‘He was definitely just embarrassed’: Server uses trick to discreetly let customer know his card declined. It backfires

This restaurant server sparked a heated debate over what she believed to be a gracious gesture toward her guests regarding declined cards.

Working in the restaurant industry is tough. People can be rude, the hours are long, and the work is physically demanding.

Worst of all, your pay is unpredictable, and you rarely get any kind of benefits.

Tipped workers are currently allowed to make as little as $2.13 an hour. This is $5.12 less than the federal minimum wage, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The expectation is that their lower wage will be padded by tips.

Some days being a server is rewarding, especially if you get a particularly nice or generous table. Other days you have to deal with people like this guy.

Server shares tried-and-true customer trick

In a viral video with more than 3 million views, server @housecatchronicles shared the conundrum she's currently in.

@housecatchronicles explained that she has a trusted method for handling declined cards.

Usually, when your card declines at a restaurant, the server hands you back the bill and your card. They often politely let you know that it was declined. Embarrassed, many in this situation get flustered. They assure the server that they can pay and fish around for another payment method.

It's uncomfortable for everyone.

To avoid this @housecatchronicles has a tried-and-true method. After trying the card multiple times to make sure it's actually declining, she'll write a note informing the person of the situation and slip it into the little book. Then, she takes a lap to give the person time to get another payment method without having her hover over them. Finally, she spins back for the check a second time.

"In this day and age, there are so many reasons why someone's card would be declined. It's not like back in the day when if your card got declined, it automatically meant you just didn't have any money in the bank," @housecatchronicles said.

While there's less stigma now around a card decline, @housecatchronicles recognizes that it can still be embarrassing so she tried to be "as discreet as possible."

"I've had many people over the years thank me for being discreet," she said. "It's typically been people who were either on a date or were part of a larger group."

Is the trick really better?

The first and only time @housecatchronicles ran into an issue with her method was when she was serving a couple whose dynamic was entirely off.

"I don't think he was a very nice person, like in life. The energy coming off of him and the way that he talked to me from the moment he sat down was all very negative," @housecatchronicles said.

Aside from that, @housecatchronicles noticed that the woman only had a glass of wine the entire night while the man had a three-course meal with multiple drinks, yet it seemed to be the woman who put down her card.

At the end of the night, the card declined, and @housecatchronicles followed her usual routine. Despite the man being rude, she still tried to save him from outright embarrassment.

Yet, instead of being mellow when @housecatchronicles came back around, he threw the checkbook at @housecatchronicles and asked why she couldn't "just wait" for him to pull another card. According to the TikToker, he accused her of going out of her way to embarrass him.

@housecatchronicles recently recounted this story to some server friends, and one of the people in the group surprisingly sided with the rude man.

They told her that writing a note instead of verbally communicating was "childish" and that it was inconsiderate to give buffer time before coming back for the check because you're then making the person wait longer when they're already ready to leave.

"Would you consider me putting a note in the book ... to be rude or childish or disrespectful?" @housecatchronicles asked viewers.

Viewers defend the server

"Hmmm I’m more concerned about the friend who has gaslit you into believing you did something wrong here… that’s why you’re struggling because you know, you’re right," a top comment read.

"You're exhibiting ***exceptional*** customer service. Understanding the subtle nuances of a comfortable and pleasant experience through your awareness is what makes it 5 star service, not 2 or 3," another said.

"The guy was an a hole but i don’t agree with your practice. The extreme compassion thing always embarrasses the person more. It just communicates that you think their situation is horribly embarrassing," another wrote.

"I work retail and I usually ask if they locked their card before saying it was declined," a commenter shared.

@housecatchronicles #storytime #restaurant #restaurantindustry #server #serviceindustry #hospitality #customer #customerservice #dining #tips #service #fyp ♬ original sound - not a quick question

The Daily Dot reached out to @housecatchronicles for comment via TikTok direct message and comment.

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