Cracking Chick-Fil-A’s Code

As a writing coach, I’ve begun working with a fascinating gentleman. He was a previous member of the Chick-Fil-A staff, so I began researching Chick-Fil-A and what makes it different. I was truly surprised to immediately learn something significant about its vision. Chick -Fil-A is outstanding in a crowded retail space because of its vision:

“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.”

What Does it Mean?

As Christians we often use the phrase “to glorify God” but do we really know what it means? I am always amazed when I consider God’s glory and what glorifies Him. John Piper gives what I think is the best definition of “God’s glory” in recent years. He writes, “the glory of God is the infinite beauty and greatness of God’s manifold perfections.” His glory is the full manifestation of His character.

What a tremendous challenge and ambition…to represent God’s character traits everyday with all we meet. Maybe Chick-Fil-A gives us some clues about how to do this in our own lives.

Chick-Fil-A bases itself on Biblical principles using a “servant leadership” methodology before that term was even invented. When they hire, they look for three C’s: Character, Competency, and Chemistry and ask employees to do four things when they greet a guest (they don’t call them customers but guests):

  • Make eye contact
  • Smile
  • Speak in a friendly tone
  • Always say “My Pleasure.”

The story goes that one day while visiting the Ritz-Carlson, Truett Cathy, Founder of Chick-Fil-A, thanked the desk clerk on duty for something the clerk did. The clerk replied with great sincerity, “My Pleasure.” Kathy was so touched by the authentic genuineness of the clerk’s reply, he instructed all his employees to do the same when thanked.

Their Core Values include:

  • Customer First.
  • Personal Excellence.
  • Continuous Improvement.
  • Working Together.
  • Stewardship.

So, as summer draws to an end, students return to school, and fall quickly approaches, my prayer this year is to be more aware of the privilege it is to represent Jesus Christ and manifest the glory of His character with all we meet. After all Paul writes,

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Or as Eugene Peterson paraphrases:

“We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.” (2 Cor. 5:20-21 The Message)


Chick-Fil-A image by Sikander Iqbal, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

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