The Unique Company Songs Chick-Fil-A Once Asked Its Employees To Sing
Whether it's retail or service, when you work in a corporate business the chances are that your employer likes to encourage an atmosphere of community, teamwork, and/or whatever other term is the buzzword of the moment. While there's nothing wrong with having a good relationship with those you work with, you may have had to do some pretty strange things in the name of being part of a "corporate family." Examples of these "bonding exercises" can be anything from going out to eat to participating in company-mandated outdoor activities — or, if your bosses are particularly big fans of "The Office," walking on hot coals. That being said, perhaps no company represents such close-knit bonds between its employees than the fast-food chain Chick-fil-A.
In 2015, Forbes noted in their coverage of the chicken restaurant's work culture that the atmosphere of engagement, respect, and compassion towards customers and employees played a large role in setting Chick-fil-A apart from its competitors. Even the simple act of saying "my pleasure" to its customers helped build Chick-fil-A's image as less of a fast-food location, akin to McDonald's or Burger King, and more as a staple of the community, per CNN Business. But just how devoted is Chick-fil-A to maintaining this unique "family" culture in its workplace? It seems that Chick-fil-A once encouraged workers to sing the praises of the chicken chain — quite literally.
Did Chick-fil-A employees really have to sing?
Chances are high that if you walk into a Chick-fil-A for lunch, you aren't going to be serenaded by your host. But once upon a time, the idea of seeing a Chick-fil-A employee singing about the joys of working at Chick-fil-A wasn't too uncommon. According to Michelle Nickerson's 2014 book "Sunbelt Rising: The Politics of Space, Place, and Region" (via Business Insider), a deep-dive into how Chick-fil-A managed to earn its place as a top player in the fast-food industry, Chick-fil-A employees in the 1980s were apparently encouraged to sing songs as part of team-bonding.
Per Nickerson's book, one such song, titled "Movin' On," has lyrics that go something like this: "Chick-fil-A we're movin' on / Chick-fil-A we're growin' strong / We're one big happy family / That's the way at Chick-fil-A." (While we're not too sure how exactly the song is sung, you're open to freestyle it for yourself.) Another song purportedly performed by the chicken chain's workforce was "Taste Worth Shopping For" song, a ballad about enjoying Chick-fil-A in your local shopping mall.
Over the years, however, it seems that this melody-heavy practice fell out of favor, and has completely disappeared from the modern Chick-fil-A workplace (at least as of this report). Despite this, Chick-fil-A still has some strict rules employees must follow in order to keep the atmosphere of a friendly and welcoming environment alive and thriving.
Chick-fil-A employees are encouraged to always smile
Chick-fil-A is all about appearances, and to help ensure that such a culture remains vibrant, Chick-fil-A has some rather strict guidelines for its employees to follow. According to Chick-Fil-A's Employee Handbook, employees must present themselves as clean and well-groomed at all times. Jewelry is to be worn "modestly" and "in good taste," uniforms must be cleaned and pressed, and men can, at best, maintain a "neatly-trimmed" mustache, and are prohibited from growing out sideburns or beards. Regarding customer relations, employees are to smile as they speak with customers — even if the transaction is not in-person and is conducted over the phone. (As the rules state, a smile can be "sensed.") Per the company's handbook, an employee should strive to learn the name of each customer they encounter to better strengthen the relationship between them.
Strict? One could easily see it like that. Unfair? One could argue either way. It's important to remember that Chick-fil-A is first and foremost a business — and that as a business, it is free to issue certain rules and regulations to its employees. While one could debate if Chick-fil-A is too unreasonable in its expectations, the rules are in place to help ensure the trademark success that had made Chick-fil-A what it is today.