Aussie diner stunned over $10.40 charge at cafe after employee’s ‘sneaky’ act: ‘Is this rude?’
A café diner has revealed how a waitress appeared to offer her young children ‘free’ hot chocolate – only to charge her moments later.
South Australian mum Molly recounted what she felt was a ‘sneaky’ move when she stopped by a café to grab a coffee and breakfast for herself, with her little kids in tow.
‘Is this really rude? Not so much rude, but really sneaky,’ she pondered in a video.
It all started when the mum paid for her order at the counter before the family made their way to an outdoor table to wait. Her children were not in good moods. Her young son appeared ‘upset’ on her lap while her daughter had draped a blanket over herself and ‘looked a little bit cold’.
Moments later, Molly said a waitress came over to the table with her coffee, leaned over and ‘whispered’ to her: ‘Would the kids like hot chocolate?’
‘I looked up to her and I said, “That is so so nice of you”‘ – before relaying the offer to her excited children, who, of course, readily agreed.
The mum said she assumed the waitress had kindly offered her kids a free drink since they were feeling unsettled while waiting for the order.
‘Now I interpreted that as, “I would love to make your kids a free little hot chocolate to warm you up, make you a little bit happier” – because they were clearly cold and upset,’ Molly said.
A mother recently took her young children along to a café – but there was a misunderstanding about a seemingly generous drink offer made by their waitress (Picture: stock image)
‘And I thought it was genuinely a really sweet gesture. I had already paid. If the kids wanted a hot chocolate, I would have added that to my order. Obviously, it wasn’t something I was planning to buy.’
It was only when the waitress returned with the children’s hot drinks that Molly realised there had been a misunderstanding.
‘She came out with the hot chocolates and put them down in front of the kids,’ Molly recalled. ‘And then she looked at me and whispered, “That’ll be $10.40”.’
Although stunned that she now had to pay for what she thought was a generous free gesture, Molly quickly pulled out her card.
‘I paid for it. I didn’t question, I didn’t argue,’ she said.
‘But I thought if I wanted to get my kids a hot chocolate, I would have added that to my order. I just find it really sneaky.’
The video, which has been viewed over 197,000 times, lit up with hundreds of replies – with many in agreement that the waitress had pulled a ‘sneaky’ move to upsell her on the kids’ drinks.
‘Yes, 10,000 per cent rude to ask you, then make you pay. That’s what’s wild here,’ one suggested.
‘I am a waiter and this is absolutely a very sneaky tactic that is really unethical. Especially in a pay-before-you-dine setting,’ one hospitality worker chimed in. ‘I am all for the upsell but only if it is table service and pay at the end.’
‘It was sneaky,’ another agreed. ‘The way she said it was implying it was on the house.’
Others asked the mum why she had only bought breakfast for herself, to which she explained that her kids had already eaten at home.
A number of these replies made particular mention of the way the waitress had whispered the hot chocolate suggestion, presuming this meant it was being offered as a freebie for the kids.
‘The whispered question almost indicates it’s a treat and she’s just getting your okay.’
‘I would have also thought it was something she was giving to me as a kind gesture.’
‘All she had to ask was “Would you like to order some hot chocolates for the kids? They seem a bit chilly.” Super sneaky.’
Molly said a waitress came over to the table with her coffee, leaned over and ‘whispered’ to her: ‘Would the kids like hot chocolate?’ (Picture: stock image)
It was only when the waitress returned with the children’s hot drinks that Molly realised there had been a misunderstanding (stock image)
Not everyone agreed with the mum, with one saying: ‘Why would you think it’s free? She asked – you could have said no.’
‘She was just selling you hot chocolates at the business she works at,’ another said.
Some explained why the waitress decided to whisper to the mum about the hot chocolate in front of her kids.
‘Is it possible she said it quietly so the kids didn’t hear, in case you didn’t want them to have one?’ one pointed out.
‘I think she initially whispered to ask so the kids wouldn’t get upset if you decided to say no,’ another explained.
One woman shared an example of how she would typically respond to a waiter when they offered her anything, to avoid a similar situation.
‘These days I ask: “How much is that going to set me back, or is it free?”‘ she said.
A café worker weighed in, sending a friendly reminder to all waiters: ‘Tips for waiters: If you offer add-ons after it’s been paid or the check ordered, it does come across as free. So make sure to use the words: “Would you like to order?”‘
