“Should we continue helping customers? Or does it open us up to scams?” That’s the ethical quandary posed by a popular Taco Bell worker on TikTok.
Caleb Lennon (@caleb_lennon) shared how the particular Taco Bell location he works for handles instances in which customers show up to the drive-thru window or counter and don’t have enough money to pay for the entirety of their order.
From the way Lennon speaks about this occurrence, it appears that more often than not, Taco Bell workers will err on the side of charity for patrons who show up and need a bit of help. He says that if they’re just a few coins away from fulfilling the full amount of the sale, there’s a dedicated spare change jar in the main office of the restaurant that employees can dip into to reach that total amount.
“If they’re only short you know 1 cent, 30 cents, something random like that, we’re gonna help them out,” he says.
Lennon also says that it isn’t uncommon for workers to just dig into their own pockets and cover the charge for hungry patrons who show up to their restaurant for some grub but are shy by a bit of change, because, as he says it, the highest priority is to ensure that the customers are happy and that they keep coming back to the restaurant for more grub in the future.
“The most important thing is making sure the customers are happy so they wanna come back in the future. However, some people try to get one over on us sometimes because they know how we’re thinking,” he says.
He highlights an incident in which restaurant workers were able to catch a drive-thru customer in a lie.
“Our windows are tinted, so we can see out, and they can’t see in, and one time we saw this customer push their debit in the crack of their seat. We did not understand why they did that until we opened the window, and … they said they forgot their wallet at home and had no cards on them,” he starts. “We could’ve given it to them for free if they really needed it, but they lied to us, so we told them we weren’t going to be able to give them their food today, and we’re very sorry about that.”
@caleb_lennon Should we continue helping customers? Or does it open us up to scams?
♬ original sound – Caleb
Eat This, Not That covered the phenomena of folks not being able to pay their restaurant bills, stating that a business’ reaction largely depends on whoever is running said business.
When it comes to fast-food establishments, if you’re ordering your food inside, you’re pre-paying before the restaurant puts the order in. However, if you place an order at the drive-thru and pay after the fact, whoever is working at and/or managing the location at the time has a choice to make: Do they give the patron in question their food for free?
Again, it seems like this is ultimately up to the discretion of the restaurant in question, and judging by the responses from several TikTokers who responded to Lennon’s video, it seems like there are a lot of folks who don’t expect this much consideration from a Taco Bell.
“I wish I could come to your Taco Bell! Your food looks better than the one by me. And what a kind thing to do if someone needs help,” one viewer said, expressing how impressed they were by not just Lennon’s approach to helping out customers in need but also by the way he prepares Taco Bell fare.
“I was short, 15 cents, they canceled my order but I didn’t get a refund so I lost like the last 10 bucks I had for that week. then when I asked and showed them the charge,” another said.
“Your store is kind af! … The store in our town + Could learn a thing or two from yall. Happy to know not all Taco Bell stores aren’t like the one in my town,” a third wrote.
Others, however, seemed to have had positive encounters with Taco Bell staff members. “They gave me my order for free once when I thought I had cash on me and I didn’t. That was pretty cool of them,” one wrote.
Another said that when they were unhoused, Taco Bell came in clutch for them. “I remember counting pennies to the cent with tax for that little cup of cheese with chips. taco bell saved me,” they shared.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Taco Bell via email and Lennon via TikTok comment for further information.
