Rachel Butler

Cathy, Samuel T. Eat Mor Chikin Inspire More People. Decatur, Georgia: Looking Glass, 2002. Print.

Eat Mor Chikin Inspire More People

Samuel Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A, grew up during the Great Depression while his family struggled to make ends meet. As a result, he developed a strong work ethic at only eight years old. His jobs ranged from selling Coca-Cola door to door to distributing newspapers. No matter what the job, Cathy’s entrepreneurial mindset led him to succeed. He learned the values of customer service, commitment and loyalty as a young working boy, and he maintained these values as the founder of the most profitable, privately owned quick service restaurant.

Cathy initially learned the value of customer service through his job as a newspaper delivery boy. To this day, he considers customer service the primary key to success for a business. Cathy and his brother had insufficient funds for advertising when they opened their first restaurant, the Dwarf Grill, so they relied on customer word-of-mouth to generate sales. Cathy learned that satisfied customers were successful marketing tools, as they were likely to promote the restaurant to friends and family. Today, he implores Chick-fil-A operators and team members to continuously exude a positive attitude and reach beyond the call of duty to please customers. Cathy truly believes in making a difference in others’ lives, which is evident through Chick-fil-A’s exceptional customer service and philanthropic efforts.

When Cathy opened the Dwarf Grill, he quickly learned the importance of commitment while operating a business. He rented a house next to the 24-hour restaurant so he could be available to employees working the night shift. Seven decades and 1,600 restaurants later, Cathy still welcomes open communication with operators and recognizes their contribution to Chick-fil-A’s success. Above all else, Cathy stays true to his commitment to God and his family, which is why Chick-fil-A restaurants are closed on Sunday.

Loyalty is a top business priority for Cathy. He genuinely believes in the goodwill of humans and puts full trust in his operators and employees. In turn, customers remain loyal to Chick-fil-A as they value the top-notch customer service and consistency. When Chick-fil-A faced an economic struggle in 1982, Cathy demonstrated loyalty to his employees and customers by refusing to take his annual salary to avoid cutting employee wages and raising menu prices.

Truett Cathy’s business methods parallel W. Edwards Deming’s Total Quality Management approach. Similar to TQM, Chick-fil-A’s business strategy involves achieving long-term success through customer satisfaction. The underlying principle of TQM ensures that all members of an organization participate in improving products and services. Cathy emphasizes that Chick-fil-A operators and team members alike must utilize teamwork to achieve the common goal of selling outstanding food, while providing impeccable customer service. Trust is a crucial element of TQM, and Cathy certainly trusts that his operators and team members will participate in maintaining Chick-fil-A’s overall mission, “To be America’s Best Quick Service Restaurant.” Interestingly, Deming also shares Cathy’s values of maintaining a strong relationship with God and family.

I believe that Cathy’s approach to management is the best in the quick service restaurant industry. Chick-fil-A recently surpassed 4 billion dollars in annual sales using these top tier management tactics. It is refreshing to see the amount of success Cathy’s old-fashion business style has given Chick-fil-A.

I would definitely recommend this book to public relations students. Cathy discusses the company’s marketing tactics, including the sponsorship of various sporting events and the creation the Chick-fil-A cow billboards. The rare trust Cathy puts in Chick-fil-A employees allows them to contribute innovative ideas to the company, a crucial aspect of public relations. “Eat Mor Chikin Inspire More People,” teaches a valuable lesson about staying true to personal values while working for a company, which is great advice for every college student.