Customer Goes Above And Beyond To Apologize To The Server He Forgot To Tip
In a world where there is more and more animosity about tipping, one man demonstrated that it's still good to show your server appreciation.
lunopark | Shutterstock Many worry that tipping culture is getting out of hand in the U.S. It seems like a new story goes viral every week about the latest bizarre place someone was asked to tip.
The problem with this notion is that for servers actually working hard for their wages, tipping is still an important part of their income. One man proved that the common courtesy of tipping is still appreciated.
A man who forgot to leave a tip for his server did all that he could to make things right.
If someone forgot to leave a tip for a server, even if they had every intention of leaving one in the first place, there’s a good chance they wouldn’t do anything to rectify the situation. After all, to that person, it seems like a small thing and would cause more of an inconvenience to make right.
A man named Ted didn’t feel that way.
Lenoir, North Carolina’s Side Street Pour House and Grill, posted a photo of a letter they received on their Facebook page. In the letter, Ted explained what happened when he and his wife dined at the restaurant.
“I pulled my receipts and discovered that I had inadvertently retained the signed merchant’s copy of my VISA receipts when I left your restaurant Saturday (12/30) afternoon,” he wrote. “As a result, while the food was fully paid, the tip which I had intended to leave for our server, Hope C, was not relayed back to VISA.”
The letter included a $20 bill with the message, “Please find enclosed her tip in cash.”
The restaurant was blown away by the customer's gesture.
Side Street Pour House and Grill included a caption with the photo that showed just how touched they were to receive the letter.
“We just had to share this letter from a customer who accidentally took the wrong copy of his credit card receipt with him when he stopped in for lunch with his wife,” they said. “Unfortunately, this meant their server did not receive the tip they’d intended to leave her that afternoon.”
They explained how important it is for servers to receive tips in the first place.
“Our servers work hard to give our customers excellent dining experiences and earn their tips, but sometimes either accidentally (like this example) or intentionally (which is really not cool) they find themselves left without,” they continued.
They ended their caption with a message just for Ted. “We thank you and we appreciate you!!” they wrote.
Facebook commenters were equally moved by what the customer did.
The post went viral, racking up 140,000 likes, 6,000 shares, and over 500 comments. Many people expressed their admiration for Ted’s act of kindness.
“Perfect example of an absolute class act. I wish the world was full of this. We’d all be so much better off. Thank you, Ted,” one person said.
“That is so nice!” another wrote. “That just shows us that there are still good people in this world.”
A third person chimed in and said, “I hope all of Ted’s 2024 dreams come true.”
The customer's kind act came at a time when many Americans feel jaded about tipping.
CBS reported that there is a general decline in tipping due to the state of the economy. Because of this, servers are seeing an 8% decrease in tips.
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Referencing a Bankrate study, CBS noted, “One thing is clear: The ubiquity of digital payment apps that invite consumers to tip appears to be breeding some consumer resentment. Two-thirds of those polled expressed a negative view about tipping, Bankrate found, while 41% of respondents said businesses should pay their employees better rather than relying so much on tips to boost workers’ income.”
During a time when Americans are more averse to tipping than ever, seeing what Ted did is truly touching. Taking the time to let someone know that their service mattered to you may be more meaningful now than ever before.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.