Girl, You Haven’t Had Chick-fil-A Yet?

“Chick-fil-A is the best fast-casual joint ever.”

“Ira, you gotta try Chick-fil-A!”

“Girl, you ain’t tasted heaven until you try Grilled Chicken Sandwich”.

These are some of the not-so-normal reactions I got from my American friends when I told them I’ve never been to Chick-fil-A. Needless to say, I got curious after all the praise and hype and decided to pay a visit to the popular restaurant chain. It didn’t take me long to conclude that the Grilled Chicken Sandwich is rather delicious, yet another question was lingering in my mind: does Chick-fil-A live up to the hype when it comes to its mobile app, Chick-fil-A One?

In the era of technology, taste isn’t the only criteria us customers look for, and quite often, service becomes of utmost importance. On that note, Chick-fil-A is doing a pretty good job listening to its customers and prioritizing their satisfaction. According to Kevin Purcer, Chick-fil-A’s director of customer digital experience, “almost 20% of the chain’s sales are now made via the app or other digital channels.” This is a high margin for the fast-casual restaurant industry, and I would definitely credit this success to the brand’s exceptional customer service.

Convenience & Reliability

“Ultimately our customers are all about convenience,” Purcer said. “So digital across the board, in all aspects of our lives, we’re increasingly demanding things be more and more convenient.” Having read that, I would say, the brand actually practices what it preaches; the app has a recognizably well-designed user interface, hence delivers an easy-to-navigate and seamless user experience.

It is easy to order: you select the Menu option and get asked to pick a location (either choose your location or turn on your phone’s built-in location services). If you want to skip the line, you have the option to place your order and pay for it ahead of time. Then you only have to notify through the app that you arrived at the store and pick up without any hassle.

In addition, the app allows you to easily customize your meal however you want. If you always add extra pickles or cheese to your chicken sandwich, the app remembers it and saves your Favorites on your homepage. In that way, you can quickly reorder your favorite meal just in seconds.

Another great feature of the app is the “Allergens Filter” which saves you both time and pain if you are someone with severe allergies.

Payment Methods

Chick-fil-A One lets you securely load money from a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, Android Pay or Visa Checkout, so you just need to touch “pay” on the app and pick up your order. You can also opt out of loading money in your account but the app won’t save your payment method and you will need to reenter it on your following orders.

Rewards & Savings

Chick-fil-A was recognized as the best fast food app for earning free food deals in 2020. Simply put, customers earn 10 rewards points for every $1 spent and your points go higher as you purchase larger items such as Southwest Salads or Sandwiches. Points are redeemed by adding them to your order on the app, or by scanning your QR code at the restaurant. When customers reach Silver or Red status, they can choose to gift rewards to their friends or donate a meal through Chick-fil-A’s partnership with nonprofit Feeding Children Everywhere. To add, you might get surprise rewards from your local Chick-fil-A spot, let it be for your birthday or any given day.

To sum it up, I would confidently say that ordering, pickup and payment are quite convenient, and the rewards program is definitely worth the space on your phone. The benefits of getting free treats and saving time and money definitely outweigh any cons that might arise!

Wrapping up this week’s blog with a quote from the incomparable Rumi:

“Eat good food to satisfy your body, help others to satisfy your heart.”