Day in, and day out, we get to deal with unreliable people who simply can’t keep their word and will dash out the door at the slightest opportunity, leaving us to deal with the mess they left behind.
A server is causing major discussion across social media platforms after she revealed that she had to pay a bill because a customer dinned and dashed after her card was declined.
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Keep reading for the details.
Audrey Is Speaking Up
The 22-year-old from Dallas, who works as a server in a restaurant, explained how the burden of paying a customer’s bill fell on her. A customer at a table she was waiting on got her card declined several times and dashed out of the restaurant.
Don’t Order If You Can’t Afford It
The viral video, which has garnered over 700,000 views on TikTok , saw Audrey begging customers to refrain from ordering what they can’t pay for.
From The Halls Of Opinions
Trust TikTok users to always chip in their two cents. While a section of the viewers felt bad for Audrey, a significant majority slammed her for not knowing the labor laws and also handling the check without question.
Word From Fellow Servers
Other servers rose to Audrey’s defense and noted that they’ve had to deal with similar situations and were left with no other choice but to hand over their wallets to establishments. This has further raised questions on how places that serve food should deal with people who eat and run.
File A Lawsuit!
The viral clip prompted some TikTok users to suggest Audrey sue her establishment and get back her money.
Why Did You Pay?
Other people criticized the 22-year-old for agreeing to pay part of the bill in the first place, as they claimed she wasn’t “too bright.”
Audrey Just Moved
The server posted a follow-up video, where she revealed she had just moved into the state and didn’t understand or know the labor laws.
Can’t Afford To Lose Her Job
She further explained that she liked her job and her co-workers, and she doesn’t have the luxury of quitting, as her chances of getting a new one are low.
Discussing With Her Manager
Audrey promised concerned viewers that she’ll take it up with her manager because many users have confirmed that it’s against the law to force a server to pay a customer’s bill.
Slate To The Rescue
Luke O’Neil wrote on Slate a few years back about a similar occurrence and confirmed that, on a federal level, the type of wage deduction Audrey got isn’t necessarily prohibited by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Further FLSA Rules
O’Neil continued:
This means that if an employer is paying below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, then deducting wages is illegal if a worker’s hourly pay is below the minimum wage.
Some States Prohibit Employers From Deducting Worker’s Wages In Incidents Like This
States like Massachusetts, New York, and California have laws to stop employers from removing servers’ wages if customers refuse to pay.
Be Nice, But Firm
Support and advice have been pouring in for the 22-year-old, as one user encouraged her:
Another empathized with her:
It’ll Happen Again!
In all of the comments, Audrey got a warning from a server who has suffered a similar fate. As they told her:
Another commenter revealed that she had just experienced the same the previous night:
