*posting on both because both places since they are owned by the same person*
I have always appreciated Chick-fil-A's commitment to hospitality and the idea of "serving others with honor, dignity, and respect." Unfortunately, my experience today at both the Placentia and Brea locations fell far short of those values.
At 1:22 p.m., I placed a mobile order and accidentally sent it to the wrong location. This was completely my mistake, and I take full responsibility for that. However, what should have been a simple solution turned into an almost two-hour ordeal.
My boyfriend drove to the Placentia location to pick up the order. While waiting in the drive-thru, he sat for approximately 15-20 minutes without anyone acknowledging him or even letting him know someone would be with him shortly. The wait became so excessive that several cars actually left the line. When he was finally helped, he was told my order had been placed at the Brea location.
Since both restaurants are owned by Chrissy Hartmann, I asked if they could simply remake the order there and cancel the original. Initially, we were told they could not and that we would need to cancel the order ourselves and purchase it again, despite the fact that the order had already been paid for through the app. Eventually, they were able to make it work--which left me wondering why that solution wasn't offered from the beginning.
My boyfriend then drove from Placentia to the Brea location, where he once again waited nearly 20 minutes before anyone acknowledged him.
The one bright spot in this experience was Fiona. She was kind, attentive, and genuinely wanted to help. When she couldn't locate my order, she immediately involved the supervisor, who simply handed her a card to manually ring in and comp the order. If the solution was that straightforward, why wasn't it offered at the first location? More importantly, why did no manager or supervisor come over to apologize for the repeated delays or take ownership of the situation?
After more than an hour of waiting, driving between two locations, and dealing with unnecessary confusion, the only gesture offered was an ice cream cone. While I appreciate the thought, it did not address the lack of communication, urgency, or accountability we experienced.
My boyfriend finally arrived home with our food at 2:55 p.m.--over an hour and a half after I placed the order.
Unfortunately, this wasn't an isolated incident. Recently, I received a free sandwich after another excessively long drive-thru wait for a single item. Just two weeks before that, I was given the wrong order entirely, and when I went inside to have it corrected, I was questioned and asked to prove it with my receipt rather than being met with the trust and hospitality Chick-fil-A is known for.
At this point, the pattern is disappointing. While I understand mistakes happen, what matters most is how they're handled. Neither location demonstrated the sense of urgency, ownership, or care that Chick-fil-A has built its reputation on.
Thank you, Fiona, for treating us with kindness and professionalism. You were the only person during this experience who truly embodied the Chick-fil-A standard of caring for guests.
Sadly, my family and I will be taking our business to the Fullerton location moving forward. I sincerely hope the Placentia and Brea restaurants refocus on the service values that have made Chick-fil-A such a respected brand. Your guests deserve more than excuses--they deserve to feel genuinely cared for. read more