The life of a waiter can be tough. In the American restaurant industry, servers rely heavily on tips from their customers to make ends meet. Even if they do an excellent job and provide top-notch service, customers can still choose to leave a low tip or none at all, leaving the server struggling to pay their bills.
This is what happened to a waiter in Los Angeles who served a group of teens headed to their homecoming dance. Despite doing an excellent job and providing great service, the teens left him a meager $3.28 as a tip. The waiter was hurt and frustrated by their lack of appreciation for his hard work. He assumed they were entitled and looked down on people like him.
However, ten days later, the waiter received a letter from the group of teens, and his opinion of them changed completely.
The letter apologized for their mistake and explained that they had no idea what a tip was or how much to give. They went on to express their gratitude for the waiter’s excellent service and enclosed an envelope with the correct 18% tip and a little extra as a way of saying thank you.
“About a week and a half ago, on October 7, my three friends and I came to eat at this restaurant as our own homecoming celebration. It was an exciting experience for us to be here alone, and it was all new to us. And you were the best waiter we could ask for. You were kind, helpful, accommodating, didn’t treat us like babies, and were even able to fit the food to all my allergies! So I wanted to say thank you for making our ‘grown-up’ experience so amazing and fun.
“I would also like to say sorry on behalf of my group. Since we were new to all of this, our 13-year-old minds didn’t exactly know how to deal with the bill. You were super helpful in dividing the checkup and taking our not-so-preferable cash. The bill was reasonable, but we had completely forgotten (and frankly didn’t know) what a tip even was, let alone how much to give. So we emptied our pockets, and all our money added up to $3.28.
“Not aware of how small this really was, we left, clueless of what we had left you for all your hard work. Later, we realized our mistake and felt horrible. We knew we had to make it right.
“So in this envelope, you will find the correct 18% tip + extra for simply being amazing. We appreciate your help and patience and thank you for making our night fun. Thank you!”
The letter was a heartwarming gesture of kindness and empathy. These teens could have easily ignored their mistakes and moved on with their lives, but they chose to take responsibility for their actions and make things right. Their letter not only made the waiter’s day, but it also reminded us all of the importance of empathy, compassion, and the willingness to admit and correct our mistakes.
The waiter was touched by the letter and the kindness shown by the teens. He realized that his initial assumptions about them were wrong and that they were just young kids who made an honest mistake. He also learned that empathy and forgiveness can go a long way in making the world a better place.
The story of the waiter and the teens is a reminder of the power of kindness and the importance of recognizing and correcting our mistakes. It also highlights the need for change in the restaurant industry, where servers’ livelihoods are at the mercy of their customers.
It is time for society to recognize and value the hard work and dedication of servers and work towards a more just and fair system for all.