Husband And Wife Leave Message On Receipt To Spread Awareness After Slow Wait Staff Service

Feb 01, 2022

Working in the service industry can be a thankless job. Even when you are trying your absolute best, there are some situations that are out of your control. One of these circumstances is being understaffed. Not having enough support can make even the best waiter seem incompetent. For this reason, a lot of service employees that rely on tips often miss out on getting paid when they are unable to give the best service.

Makenzie and Steven Schultz were at a sushi restaurant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 2014 when they received some of the worst services imaginable. They waited 20 minutes to get water, another 40 for their appetizer, and then on top of that, their entrees took an hour to reach the table. However, instead of getting frustrated, Makenzie and Steven looked around and saw how hard their server was working. 

They noticed that at one point, their waiter had 12 tables and the bar to take care of, which was just too much to handle for one person alone. The couple also realized that the other patrons at the restaurant were unhappy, and that meant they would be unlikely to tip the server well. This was when Makenzie and Steven, who both worked in the service industry previously, decided to tip their server $100 on a bill that was only $66. 

The couple said they wanted to pay it forward and show their appreciation for how hard the waiter was working that night. No matter how stressful the situation became, the server maintained a positive attitude and did his best to help each table. Keep reading to learn more about this kind gesture from the couple. 

Makenzie shared the story and a picture of their bill on her Facebook page. She wrote in her caption: 

"People all around us were making fun of the restaurant & how bad the service was. Yeah, it was pretty terrible. But, it was very obvious that the issue was being short-staffed, not the server. He was running around like crazy and never acted annoyed with any table. At one point we counted he had 12 tables plus the bar. More than any one person could handle!"

Part of the reason the situation struck a nerve with the couple was that they had experienced it before from the server's point of view. Makenzie said, "No matter how much you apologize to tables, there are going to be people rolling their eyes. Throughout the dinner, we were like, 'We've been in his position.'"

"This definitely was not the largest tip there ever was," Makenzie continued. "We thought it could make his night a little bit easier."

Along with the $100 tip, the couple left the note: "We've both been in your shoes. Paying it forward."

At the end of her Facebook post, Makenzie added: 

"Steven and I agreed it would feel good to make this guy's night when he would probably be getting minimal to no tips due to slow service. We walked out before he saw this and I'm not posting this for a pat on the back. I'm just sharing this as a friendly reminder to think of the entire situation before you judge. And always always always remember where you came from."

What do you think of this story? Would you ever do something like this? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family.