Word to the wise: if you’re planning on macking it to the server bringing you your food and drinks, then you should probably leave them a fat tip along with your phone number on that receipt.
This bit of common sense isn’t so common, something that an IHOP server learned firsthand when a bad-tipping customer tried to get her phone number after he left a not-so-great gratuity for her work.
In a viral TikTok video, a man named Elijah (@pickitup.elijah) records himself shooting his shot with an IHOP waitress who approaches his table to collect his signed receipt. She leaves his boxed food on the table and she asks him if she can get him “anything else” before he heads out of there.
“One more thing…I just thought you was really beautiful and I was wondering if I can get your number or something?” he asks the server.
The waitress quickly shoots down the notion of handing him her info. “I have a boyfriend,” she says flicking her wrist.
He then pans his camera around the restaurant and asks, “Well…where he at?” expecting him to either work at the same restaurant she does, get his lunch there during his break, or spend his time there during his day off.
The waitress responds by picking up Elijah’s signed receipt, showing it to him, and saying, “Uhh, not tipping $2,” before walking away.
Although he was rejected, Elijah wrote in a caption for the video: “you miss 100% of the shots you dont take.”
In the text overlay, he addressed the waitress’ burn with a sarcastic comment: “‘the worst she can say is no.'” Yeah, being called out for putting in a low gratuity when you’re trying to impress a girl you like is going to be difficult to claw back from.
As one TikToker commented: “Yep you’re done for life.”
@pickitup.elijah you miss 100% of the shots you dont take #fyp #foryou #fypシ #xybca #viral #trending ##relatable##relationship ♬ original sound – pickitup.eli
Several viewers questioned why he would ask the woman where her boyfriend was. Some argued that there really wasn’t anywhere for the conversation to head after that comment, and then there were those who said they got “the ick” from seeing him pursue her even though she said that she’s got a boyfriend, the universal sign a woman gives, even if it isn’t true, that she’s not interested.
Several folks have also posted lengthy explainers as to why asking your server out while they’re on shift is generally a bad idea.
The truth is, however, that servers are there to leave a good impression on their table while they have a pleasant dining experience, so any “extra” kindness is probably them just doing their job. If you’re really interested in seeing if that server’s down to hang out after work sometime, maybe just leave your phone number. Stories of rejections that come from those seem to be a lot kinder than the one Elijah experienced.
The Daily Dot has reached out to IHOP via email and Elijah via TikTok comment for further information.