Chick-fil-A — Restaurant in Knoxville

(This review does not apply to the drive-thru, as I don't have any issues there)

As this is the closest CF to my home by at least 10 miles, I have have given this location soooooo many chances to provide a good experience, but it has yet to happen. Let me start by saying that if this was McDonald's, I wouldn't be writing this review as my expectations are much lower for it and other fast food establishments. But let's not kid ourselves that CF hasn't set a pretty high bar for fast food customer service. And for the most part, your company has lived up to those high standards. But the fountain city location has been a consist disappointment since day one.

First, I'll speak from the viewpoint of a delivery driver - my daughter has delivered food for a few years and I've had many occasions to assist her which has brought me inside this location to pick up orders many, many times. 8 out of 10 times you have to ask someone to help you when you are waiting at the order pick up counter, despite there always being more than one employee who appears to be doing nothing. I've been left standing there while multiple employees stood at the front registers, carrying on personal conversations and completely ignoring me until I spoke up. I've been ignored with no other customers in sight. The folks who have ordered the food for delivery are just as important as those who are there in person and in fact, they've paid more money for what they've bought, so delivery drivers should be treated as though they are the customer.

And from the point of a dine-in customer, it's probably even worse. There never seems to be an employee who just stands at the front registers waiting for a walk in. Today, for example, when we walked in, there was no one in line. Yet we stood waiting for 1-2 minutes while two employees chatted about something (both making eye contact) and completely ignoring us. Multiple other employees moving about behind the counter also made eye contact but not a single one greeted us. After they finally took our order, we proceeded to the dining room which was absolutely filthy. Despite there only being around 6 other people seated in the dining area, there wasn't a single table that was remotely clean. I went to the side counter and when I was finally acknowledged, the employee thanked me for letting her know. I replied that we were actually trying to sit and eat, to which she said that someone would clean as soon as they could. It's completely unacceptable to have guests waiting to sit while she did something else. It would have taken her about 10 seconds to clean off a table for us. We finally cleaned one ourselves, but it turns out we didn't need to get in a hurry because we didn't get our food till about 10 minutes later. Someone did start to clean the tables after we'd been seated for nearly 15 minutes.

This is just a few of many examples of the kind of experiences that are typical of this location. In the past, I have left my contact info and asked for the store manager to call me, but that has never happened. It's very disappointing to love the food and the brand but to avoid eating there as often as I do because of the poor customer service routinely on display here. Knowing that you can get exceptional service at most locations but not this one is really a poor reflection of those who are leading these young...

I know everyone is probably wondering how their perfect Chick-Fil-A could possibly get anything less than a 3 but after what I say I bet most will say, hmmm she’s right that is true. First off the food is good maybe great at times but that’s not all we rate at restaurants. The bathroom is where I start because that’s where we go into first to wash our hands. What were they thinking when they outlined the layout for this restaurant in the first place? The kitchen is the only big area. The bathroom only ever has two stalls which in my opinion is never enough especially at a restaurant where kids and moms frequent and they knew when they wanted to start a restaurant they wanted to engage and connect families there so they should’ve always had more stalls. Next, sinks, there is always only one. Why one? Usually when I’m walking in, there is almost always an employee fixing their hair or clothing before heading back out, but again in front of the only small mirror and one sink, so we all literally have to play switch around games by the foot to maneuver around inside. Anyone else understanding the 3 stars now?... The service is always fast which is amazing and the best. The staff is friendly yes again we love that but why have we taken out the free meal from Cow Appreciation Day? I’ll tell you why. They needed more business on slow nights so I’m guessing that’s what drummed up business, great idea but if you were anyone like me, we never ate out much, I cooked meals at home a lot and so we didn’t hear much about these days. When we heard about them we literally went to one and loved it so I went out and bought the supplies to make all the outfits to use each time. Guess what happened, the very next year when one came around, they changed it to just a free entree. Of course because now they have too much business. I’m not one to complain about free food but after just one time it happened. It’s still a great deal to get a free entree and I appreciate them doing it at all and now they also do their free chicken biscuit days etc. The layout of the drive thru in the parking lot, again what was the thinking in this to begin with? I should take another star away for this actually but I won’t. It always is full, always blocking parking stalls for cars to enter or exit, and for some reason the people in line, don’t ever want to let people park or leave the restaurant before they can get a foot closer in the drive thru line. They outright refuse to move unless it’s closer to the bumper in front of them NO MATTER WHAT. Kind of creepy. They also always block the walk in areas where children and families are ALWAYS crossing, not safe at all. I understand the reasoning the wrap the building so not to pile out into the street, but when it compromises the safety of customers especially children entering and exiting the building, I’d say it needs to be changed ASAP. The only thing I have left to say that disappoints me is we go a lot and my kids order the nuggets every time, and 1 out of 3 times we get shorted a nugget which aggravates me that we have to go back up to ask for what I already paid for, and I’m sure they are all thinking, she probably ate one to get more, but I didn’t. The fries also come up short frequently but 1 in 10,000 we get an extra nugget and my kids act as if they won the lottery so...

I have NEVER been told at a Chick-Fil-a until tonight, to include this one, that they couldn't give you fries without salt. Then we are asked if we needed a carrier for our drinks, we said no, and then they give us our drinks in a carrier.

Edited to add the complete incompetence in not including the only sandwich ordered, no crackers for the soup, and no dressing for the salad.

Four months later after the original review, this message was sent to them: This morning finally broke me at this location. After arriving at the drive-thru line before breakfast ended by the time I'm finally pulling up to the staff member taking orders I overhear a young lady telling them there is no more breakfast. I clarify that and explain I had been sitting in the line since before 10:30.

This would be my only chance to get breakfast, or any food, for myself and my daughter (who is participating in sports from 10-6 today) until well after 2 as I didn't have time at this point to stop at another place, and I wasted my time sitting in the line at Chick-Fil-a until after all other restaurants stopped serving only to be the first person told you had stopped serving breakfast.

It's one thing that you all insist on not being able to give a customer fries before you cover the rest in salt. Refusing to serve a customer breakfast who had been waiting in your parking lot since before 10:30 is not at all the customer service we have grown to expect from Chick-Fil-a, though. This is the reason we will not be returning here.

Editing 6 months later 12/22...... Though they still insist their fries must be drowned in salt and argue that you can't get them without, today's issue is that I have been sitting and waiting for my curbside online order for 20 minutes (ten minutes after I received the message that someone was coming out with the order) and have seen the drive-thru line empty at least 4-5 times. This is beyond ridiculous.

Aug 11, 2023 update - Really? How do you put someone else's sandwich with their name on it in a bag with a different order, but not put the sandwiches for that...