Ch. 17 - Personal Selling and Sales Management

One of Chipotle Mexican Grill’s founding principles is to serve “food with integrity.” So it comes as no surprise that quality customer service is an important part of the company’s mission. With 1,300+ locations, Chipotle is one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies in the United States. That type of rapid growth can make consistently great customer interactions a challenge. Chipotle’s secret recipe: becoming a customer company.

Chipotle’s service team receives inquiries as diverse as suggestions for locations of new restaurants, feedback about service at a specific location, or detailed questions about food ingredients and preparation. The company tapped Salesforce when it needed a scalable solution to provide business insights, keep pace with its growth, and expand to address social media over time.

                                      

Using customer profiles, Chipotle maintains a record of all customer service inquires—from a variety of channels—for 360-degree customer views. “Although we have more than a thousand restaurants, we want each to be a part of the community it serves and every customer to know they’re important,” says Shannon Kyllo, Customer Service Manager. “Salesforce gives us a close understanding of our customers so we can better meet their needs and personalize their experiences in our restaurants.”

Integration with back office systems for reporting is also important. “In addition to engaging with customers, it’s critical that we can identify trends as they develop,” explains Kyllo. “For example, if we get a lot of positive feedback in one area, it may be due to an exemplary district manager. Or if we get several complaints about an ingredient, there may be an issue with the supplier that we need to investigate.”

        Consumers are increasingly taking to social networks to share their opinions about their dining experiences—both positive and negative. Chipotle has a new team that is entirely devoted to listening to conversations about its brand and building even closer connections to customers. “As social media becomes the primary platform for customers to share their experiences and feedback, we are constantly evolving our communication model so we can connect with our customers in the ways that are most relevant for them,” explains Eric Wilson, Director of Initiatives. “Our service model is built on creating relationships with our customers—that’s always our top priority.”