I experienced AWFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE from the leadership team (Randy, franchise owner & Amanda, general manager) at this location.
I tried to place a simple $60 catering order for two small trays of chicken nuggets for pickup the following day for a family reunion. I tried calling in my catering order on Friday, 9/13/2019, from 11 am to 11:45 am at the 7500 W 135th St location; no one ever answered the phone. My call was directed to a voicemail stating "this voicemail has not yet been setup; thank you; goodbye." It did not identify itself as Chick-Fil-A and did not permit me to leave a message so someone could return my call.
So, I went to the Chick-Fil-A website to confirm the phone number I had in my phone (I have done business with them before). This Chick-Fil-A's location (7500 W 135th St, Overland Park, KS) was not available on the Chick-Fil-A website. According to the Chick-Fil-A website, this store did not exist.
I then went to Google maps where I was able to confirm the phone number. I called again. Same thing. I then went to TripAdvisor and Yelp to confirm the phone number. I mean, who doesn't answer their business phone in the middle of the business day? Same thing.
I then went to the Chick-Fil-A website to try to place a catering order at this store. Although it took me through all the steps to place an order, I could not add the order to my cart for this store.
Very frustrated, after nearly an hour of trying to place an order, I called the Chick-Fil-A National Customer Service Call Center. I told them what I experienced. They didn't seem to care; they only wanted my name and telephone number so someone from the store could call me back and take my catering order. They said they sent the store a message at 12:04 pm.
By 3:30 pm, I still had not heard anything from the store. I tried calling them again. This time, someone answered the phone. Instead of listening and learning what I experienced, she was only interested in taking the order. I placed the order. Then, I asked to speak to her manager. Raymond, the shift manager, came to the phone, listened to my experience and said thanks for the order, there's nothing more I can do than let my GM know about what you've said. I asked him to contact his GM or Franchise owner and have one of them call me back. He said he could leave a message for them, but couldn't assure when or if they would call back. That certainly didn't communicate to me that my efforts were appreciated.
Finally, Amanda, the GM called me after she arrived home for the day at 3:45 pm. So, she returned the call very quickly. The problem was she was all in it for herself--learn what she can to improve the business and do virtually nothing for the customer. Although I explained my experience four times before to other employees today, she still was not aware of the problems on their website or catering pages. No one told her anything. Sounds like a big communication problem all the way around. She (Amanda) asked me to walk with her through my experience with the mobile app and each webpage url so she would know what to address with their IT department which I did for 30 minutes on the phone.
As for why no one answered the phones on Friday morning, 9/13/2019, from 11 am - 11:45 am, she (Amanda) told me Chick-Fil-A leadership had instructed the stores not to set up a voicemail when they choose not to answer their phones. So, as a customer, you will hear a voicemail system pick up your call and essentially waste your time.
Finally, after nearly two hours on the phone with five CFA employees, she (Amanda) shared her reservation about the store being able to fill a small catering order like this (2 small trays of chicken nuggets) because of a big tournament that would effect their business tomorrow. She asked me if I wanted to keep the order and she then said she would comp out the $5 in sauces with the order and give me a card for a free small tray of chicken nuggets to use at another location (READ: I want your money; you can use this FREE card at another location--don't saddle me with the loss) in the future. I simply thought, why not use the FREE card toward half this purchase. But she couldn't seem to see her way to that kind of customer-friendly solution.
She called Randy, the Franchise Owner, and he agreed with her. She called me back and offered me a take it or leave it offer. I declined and cancelled my order entirely. What a waste of time and energy. This store benefits from all my effort and I get absolutely nothing in return. It seems like they are far more interested in the money than satisfied customers. I couldn't believe it! Truett Cathy, Chick-Fil-A's founder, and a gentleman I enjoyed good conversation with over a couple of meals in the 1980's would have been appalled by this kind of behavior from his management team.
If I were you, I would choose another Chick-Fil-A location to do business. read more