From a customer’s perspective, Chick-Fil-A totally trumps McDonald’s. Why is it that when you go through the drive through, the way a McDonald’s employee addresses you is completely different than the way Chick-Fil-A workers do? From my experiences at McDonald’s, I usually get a, “Go ahead”. Those are the shortest and most impersonal two words they could choose to say. At Chick-Fil-A, I usually hear, “Hi there welcome to Chick-Fil-A, how may I serve you today ma’am?”. The bathrooms are clean, and the food is always fresh. When you thank a worker, they respond with, “My pleasure”. That instantly makes me feel more welcomed and have a better experience. Don’t get me wrong, there are exceptions at both restaurants and there are such amazing people with great personalities that keep McDonald’s running! But still, why is it that most of the time a cheeseburger at McDonald’s is very sloppily made? The cheese will be half way off the burger and everything will look just thrown on. Yes, I do realize that it is a fast food restaurant, but I would still like to have the best experience and food possible. I have always wondered why my experiences at these places are black and white. I decided to look up the mission statements from both restaurants. McDonald’s mission statement reads, “McDonald's brand mission is to be our customers' favorite place and way to eat and drink. Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers' experience.” Chick-Fil-A’s tradition is, “We firmly believe in treating every person who comes through our doors with honor, dignity, and respect. To us, service goes beyond our restaurant doors. We serve our communities through volunteerism and giving. We also make a commitment to take care of the people who take care of our communities. For example, by giving sandwiches to first responders in times of crisis, we honor the commitment they make to serve all of us. And our philanthropic giving reinforces that commitment to service by helping children and families in need. This is what makes us who we are.” Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-Fil-A, also said, ““Nearly every moment of every day we have the opportunity to give something to someone else – our time, our love, our resources. I have always found more joy in giving when I did not expect anything in return.” Just reading the missions and traditions between the two companies showed me why my experiences are so different. The Chick-Fil-A employees were trained to serve people with a smile and give to the people of their community. They were taught to treat everyone that walks in the door with utmost respect and care. The motive behind Truett Cathy and his business was made with the people in mind and with his heart, rather than the almighty dollar. That is the very reason I admire Mr. Cathy and all he stood for and passed on to his employees. So next time you go to either place, pay attention to your overall experience and ask yourself if you see anything different. In most cases, you will! I will forever be on team Chick-Fil-A!