Arizona server banters with male customer. Then he shakes her hand—and gives her an unconventional tip: ‘I was sweating’

Working as a server can be an underappreciated job. So, it can be a pleasant surprise if customers give a gift as a reward. But the goodie one Arizona server believed she would receive sent her pulse through the roof.

What Was This Server Gifted?

Scottsdale server Emily McMahon (@haiirbyem) sits in her car and recounts the experience in a viral TikTok.

“I was at work today, and I had these two guys at my table,” she says. “We were talking about how I go out and don't drink, I don't do drugs, and I'm sober.”

Before they left, one of the men shook her hand and wanted to give her a “little bag of coke” as an “extra tip,” she says. 

“It's Scottsdale. It's not like it's too far-fetched?” the content creator thought. For context, Scottsdale's high-energy, party-focused nightlife is similar to Las Vegas.

“I was starting to get a little heavy in the chest,” McMahon says of what she believed was about to be an illicit substance deal. “I have had my days with the ‘fun stuff.' I have never touched it a day in my life.” 

After the customer insisted, she accepted the gift. Much to her relief, it wasn't a bag of booger sugar. Instead, she unveiled the real present: a tiny Coca-Cola bottle in a bag. Very punny, right? “That's so silly!” she gushes. “That's kind of funny.”

‘I Was About to Get So Angry'

McMahon's story time accumulated over 50,000 views. Many viewers in her comments section had very mixed reactions.

“I was about to get so angry lmao,” one viewer commented.

“I'm cracking up,” a second stated.

“This makes me so upset. The fact that he didn't respect that you don't party. Ugh I hate men,” a third remarked.

“I would've been excited then disappointed,” a fourth said.

“Girls have been offering me [snowflake emoji] in Scottsdale bar bathrooms since like 2008. So it's not a far off thing to think he was handing you a bag,” a fifth wrote.

More Unusual Customer Gifts 

In an r/Serverlife subreddit, servers took to the platform to share the most bizarre items customers gifted them. Needless to say, McMahon's present was mild in comparison.

“A piece of black walnut (like a 2″ thick slab) and a palm sander,” one Redditor revealed.

Another recalled, “A HUGE block of aged cheddar. It was 2/3 the size of a cement block.”

“Bacon mince… Love it now for I've never seen or worked it before but I do now !” a third recounted.

“A taxidermied duck,” a fourth said.

If you want to reward your server's hard work or rapport, or if they're someone you've consistently connected with during your visits, you may want to express that gratitude with something tangible (other than cash).

Food & Wine recommends choosing a practical gift, such as pens, paper, styluses (depending on how they take orders), wine keys, gift cards, or even a fun surprise like a scratcher. However, homemade baked goods are usually off-limits because of allergies and sanitation.

When in doubt, you can always opt to just leave a larger tip.

Subplot News reached out to McMahon via email and TikTok direct message. We will update this story if she responds.

@haiirbyem

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