A TikTok creator says a restaurant employee was left a one-cent tip after a group of teenage boys allegedly mocked a menu item and appeared to wait for her reaction.
In a video shared by @jorlala, the employee recalled an interaction involving three or four teenage boys. She said the group repeatedly mispronounced an ingredient in a breakfast sandwich while laughing among themselves.
Teen customers allegedly left a one-cent tip
The employee said she repeatedly asked the boys what they wanted, but they deferred to one another over who would order first. One boy eventually ordered a sandwich and a cup of water, then asked the others whether they wanted anything without giving them time to respond.
The bill came to $6, and the employee stepped away to prepare the order. She said she then heard the card reader repeatedly beeping while it was out of her view, leading her to believe the group was entering a custom tip amount.
“That’s the only time that, like, those buttons go off,” she said, adding that the beeping continued as the boys laughed.
Before checking the receipt, the employee said she suspected the group had left an unusually small tip.
“I literally think to myself, they’re gonna tip me a penny right now,” she said.
When she returned with the food, she said the receipt showed a one-cent tip and that the boys appeared to be watching for her reaction. The group then asked for three additional cups of water.
“Yeah, sounds about f—— right,” she said, while complaining that she had noticed similar behavior from teenage boys of a similar age.
The employee did not identify the restaurant or provide additional details about the customers.
Viewers share similar food-service experiences
Several commenters said they had experienced similar situations while working in food service or delivery. One commenter, who said they were a teenager, criticized the behavior.
“As a teen I hate how other people make us look bad.”
Another commenter shared a sarcastic example involving a customer and a small cash tip.
“customer total: $4.97 customer hands: $5 bill customer says: ‘keep the change.’”
A commenter who identified themselves as a delivery driver said they had also received a one-cent tip.
“I am a delivery driver and I had a person tip me only a penny once. I left a penny on top of their order when I delivered it.”
Another commenter said their workplace was located near a school.
“the coffee shop i work at is next to a boys private high school its a nightmare” [sic].
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the details of the interaction, including the restaurant’s location or the identities of the customers. The account above reflects @jorlala’s description of the incident on TikTok.
