'You know what? $2.22': Clever customer leaves a symbolically low tip after server snubs his family for a happy hour deal

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Aug 21, 2024 12:00 PM EDT

This server thought that he could get the best of a clever dad and his family when they came in for breakfast, but he was wrong. 

Restaurant waiters (and waitresses) are supposed to be the pinnacle of customer service. With most of their take-home wages getting pocketed through tips, they rely on customers to fluff up their paychecks at the end of each shift, so oftentimes, servers will be overtly kind, pleasant, and on top of their tables to secure a good tip. Ironically, their job of putting meals on people's tables is putting food on the table back at home. 

But with the tipping culture getting out of hand and 30%+ tips becoming the new norm, some servers have greedily turned their tactics away from kindness and instead try to rack up the biggest bill possible for their customers to secure a higher percentage tip. However, the dad in our next story saw right through that ruse. 

Dad and his family showed up at a restaurant with the goal of capitalizing on their happy hour deal. This breakfast joint would offer 2 pancakes, 2 sausages, and 2 eggs for the low-low cost of $2.22 as long as you showed up before 11 AM–a screamin' deal and a fun tradition for family breakfasts! Except, this server was tired of the low bill and decided to stall the family's service long enough for them to miss out on the happy hour special. 

This blatant cash grab ruffled Dad's feathers a bit and inspired him to enact some petty revenge in the form of a symbolically low tip.

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  • 01
    Refuse to wait on us until after the deal expires? This is what happens. (This is a story from my dad as I was very young when this happened.)
    via nearsightedNahida
  • 02
    Once upon a time, many years ago, there was a Friendly's where we would frequently get breakfast. And back in that day, there was a deal available: you could get two pancakes, two sausages or strips of bacon, and two eggs for $2.22, so long as you were there before 11:00 AM.
    via nearsightedNahida
  • 03
    So we go with a large party to Friendly's and arrive at the empty restaurant before 11:00 AM. And then we wait. And wait. And wait some more. We are not waited on until after 11:00, and so the staff refuses to give us the deal. We
    via nearsightedNahida
  • 04
    end up ordering the same things we'd get with the $2.22 deal, but because we weren't waited on until after the deal had expired, it cost much more. With a group of our size, we ended up with a sizable bill. I'm not sure of the exact amount, but it was over $100.
    via nearsightedNahida
  • 05
    Now, my dad was a waiter. He understands well the importance of tips and almost always tips generously. But not on this day, oh no. On the day of this incident, you know what tip my dad left? $2.22.
    via nearsightedNahida
  • 06
    Tikki_Taavi I have seen managers intentionally make staff do stuff like this, Promos are usually loss leaders and therefore reduce any bonuses the managers get.
    via Tikki_Taavi
  • 07
    GreymuzzleCoyote. A local pizza place did the same thing to me. Waited nearly 10 minutes AFTER the happy hour ended to take our order. A 20 minute wait altogether. Guess
    via GreymuzzleCoyote
  • 08
    what, I paid cash and only paid what the happy hour price was. Manager said he'd call the cops, I said go right ahead you crook. Cops weren't called, we never went back.
    via GreymuzzleCoyote
  • 09
    Technical_Goat1840 sometimes people just don't understand their role in customer service, making a customer want to come back.
    via Technical_Goat1840
  • 10
    Fast-Experience-6642 What is the point of having the deal if they are just going to be shitheads about it?
    via Fast-Experience-6642
  • 11
    LunarGoddess87. Because they don't mind the two person tables or the small families, but when it is a large group, especially if they are regulars that do this, it's a larger loss.
    via LunarGoddess87
  • 12
    tetsu_no_usagi. I'd still leave a tip after experiencing that... about 4 pennies in the bottom of a half full water glass. And then I'd never go back. Vote with your wallet folks and eat somewhere else.
    via tetsu_no_usagi
  • 13
    Zetavu. Petty revenge would have been to pay the $2.22 per person and no tip and just walk out. Then again if you showed up at 10:55 and expecting a before 11 price, that is stupid to start with. If you showed up at 10:45 and no one served you before 11, why did you stay?
    via Zetavu
  • 14
    Meldepeuter I would just pay the right amount this is bs. That's purposely ripping you off, if you got there b3fore 11 you need to get this deal period.
    via Meldepeuter
  • 15
    Roseybuddin. I would have just walked out at 11am. play silly games win silly prizes or none at all
    via Roseybuddin
  • 16
    DynkoFromTheNorth ⚫ Holy initially my eyes glanced over the fact that the restaurant was empty! Great symbolic revenge from your father, but no tip would be justified as well because thirty years ago that small amount had way more value.
    via DynkoFromTheNorth
  • 17
    Moored-to-the-Moon ⚫ Friendly's was hands down the most unfriendly establishment in town when we lived in Providence.
    via Moored-to-the-Moon
  • 18
    www. www Refuse to wait on us until after the deal expires? This is what happens.
    via canva

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customer service deal tips server tip waiter revenge tipping petty revenge restaurant petty lol happy hour dad family waitress Reddit payback deals funny
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