Chipotle Cheating Scandal: Chain Bamboozling Customers By Rounding Up Pennies?
by Free Britney at .Chipotle locations around the country are feeling the heat from media and consumers over their practice of rounding up pennies to the nearest even amount.
This came to light after a few New Jersey residents recently noticed their checks at the popular restaurant were rounded up. Turns out it's not uncommon.
The Newark Star-Ledger found that Chipotle registers in the tri-state area typically round up - or down - depending where the coin falls nearest to a nickel.
A spokesperson for Chipotle said that the company employs the practice to curb long lines and create greater efficiency in these high-volume locations.
"The idea is simply to limit the possible combinations of change on cash transactions to keep the lines moving quickly in high volume areas," Chris Arnold said.
"It was never our intention to have a policy that was confusing or misleading."
He also said that Chipotle hasn't seen any kind of profit from the practice, but effective immediately, Chipotle locations in New Jersey will only round down.
Still, there is debate as to whether it was fleecing customers - albeit a little at a time - or whether it would be more convenient to avoid small change altogether.
Canada already did away with their penny in March. Perhaps for the U.S., rounding down (and up) with even amounts is the next logical step as well?
Related Stories
-
Rapper Faked Own Death? Warrant Out for Tim Dog -
Celebrity Prom Photos: President Obama, Brad Pitt, Lady Gaga & Many More!
-
London Attack: British Soldier Killed With Cleaver, Officials Decry Terrorism
Comments (6 Total)
Its probably best for me if I am as efficient as I can be and no longer eat at chipotle. Literally, every penny counts and this business knows that. I can save a few pennies in gas but It adds up to dollars
Chipotle is smoke-screening with this excuse. With as much as people use plastic for eating out, rounding can't be moving the lines much faster. Besides... How much more time does it take to hand someone 3 pennies with their $1.50 change?
When I eat there from now on I'll make sure to have exact change for my meal and never use my credit/debit card. They have no reason to round up or down. I wonder how many times they round down...probably never. You keep doing this over a period of time to almost every customer and see how much money is being made. I bet people won't take this so lightly then.
If they are following the simple rules of rounding and carrying their calculations past 2 decimal places- there is no debate. Over time, it is a push.
Hahahaha I second Sammie! This is controversial?? Umm, o-k.