Yes, Ma’am” and “No, Ma’am”, “Please” and “Thank you”
- Blessings before meals – always
- Always say “Thank you” for the meal and that you enjoyed it, whether you did or not. This rule applied to heavenly fried chicken, or hellish liver and onions.
- Chores must be completed before heading down to the lake for fishing or swimming.
- Read one chapter of a good book, every day.
- Prayers before bed.
“I remember those rules as if it were yesterday,” my buddy said. It was more than 50 years ago.
That brings us to the point of today’s post. I sometimes look at brands outside the financial sector for lessons that can boost your bank’s or credit union’s brand. One of our favorites, the Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A restaurant chain.
According to QSR Magazine’s annual drive-thru report, Chick-fil-A workers were the most likely to say “please and thank-you” to drive-thru customers. And when a customer says “thank-you”, they always respond with “my pleasure”.
The QSR report revealed that CFA employees said “Thank you” 92.5 percent of the time, based on data collected from 15 restaurant chains in nearly 2,000 visits.
“It’s all about speed and accuracy, but we know our customers appreciate that we can be nice while being fast and accurate,” Mark Moraitakis, senior director of hospitality and service design told the magazine. “Eye contact and smiling go a long way in the drive-thru experience.”
Chick-fil-A has taken pains to make its drive-thru strategy as customer-friendly as possible, reports QSR. The chain has dedicated drive-thru teams, made up of compatible Chick-fil-A employees, and sends employees with tablets out to the drive-thru lane to take orders when lines begin to form.
While small pleasantries are easy to dismiss in the multi-billion dollar restaurant business, these little things have played a key role in setting Chick-fil-A apart from the competition.
Think these little things don’t make a difference? In 2016, Chick-fil-A generated more revenue per restaurant than any other fast-food chain in America, $4 million per restaurant, almost four times that of KFC. And they were closed on Sunday!
Like at my buddy’s grandmother’s house, it all comes down to training.
Sound customer engagement, as well as opening a second or third teller window can make a huge difference in winning friends for your bank or credit union.
Read the entire article: http://www.businessinsider.com/chick-fil-a-is-the-most-polite-chain-2016-10
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