A server on TikTok named Dean, or @deanredmonds on the app, shared a story about the time he fooled a customer who tried to get a free meal by claiming she knew the restaurant owner. When she pulled the “I know the owner” card, Dean decided to take the situation a step further with a lie she probably never saw coming.
The video has amassed more than 15,600 views and 67 comments.
Dean was working his shift when a woman came in to pick up food for Mary. After he handed her the bill, she reportedly scoffed and claimed she knew the owner, suggesting that her meal should be free.
Dean said he could tell something wasn't right about her claim, so he decided to push her buttons a little.
He told the woman he could call the owner so Mary could speak with her directly. That's when, according to Dean, the woman started backpedaling and said she didn't want to bother the owner.
Dean then told her that the owner hadn't been busy for a while. The woman apparently insisted that the owner would know who she was and told him to just give her the food for free.
But Dean wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily.
He told the woman that the owner was his mom — and that she had passed away several months earlier. He then said he wanted to get to know the woman who had apparently been close friends with his mother.
Suddenly, according to Dean, the woman's confidence disappeared. She started stuttering and acting nervous before throwing $20 on the counter and leaving.
Of course, there was a catch.
Dean wasn't being completely honest with her. While he said his mother had indeed passed away, she wasn't actually the owner of the restaurant. He said the story was his way of messing with someone who appeared to think she deserved a free meal simply because she claimed to know the owner.
TikTok Viewers Praise Server's Response to Customer Seeking a Free Meal
Viewers seemed to get a kick out of Dean's response, with many praising him for turning the situation around on the customer.
“Not only did you teach us something but you taught her to never try that again,” one commenter wrote.
Another added, “This is so creative I’m dead.”
Other viewers shared their own experiences with restaurant owners, explaining that knowing an owner doesn't mean they expect special treatment.
“YESSS! I go to restaurants where I know the owner and I NEVER expect free food. That's THEIR business, make your bag boo,” one person commented.
Another viewer agreed, writing, “As someone who knows lots of people who own their own business, I would never go in and ask for free food. I love them and I want to support them. I wouldn't go in just to get special treatment lol. That's why I get so confused when people who ‘know the owner’ expect their meal for free.”
One server even shared a story about a customer who allegedly tried a similar tactic at their restaurant.
“One of the restaurants I worked at the owner and his wife would work there as well. We had someone try to pull the ‘I'm married to the owner’ card and the owner looked her in the eye and said ‘you're not my wife, that's my wife’ and pointed to where she was at. She just left and he told her to never come back,” they wrote.
Judging by the comments, Dean may not be the only server who has encountered a customer trying to pull the “I know the owner” card.
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in @deanredmonds’ video, which are based solely on the TikTok creator’s account of the interaction.
