Working in the restaurant industry can be demanding and challenging. Serving the public on your birthday might be even worse. Unfortunately, one server learned the hard way that customers could still be difficult and leave a lousy tip on a $70 check, despite knowing it was her special day.
In a clip with more than 59,000 views, St Louis-based server Chelsey Starr (@chelsey_starr) is dumbfounded by the unpleasant experience she had on her birthday.
“Hey. I am a server, and last night was not real. It was like people saw my birthday pin and said, ‘Oh. Double [expletive] you,” she remarks. From there, she recalls a specific incident serving two women at a table that dampened her birthday spirit.
A birthday to remember
When Starr approached her table, the customers acknowledged her birthday with overt niceness.
“They looked down, saw my little happy birthday pin,” she says. “They wished me a happy birthday. Everything seems cool.”
As soon as the ladies’ orders were served, their sweet rapport turned sour. Why? Because the food was smaller than expected.
“‘This looks like the bottom of the [expletive] barrel. I don’t want this [expletive],'” the server recalls the woman saying.
Once the content creator corrected the mistake, their attitudes shifted back to a positive one. “I get it fixed immediately. They seemed fine and dandy, their mood changes, their spirits are back up,” she says.
After the women paid for their meal, they insisted that Starr keep the remaining change.
“‘Just keep the change, girl. Happy birthday. We hope you have the best day ever,'” the server recounts the customers saying in a faux-friendly tone.
After she opened the checkbook, her blood boiled. “They tried to leave me 75 cents. I don’t know why this set off a fire in me so much,” she says.
Starr attributes these feelings to the women’s over-the-top kindness and showering her with birthday wishes.
“Maybe because they were so, ‘oh my god. I hope you have a happy birthday,’” she reasons. Instead of accepting this, she decided to confront the customers.
“I chased them through the dining room, and I said, ‘Hey ladies! Did you want your 75 cents?!” Starr says.
Their response? “Oh, no, girl. That’s all you. Happy birthday.” This rendered her speechless. “What the [expletive] can I do with 75 cents?” the content creator asks, aghast. “I can’t even buy a pack of Swishers!”
Because of this incident, Starr vows never to make her birthday known again. “I’ll never wear a birthday pin again,” she captions the video with a sad face emoji.
What did viewers think?
Most were offended by the measly tip on Starr’s behalf.
“It’s absolutely a slap in the face,” one viewer described.
A second concurred, even applauding Starr for confronting the customers, “$0.75 is SUPER insulting! Good for you for chasing them down!”
Meanwhile, servers who had worked on their birthdays empathized, having experienced the worst customer service.
“I also worked on my birthday and I had a little headband… expecting people to occasionally throw a happy birthday. Silly me. I had the rudest people in my history of serving,” one commenter revealed.
“I wore a bday pin and I SWEAR people would look at it and completely ignore it and not say anything,” another stated.
For this reason, a third recommended avoiding working on your birthday, “NEVER & I mean NEVER work on your birthday. expectations are too high & you’re going to get let down,” they warned.
What is the standard tip for a server?
It is understandable why Starr felt angry about the lack of a tip, especially on her birthday. Most servers in the United States earn less than the federal minimum wage ($7.25) and rely on tips for their income. Because she is located in Missouri, the wage for tipped workers is $6.87. American Express states that the standard tip for good service is 15% to 20% and exceptional service is 25% and over; she only received a 1% tip, which is practically nothing.
@chelsey_starr I’ll never wear a birthday pin again ? #server #serverlife #serverproblems #servertiktok #serverstories #bartender #bartenderstories ♬ original sound – Chelsey Starr
Should you work on your birthday?
The decision is entirely up to the individual. Some people enjoy working on their birthdays, while others choose to take time off. Since people want to feel special on their birthdays, treat your server with extra kindness if you know they’re waiting tables on their special day. On the other hand, if you decide to clock in on your day, don’t let customers ruin it.
The Mary Sue reached out to Starr via TikTok comment and direct message.
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