Chipotle Gets Caught Rounding Up Customers’ Totals
Next time you go to Chipotle, you might want to take a closer look at that receipt.
The popular Mexican grill restaurant chain has admitted that they have been rounding up the receipts of customers up to the nearest nickel. According to Chipotle, the practice was only used in "high-volume cities," such as New York, but that doesn't lessen the blow any from the angry consumers.
Chipotle customers are up in arms since it was revealed that the Mexican fast food restaurant has been rounding up bills to the nearest nickel in high-volume locations like New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
Outraged, they demanded answers from the company as to why they are nicking pennies from their loyal customers and why the prevalent practice is not indicated anywhere near the registers.
Chipotle defended itself saying that the registers rounds up, or down, in order to be more efficient and speed up long lines, adding that they don't make any profit off the practice.
Since the story broke, Chipotle has promised to be upfront about their rounding policies and will now round down instead of round up.
For me, it's not so much the fact that Chipotle was rounding up and down a couple of cents. What bothers me the most is that they didn't tell anyone they were doing it. I'd be OK with my bill being rounded as long as I knew they were doing it, and I think that's why everyone is so up in arms over this "sneaky practice." If you're going to mess with a customer's bill, no matter what reason, you have to at let them in on what you're doing.
What do you think? Should restaurants be allowed to "round up" customers' totals?