Customer blames server for trying to scam them for a tip after server failed to bring back their $40 change, server claims it was not his intention: ‘He was so confused’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Oct 24, 2025 9:00 AM EDT

Who doesn't love the awkwardness a server and a customer have to deal with while the customer must decide how much of a tip they plan on leaving, while the server is just standing there and patiently waiting to see what the verdict is?

It's almost hard to decide who has it worse–the server or the customer. As a server, you don't want to appear desperate or mean, and as the customer, you don't want to appear ungrateful or have a 16-year-old kid blame you for being cheap.

However awkward a normal interaction between the two is, the one in the story below is unmatched. When the customer handed their young server a $100 bill to pay for their $60 meal, they expected the server to return with the $40 change. Except he didn't, which forced the customer to search for the server and ask for the change themselves. That request confused the server, who made it seem like he was expecting the $40 to be his tip.  

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  • This led to an even more awkward exchange as the customer and server counted the change, which ended when the customer had to decide whether or not they wanted to tip the server anyway. Scroll down to read how that ended.

  • 01
    Happy Waiter Holding Tips in Outdoor Cafe
    via Africa images

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02

    Waiter assumed I was tipping $40 on a $60 ticket, and then couldn't grasp the math...

    My wife and I went out for sushi last night. Our waiter looked to be about 16 (he had to get the bartender to bring us our drinks, so he couldn't be over 20) and he wasn't very attentive.
    via Specific_Toe3987
  • 03
    He was much more interested in flirting with his coworker than checking on us. He only came by the table once after bringing the food, to ask if we wanted boxes to go when we weren't even halfway through eating.
    via Specific_Toe3987
  • 04
    I wasn't really bothered by this. I don't expect servers to do much more than just bring me my food, and he managed that just fine.
    via Specific_Toe3987
  • 05
    When it came time to pay, I asked if I could pay cash, and he confirmed I could.
    via Specific_Toe3987
  • 06
    The bill was $61.99 and I handed him a $100 bill. He said thanks and walked away.
    via Specific_Toe3987
  • 07
    My wife looked at me and said "he didn't mention change, I think he's just going to keep that." I said "surely not." But then I noticed he was going about his business at other tables.
    via Specific_Toe3987
  • 08
    My wife and I hate awkward encounters, so I offered her the out to go wait in the car while I tried to get my money.
    via Specific_Toe3987
  • 09
    She said "good luck" and went outside. I finally get his attention and he asks "is everything OK?" I told him I needed change and he was so confused.
    via Specific_Toe3987
  • 10
    He reaches in his back pocket and hands me my $100 bill... I say "can you not break this?" He reaches back into his pocket and sets several twenties and smaller bills on the table and still seems confused as he stares at my ticket.
    via Specific_Toe3987
  • 11
    I ask what's wrong, and he says "how much do I owe you?" The bill is 61.99, so I tell him "just give me 38, don't worry about the penny." And he just freezes, until he finally says "100 minus 61.99" and trails off..
    via Specific_Toe3987
  • 12
    So I finally just pull out my phone and bring up the calculator and show him the math.
    via Specific_Toe3987
  • 13
    He gives me my change and just stands there over me. I hand him $11 and get the hell out of there.
    via Specific_Toe3987
  • 14
    waiter looking at a tip on a tray
    via JackF

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 15
    So awkward. I told some friends about it afterwards, and they all said he was trying to scam me basically and hope I wouldn't complain over $40...
    via Specific_Toe3987
  • 16
    But I think this kid was just not very bright. Either way, it was so awkward and I woke up this morning still thinking about it, so I decided to just scream it out into the internet as a mildly infuriating experience.
    via Specific_Toe3987
  • 17
    X) Feel free to let me have it.
    via Specific_Toe3987
  • 18
    xXAcidBathVampireXx "Never attribute to malice what can be readily explained by stupidity" applies here, I think.
    via xXAcidBathVampireXx
  • 19
    Lookitsanthony8 As someone in the restaurant industry who works primarily with kids this age i am leaning towards stupidity. None of my servers can do this kind of basic math without a calculator let alone be smart enough to scam someone.
    via Lookitsanthony8
  • 20
    Shoddy_Nectarine_441 I went to Wendy's as a teen and paid with a 20. Dude handed me $23 in change. Tried explaining the error, because my brother always told me growing up that all we really have are our morals so I didn't want to just pocket it and get the guy in trouble. He did NOT understand, to the point he got very frustrated and asked me to leave. So I did. Left with a $3 profit. I felt bad about it but there was no reasoning with the guy. Some people just don't understand numbers
    via Shoddy_Nectarine_441
  • 21
    Still_ImBurning86 Just a dumb kid doing a dumb thing but not uncommon
    via Still_ImBurning86
  • 22
    AllOfTheThings426 This reminds me of the time I went through the Taco Bell drive thru and the employees were clearly high as kites. Total was just under $20, I gave him a $20. A minute later, he asks how much I gave him. Then he asks how much my food was (?). I said 19 and change. He hands me $19.1 tried to explain twice, and it was not computing, so we drove off with our $1 Taco Bell order.
    via AllOfTheThings426
  • 23
    ChicknEgg I wouldn't have given him the $11.
    via ChicknEgg
  • 24
    kasiagabrielle I disagree that he was trying to scam you, sounds like he just can't do basic math.
    via kasiagabrielle
  • 25
    BricksandBaubles How do we expect these kids to understand poll results, government numbers, credit card rates, risks of side effects, etc? It's innumeracy, the less visible sibling of illiteracy.
    via BricksandBaubles
  • 26
    georgecm12 There's a whole generation of people that are coming up now that just don't interact with cash on a regular basis. Their parents gave them allowance on a debit card or via person-to-person payments like Venmo, their work does direct deposit or gave them a paycheck card, and they use credit, debit, or person-to-person payments with friends or to purchase stuff at the store. When they're forced to interact with cash, they malfunction. I've seen some places that put signs out for the cus
    via georgecm12

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customer service server tip waiter work customers reddit story restaurant mildly infuriating Reddit tales from your server money tipping culture
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