Service workers often go to social media to share the outlandish and absurd scenarios they experience with customers. Server and TikToker Dean Redmond (@deanredmonds) is no stranger to this. In his latest viral TikTok, he explains what he did in response to one entitled “Karen” who did not tip on a $650 order.
The TikTok has been viewed 556,800 times as of Saturday, with hundreds of viewers weighing in in the comment sections.
“The woman who didn’t tip us on a $650 take-out order and then had the nerve to write us a bad review… we hope your boss sees the one we wrote about you!” Dean begins in his TikToK, talking directly to the camera from his car. His frantic tone suggests he is still exasperated by the situation.
He continues, explaining that the customer placed a 50-item order at 9am. Dean says he called her back to ask if she could give them just 30 minutes more to finish preparing her massive order.
“She’s like, ‘Uh if you are asking…no,'” he says, imitating the customer. Before Dean could ask a follow-up question, he says the woman hung up the phone.
He says he assumed she was kidding but at 9:30am she came through the door confronting one of his co-workers.
Dean says he then approached the customer and said, “Hi ma’am I am pretty sure I am the one who spoke to you and I told you we needed 30 more minutes.”
“‘No you asked me if we could give you 30 more minutes to which I said no,” was the customer’s alleged response. “Everytime we do this order from Panera or Chipotle they have no issues.”
Dean says he clarified the restaurant was neither Panera or Chipotle and offered her a seat while she waited for her order to be completed.
The TikToker then shares his shock to find the woman did not leave a tip on the order.
“She doesn’t tip on a $650 order!! Not 5$ not 2$…nothing! No thank yous…leaves!” he says.
Viewers in the comments section were divided over whether it is necessary to tip on a take-out order.
@deanredmonds She wrote such a bad review #customerservice #serverlife #restaurantlife #restaurant #storytime #karen #karens #restaurantreview ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
“Tipping is for dine-in or delivery. If you’re tipping for carry-out, you’d might as well tip for drive-thru as well,” one commenter argued.
Tipping etiquette is perhaps less straightforward when placing a takeout order, though most professionals will advise it is still necessary to tip something. In an article for Real Simple magazine, Maria Charny, a restaurateur explained, “You should always tip a little something on takeout. There is still time being spent and effort put into preparing your takeout order, double checking that it is correct and nothing is missing, packaging it, and handing it off.”
Other viewers commiserated with Dean’s experience.
“NO TIP PN $650 IS WILD,” a top comment reads.
“Ok I’m very anti-tip for someone to ring out my food (yall say if ya can’t tip get take out) but $650?!” @mamabearbrittany wrote.
In the clip, Dean says that the encounter didn’t end there. Much to Dean’s surprise, the woman returned 40 minutes later to complain that her sandwiches were “dry” and without any condiments.
“I am SO done,” he says, claiming that he escorted her to the self-serve station where customers pack their own sauces.
The saga continued when the Dean’s restaurant got a nasty review saying the workers had intentionally served the women dry sandwiches because they were mad she came in early. Dean says he and his co-workers were in disbelief.
At this point, they had to take action. Dean says he and his co-workers found out her name from the Yelp review and decided to give this “Karen” of a customer a taste of her own medicine
A quick Google search told them she worked as a financial sales rep down the street. Dean says he and his co-workers proceeded to write bad reviews (from their parents’ accounts) naming the customer in each one.
“Hope you like those Meredith,” Dean says, smirking.
The Daily Dot reached out to Dean for further comment.
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