The waiter wanted to make the evening memorable for his guests. Thinking back to his own high school days and the excitement of such events, he made sure to give excellent service. He was attentive, accommodated allergies, and treated the teens with the same respect as any other customer.
However, when the group left just $3.28 as a tip, the waiter felt disappointed. Like many servers, he relied on tips to help with his income, and this small amount seemed to show a lack of appreciation for his effort. For days, he thought the teens simply didn’t care about the service.
Then, something unexpected happened.
A few days later, the waiter received a letter from the teenagers, along with an additional tip. The note began: “About a week and a half ago, on October 7, my friends and I came to the restaurant for our homecoming celebration. It was a new experience for us, and you were the best waiter. You were kind, helpful, and didn’t treat us like kids. You even adjusted the food for my allergies, and we wanted to thank you for making our experience so special.”
The letter continued with an explanation from the teens, who were only 13 years old. They admitted that they didn’t fully understand tipping. “We didn’t know what a tip was or how much to give. So, we emptied our pockets, and all we had was $3.28. At the time, we didn’t realize how small that really was. After learning more, we felt bad about it and wanted to make it right.”
Along with the letter was the proper 18% tip, plus extra to apologize for their mistake.
The letter concluded, “We appreciate your patience and kindness. Thank you for making our night so much fun!”
What started as a disappointing moment turned into a touching reminder that sometimes, people just need a little time to realize their mistakes and correct them. This gesture of apology and generosity showed the teens’ true appreciation and left a lasting impact on the waiter.