A server sat a couple of regulars in her section on her birthday and was shocked when she saw how much they tipped her. They wouldn’t let her clarify the amount, which created an awkward situation when they returned a few hours later.
In a video with over 558,000 views, TikToker Samantha (@misssamanthab) says she served two of her regulars, who always have the same total for their bill, $87. She explains that they usually hand her a $100 bill and tell her to keep the change. She says she was surprised when they handed her a $100 and a $20 for a higher tip for her birthday.
When she went to settle the tab, she says she realized they gave her two $100 bills and one $20 bill. She headed back to the table to ask if they made a mistake.
“They go, ‘No, no.’ They cut me off. ‘The rest is for you. We’re here to celebrate your birthday,'” she says. Samantha says she tried to explain that they left two $100s, but they continued to cut her off.
Instead of pocketing the money, she says she told her manager what happened. She says she placed the high tip in an envelope in the back office. She found out her gut feeling was right when the couple came back to the restaurant a few hours later.
Did The Couple Accuse Her Of Stealing The Tip?
The couple told her they left too much money, she recounts. She says she told them that she kept it separate in the back office because she worried it was too high a tip. When she came back from retrieving the extra $100, she says she saw the couple talking to her manager.
“He’s talking to my manager saying he thinks I stole the money from him and that I was dishonest,” she continues. After the manager clarified that Samantha kept the money separate in case it was a mistake, the woman praised the server for her honesty.
Samantha was shocked when she found out the couple reported her to corporate after the incident resolved.
However, the couple’s actions got weirder. Samantha says they came in the following week and requested to sit in her section again. Samantha says she refused to serve them, noting that she was “written up” by corporate.
Can Customers Ask For A Tip Back?
While it’s generally frowned upon to ask for a tip back, servers on the r/waiters subreddit said the awkward situation has happened to them.
“I mean, I’ve had it happen where they gave me a 50 and a 5 and said no change. Then go look at the bill and it’s only $20,” one wrote. “They had meant to give me a 20 and a 5. Sure. Here’s your 30 bucks back.”
Others shared how they handle customers asking for the tip back.
“I’m very fortunate to be in a club where there’s a lot of people and a lot of bartenders, if someone asks me back for a tip i’ll fully make fun of them, and usually their friends will be ashamed. 9/10 it works,” another joked.
“I’d give it back and I’d have the manager tell them that they could leave and never come back,” a third commenter remarked. “Such an awful scenario with awful people.”
Viewers Defend The Server
In the comments of the viral TikTok, viewers assured Samantha that she handled the situation with integrity, despite the customers’ reactions.
“You clearly realized they made a mistake and tried to tell them,” one said. “You knew it wasn’t right and brought it up with your manager, fully expecting to return the money…They are wrong.”
Others gave her props for setting boundaries with her regulars after they reported her to corporate.
A viewer wrote, “Good for you for not accepting them as customers, I’d be like obviously the trust for BOTH of us is gone!”
“I would say so too,” a second added. “And if they ask why I would tell them bc people don’t call corporate when they ask for their money back.”
@misssamanthab This taught me to ALWAYS give back cash change even when people say “the rest is for you” #bartender #server #restaurant #customerservice #fyp
BroBible reached out to Samantha via TikTok direct message and comment. We will update the story when she replies.