Walmart and McDonald’s are suddenly copying one of Chick-fil-A’s winning strategies

mom and son at chick fil a. Chick Fil A employee serves meal

Walmart and McDonald’s are suddenly copying one of Chick-fil-A’s winning strategies

 

Walmart and McDonald’s, two of the biggest and oldest brands in the US, have for years faced widespread complaints about poor customer service.

Now both companies are investing billions of dollars in wage increases and training for their workers, following in the footsteps of companies like Chick-fil-A, and they are already seeing positive results.

Walmart last year committed to investing $2.7 billion over two years in wage increases, scheduling improvements, and employee training.

The move is improving widespread issues in stores, such as empty shelves and cleanliness, executives said.

“Associates are feeling a little bit more engaged,” Walmart US President Greg Foran told reporters last week.

The company is even seeing sales and traffic improvements, which it said were driven in part by the investments in labor. In the most recent quarter, Walmart’s US same-store sales rose 1%, driven by a 1.5% increase in traffic.

The changes aren’t going unnoticed by customers.

“Our customers continue to tell us they are happy with the changes we’re making in our stores, as evidenced by our customer-experience scores, which rose again this quarter versus last year,” said Brett Biggs, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Walmart stores, on a call with analysts.

read more at:  http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-and-mcdonalds-are-investing-more-in-employees-2016-5