My wife and I once ate at a restaurant where the service was clearly struggling.
I still left a 10% tip, but as we were walking out, the waitress called after us sharply, “If you can’t tip properly, don’t eat out!”
My wife was furious and immediately told me I should report her. I simply smiled and said, “Just watch.” Then I went back inside.
Instead of complaining, I asked to speak with the manager privately. I told him the service hadn’t felt careless — it had felt overwhelmed. I explained that the waitress looked exhausted and distracted, as if she were carrying more than just the stress of a busy shift.
The manager let out a tired breath and admitted she had been going through personal difficulties on top of an unusually hectic week. He thanked me for handling it calmly rather than angrily.
As I headed back toward the door, I saw the waitress nervously wiping down a table, bracing herself for what she thought was coming.
Before leaving, I slipped a folded note into the tip jar along with extra cash, raising the total well above 10%.
The note read: “We all have hard days. I hope yours gets easier. Thank you for your effort.”
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