re: Chick-fil-A is beating every competitor by training workers to say 'please' and 'thank you

CFA's entire business model is based on elevating customer service beyond the typical fast-food experience. It's a very simple concept (if not at all simple to implement), yet a very successful one.

As far as training people to say "please" and "thank you", I guess it does suggest that common courtesy isn't so common anymore. But I would be willing to bet that CFA's hiring process is heavily weighted towards people who already have decent manners and would require very little actual training to make it a habit. Unlike a lot of other chains, it's probably more about learning scripts with CFA's new hires than having to be taught basic politeness.