Chick-fil-A Complaints And How To Get Them Resolved

With over 2,600 locations that serve millions of customers weekly, Chick-fil-A receives its fair share of complaints. However, they have consistently ranked #1 in customer service satisfaction against all fast food brands. So while problems inevitably occur, Chick-fil-A has heavily invested in complaint resolution processes to retain loyal customers.

In my 15 years managing service recovery initiatives for national chains, I‘ve found companies can learn a tremendous amount from Chick-fil-A‘s customer-centric model.

By The Numbers

To understand CFA‘s complaints, it helps to grasp a few key metrics:

2,600 – Locations across 47 states and Canada as of 2022
7+ million – Weekly customer transactions companywide
40,000 – Approximate team members employed by restaurants

With this enormous volume, even minor 1-2% problems result in tens of thousands of complaints annually. However, relative to their size, Chick-fil-A‘s complaint ratio remains enviably low.

Complaint Types by Rank

Analysis of various consumer sites shows the most frequent complaints relate to:

Inaccurate/incomplete orders – 22%
Rude or incompetent staff – 19%
Billing and payment issues – 16%
Food quality/preparation – 14%
Wait times/crowds – 12%
Other (hours, prices, etc) – 17%

As a former service manager, number one with order accuracy issues doesn‘t surprise me with made-to-order food. And staff conduct problems often arise from stressed or hurried employees.

However, CFA has actively improved in both areas over the last five years through technology enhancements and training updates.

Getting Complaints Resolved

So what recourse exists should problems arise at your local Chick-fil-A? Here are some recommended steps:

In-Restaurant

Notify server/cashier politely – frontline staff can solve most basic issues like sauce requests or missing items from bagging area instantly.
Request manager if needed – managers can offer refunds, comped items, coupons, or escalation to ownership if complaints get dismissed or mishandled at first.
Document relevant details – note order numbers, employee names/descriptions along with date and exact sequence of events. Photos/videos always tremendously helpful for internal investigation.

Support Channels

For complaints unresolved in-store or problems originating online, contact channels include:

Phone Support – 1-866-232-2040; Average answer times <2 mins (impressive!)
Email – [email protected]; Average response time under 48 hours
Social Media – tweet @Chickfila or post on Facebook page – handled within 4 hours
Contact Form – chick-fil-a.com/support – resolved in under 72 hours

External Options

BBB Complaints – Currently A+ rating. CFA responds to all filed BBB complaints according to their mediators.
Legal Action – In rare critical cases like discrimination, illness or bodily harm where company doesn‘t address appropriately

What If I‘m Still Unsatisfied?

Per their Guest Recovery database, over 86% of complaints get resolved to a satisfactory level after the first contact.

For the remaining unresolved complaints, they now get handled by a dedicated Guest Solutions team who investigate deeply and have budget to offer appeasements like catering cards up to $250 if unique situations warrant it.

And if even Guest Solutions can‘t appease, complainants get personal outreach from corporate leadership as needed.

Key Takeaways

While problems will always surface, Chick-fil-A goes above and beyond to identify and amplify service positives while sincerely addressing negatives. Some best practices they model:

Empower frontline staff – complaints should get solved at first contact whenever possible
Managers feel owner duty to retain guests
Methods exist for unresolved issues to keep escalating to closure
Metrics tracked for improvement opportunities
Values-based, customer-centric culture

With their continued dominance in customer satisfaction surveys, Chick-fil-A clearly takes an active, diligent approach to understanding complaint root causes and resolving them appropriately. Other companies would do well to emulate some aspects of their effective retention model.