Waitress was happy to find a $36 tip on $30 bill — until she read the heartwrenching note left by diner
Tipping isn't always about money; sometimes, it's the intention that makes all the difference. Claire Hudson, a waitress at a local burger joint in Tennessee, experienced it firsthand when a thoughtful customer left her a tip, but more than the money, it was the heartfelt handwritten note that instantly brought tears to her eyes.
"It was actually a really slow day, and then this couple came in. I didn’t even realize the tip until after they were gone. I was in tears when I read it," Hudson recalled about the heartwarming incident. Notably, as per ABC News, the anonymous couple had left a $36 tip on a bill that wasn't more than $30. Today is my brother's birthday. He would have been 36 today. Every year, I go to eat his favorite meal (hot dogs) and tip the waitress his age. Happy B-day, Wes," the note written behind the credit card receipt read. Hudson, who had been working as a server for several years, wished she could have had a moment with the couple, appreciating them for the oh-so-beautiful gesture. "They did it anonymously, and it was really sweet," she added. Calling it the "best tip" of her life, Hudson said, it wasn't the money, but the meaning that made it extraordinary.
Overwhelmed with the incident, Hudson decided to share it on Reddit, which surprisingly received an outpouring of love on social media. Echoing the sentiments, u/sorexscalemvir commented, "Happy birthday, Wes! This was so absolutely heartwarming and made me smile that someone would do this. It rekindles my hope for people as a whole." u/anyd shared, "Stuff like this makes me love the service industry. Not the tip (I've been tipped more than $36 by people I wanted to murder), but the experience. You deal with so many people every day; some suck, and some are cool. Every once in a while, someone breaks through the job and really reaches you."
Meanwhile, u/tearsofarapper84 revealed, "I've done something similar to this before. I lost a Super Bowl bet with my Gramma last year (damnit, Broncos!) and owed her breakfast in return. We planned to grab breakfast Saturday morning at our favorite place. However, the Friday before she passed away, she had a text from me asking what time on Saturday unopened in her lap. I ended up going by myself the next morning, tipping the equivalent of her unordered breakfast and what the tip would've been with it included, and left a note on the back for the waitress explaining what I did. Every time I go back, she takes care of me regardless of what section I sit in, and I can tell that the act of kindness truly stuck with her."
Moving on, tipping culture has seen significant growth in recent years. Interestingly, a report published by Pew Research Center in 2023 claims that nearly 72% of adults in the United States agree that the expectation of tipping in places is higher today than it was five years ago, which further highlights the discussion regarding "tipflation." However, what makes Hudson's experience special is the fact that even without any underlying compulsion, she received a tip, and that too with such an extraordinary backstory.