An Arizona waiter took a customer’s card while she was clearing the table’s plates. Then she brought the table their check and forgot she already had the card. The waiter masterfully gaslit the customer, who forgave her when she finally fessed up.
In a video with over 33,000 views, TikToker Elizabeth Thorne (@elizabeththorne_) admits to “accidentally gaslighting” her table when she forgot about the credit card.
“I just shoved it into my apron and didn’t think about it. I had a huge stack of all these plates,” she explains.
When she brought back the check, she recalls the man saying, “I already gave you my card.” Thorne says she responded, “No you did not.”
She says she went back and forth with the table, still thinking that she didn’t have the man’s card. She was so convincing that other guests at the table started to take her side, she recounts.
Thorne offered to check with other servers to see if he gave it to someone else. But then, she reached into her pocket and felt the card.
How Did She Break The News To Her Table?
Thorne says she sheepishly headed back to the table and admitted that she found the card in her apron. As an apology, she brought more of the restaurant’s complimentary chocolate candies back to the table.
However, the man’s response surprised her.
She recalls the man saying, “‘You just about gave me a heart attack. … It’s a good thing you’re cute!”
Despite the mixup with the credit card, Thorne says the man tipped her a hefty $50.
She added in the caption, “Not ALL my tables are bad, some of them are the greatest ever.”
How Often Do Servers Lose Customer’s Credit Cards?
On the r/TalesFromYourServer subreddit, other servers admitted to accidentally losing customers’ credit cards and shared how they broke the news.
The original poster said they let the customer whose card they lost know that they lost their credit card but were going to foot the bill of their meal. Thankfully, that customer was “totally cool about it.”
“They told me they trusted me, and hoped I found it. I took their info and on my way out, they asked me how much the bill was even for. It was just under 30 bucks, and the woman gave me $5. Seriously. The woman who’s credit card I just lost, tipped me. Amazing,” they shared.
Comping the customer’s bill seems to be the standard when a worker misplaces their card. “We had a server who had the check folder with the credit card sticking out. She was in a rush, pulled it out of her apron, it got stuck on something and as it released, the card flew straight into the deep fryer. It was fun watching the aftermath of that one! Obviously comped the whole meal. And huge apologies all around,” a restaurant manager shared.
However, others say some customers aren’t as chill when their card goes missing.
“I lost someones credit card once…but they weren’t as nice as your guest. instead, she canceled the card, called the cops, and demanded that i empty my purse and apron, accusing me of stealing it,” another commenter wrote.
Do Viewers Agree With The Server’s Approach?
In the comments of Thorne’s video, some viewers say they would have handled the awkward situation differently.
“I would’ve played it off and said I found the waitress who had it and the day is saved. Good in you for being so forthcoming,” one wrote.
Another said, “I never would have admitted defeat.”
However, others say they’ve done the same thing.
“Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss. Fake it till we make it. It’s the server/bartender code,” a viewer commented.
@elizabeththorne_ Not ALL my tables are bad, some of them are the greatest ever 🥹 #arizona #fyp #bartender #server #storytime
BroBible reached out to Thorne via Instagram and TikTok direct message for further comment. We will update the story when she replies.