Why Chick-Fil-A Operations Saved a COVID Vaccine Drive-Thru

 

Fast-food giant Chick-Fil-A is known for its service – and that commitment to moving customers through its restaurants paid off outside the realm of chicken sandwiches recently.

A South Carolina Chick-Fil-A came through in a big way for the local community of Mount Pleasant, highlighting some of the ways Chick-Fila-A has commanded the drive-thru and its excellent customer experience.

Reporting out of FOX 11 said that, on Jan. 22nd, traffic at a local COVID-19 vaccination site was so backed up, patients getting a vaccine were waiting for an hour or more. The issue was initially caused by a software glitch, which delayed vaccine administering for too long a period to recover from – at least without help.

When the Mayor of Mount Pleasant, Will Haynie, was notified, his first thought to solve the issue was to ring the manager of one of the town’s Chick-Fil-A locations.

It proved a savvy move, as manager Jerry Walkowiak brought some of the restaurant’s best practices to the drive-thru to speed things along, such as going down the car line as people waited to make sure they had paperwork all filled out and ready to go and getting them to a parking spot to receive their vaccine.

It raises an important point – how has Chick-Fil-A built such a reputation for excellent customer service when, in fact, their drive-thrus came in dead last for speed compared to nine other major chains in a recent study?

On this MarketScale Industry Update, hosts Daniel Litwin and Tyler Kern dive into how good service, accuracy and more can make up for a lack of speed – and how the word “frictionless” doesn’t have to mean “lightspeed.”

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

safer HVAC chemicals
Stronger Training Pipelines and Smarter Social Media Can Help Solve HVAC’s Talent Shortage
June 9, 2026

The skilled trades are at a crossroads. By some industry estimates, for every five experienced technicians retiring, only two new ones are entering the field—highlighting a growing HVAC talent gap. At the same time, buildings are becoming more complex, more connected, and more dependent on high-performance mechanical systems. The stakes are real: without a…

Read More
design
Where Design Meets Durability: Why Commercial Surfaces Must Support Safety, Cleanability, and Long-Term Value
June 8, 2026

When a commercial space fails, it often fails quietly: a lobby floor that becomes slippery when wet, a hotel bathroom that is difficult to clean, a healthcare surface that cannot withstand constant disinfection, or an office finish that looks great until afternoon glare makes the room uncomfortable. These are not purely aesthetic problems; they are…

Read More
creative career
Crafted Journey How To: Building a Creative Career Across Scripts, Stages, and Sound
June 8, 2026

Creative careers rarely move in a straight line, especially for writers working across stage, screen, audio, books, and independent film. Sustaining that kind of life often means finding opportunities wherever they appear, building a strong network, staying open to different formats, and saying yes to collaborations that can lead somewhere unexpected. The stakes are…

Read More
EMR
EMR Strategy, Consulting, and Career Pivots with MedSys Co-Founder Mark Embry
June 8, 2026

Electronic medical records (EMRs) have moved from a back-office upgrade to a frontline determinant of care quality, clinician burnout, and hospital economics. With U.S. hospitals often spending tens to hundreds of millions—sometimes exceeding $100 million—on EMR implementations, the stakes have never been higher for getting both the technology and the human adoption right. As…

Read More