It’s not easy working as a waiter. Wages are notoriously low, and often the only way to make up for it is by providing excellent service to patrons with the hope that they reward you with a generous tip.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes great service is met with a terrible gratuity, and it can be very frustrating. That very thing happened to one Imgur user who makes a living a waiter. And while it left them feeling defeated, what happened the next day renewed their faith!
Flickr
As Imgur user Seminole shared, “[There’s] nothing more frustrating than when I get little to nothing for a tip and the customer is smiling and thanking me profusely as they exit.”
The “little to nothing” tip turned out to be exactly $3.28. When the disappointed waiter was ready to chalk it up to dealing with bad tippers, something happened the next day that changed his mind entirely.
He wrote, “These kids came back another day and left this [note] for me at the front desk, with $18 and some change.”
PXHere
The note contained a touching explanation for their behavior. It turned out the group of 13-year-olds wasn’t used to eating out by themselves. It was their first real “grown-up” experience, and they thanked him for treating them with respect despite their age.
Imgur
Knowing very little about paying for their own meals, though, they also didn’t understand the importance of a good tip. They gave what money they had leftover and went home. It wasn’t until after they left that they learned they’d all but stiffed the waiter – and they felt terrible.
The young teens were determined to make it right, which is why they came back with a much better tip the next day.
Imgur
The patrons signed the note as “the 4 teenagers from that night,” guessing that he’d remember them. Seminole gushed on Imgur, “I’ve been serving a long time, and nothing like this has ever happened to me, or anyone [I know].”
The waiter captioned the uploaded images as “faith in people restored.” He ended by saying to the teens, “I don’t know how you learned or educated yourself on tipping, but I really appreciate the effort and kindness.”
Indeed, a little bit of those two things can go a long way. If this story of four young people demonstrating heartfelt integrity touched you, please share it with others!
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