Chick-fil-A releases an 'easy' challenge to win free ice cream. But most customers can't do it

Customers dining in at Chick-fil-A can claim a freebie only if they follow one specific rule at the restaurant. It all began in 2016, when a mom reportedly spent an entire meal glued to her cell phone without communicating with her kids. The tiny incident left a profound effect on Brad Williams, the owner of two franchise restaurants in Georgia. In fact, he was so overwhelmed by the customer's experience that he eventually came up with a brilliant idea to help patrons enjoy their meals without screen distractions, ABC News reported.

The initiative was also shared on Chick-fil-A's Instagram account @chickfilamoorerd. The Georgia outlets had reintroduced the initiative back in January this year, Business Insider confirmed on March 31. 

Williams realized that people conveniently use cell phones to escape from the real world. Acknowledging the alarming situation, he began exploring ways to help customers unplug from technology, and that's how the "cell phone coop" came into existence. Williams basically placed boxes, each decorated with a wire coop, on every table and instructed customers to place their cell phones inside it after turning it to silent mode. Once diners submitted their cell phones, they had to eat their entire meal without touching the box to claim a free ice cream dessert. 

The initiative that started at two Chick-fil-A restaurants soon spread like wildfire, and 200 other operators adapted it at their own restaurants. "We’re trying to slowly create rituals that create disciplines and will slowly create habits; it's almost like we’re starting to create a no-cellphone zone," he added. The cell phone coop initiative witnessed an immediate change at the restaurants. Notably, Williams observed that the initiative resulted in more active conversations, moving away from the usual silence of customers glued to their devices. He explained, "It’s hard to sit with your family and not do the challenge now."

People are so obsessed with their cell phones that it's almost impossible for them to spend even an hour without their devices. In fact, a survey across Americans (by Reviews.org) found that 45.8% of participants are addicted to their phones. They are so used to being glued to their phones that while 84.6% of participants reported checking devices within the first 10 minutes of waking, 56.4% confessed to using them during dinner.

The obsession has grown so much that 41.3% of respondents report experiencing anxiety when their phone battery goes below 20%. Moreover, more than half (53%) confessed to having never been away from their phone for over 24 hours. Whether driving (29.3%) or on a date with someone special (40.1%), Americans are just not able to keep their phones away, the survey noted. 

Meanwhile, Chick-fil-A's innovative approach received an overwhelming response from the customers; for instance, @blessedmama0502 commented, "This is a great idea! This should be at all Chick-fil-A restaurants." Similarly, @pm.lovejesuslovepeople wrote, "It is one of my favorite campaigns." @ronnienotronniee confessed, "I already do this. It helps me enjoy my food and alone time.

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