An Applebee’s server went viral for returning the favor after calling out her co-worker who made a TikTok about her.
TikToker Thea (@lildebbienthesnackcakes) showed a short screen recording of her co-worker’s TikTok before sharing her clap back. In the screen recording, the co-worker rolled her eyes and said, “When your co-worker wants to constantly bitch at you because your section is not clean.”
Then, the video switched to show Thea, who said, “Surprise, it’s me. I’m ‘co-workers.’”
Thea claimed that she wasn’t “bitching” at her co-worker to do her job. Instead, she was telling the co-worker that she wasn’t going to do her job for her. She added that the co-worker “signed up” to clean up after herself by getting a job at a restaurant.
In the video, Thea showed a photo of a messy Applebee’s table, which she claimed was her co-worker’s responsibility to clean. But when her co-worker left the table dirty, Thea said she had to clean it because she was working the closing shift that night.
“You left your job for me to do,” Thea said in the clip.
She said another worker had followed the first co-worker outside when she left the dirty table behind and told her she needed to clean up. The co-worker refused to come back inside because she was “having a bad day.”
“Adding to the fact that we are already severely understaffed and we really can not afford for [anyone] to [not] do their job,” Thea said. “Everyone has to do their part in order for this place to function.”
She also called her co-worker out for calling her “petty,” insisting that she only wanted her co-worker to do her job.
Thea recalled that after the first time her co-worker left a dirty table, she confronted her during their next shift. She said the co-worker had nothing to say at the time and kept her mouth closed. The second time the co-worker left a dirty table, someone else called her out because “people are sick of cleaning up after [her].”
“I don’t know how old you are, and I really don’t care to know. Doesn’t bother me,” Thea said. “But it’s time to grow up. You got a big girl job. Being petty is not cleaning your section and doing the job you signed up to do as a server.”
At the end of the video, Thea said the co-worker should say what she has to say to her face instead of on TikTok. She continued that her feelings won’t be hurt but warned that she might hurt her co-worker’s feelings.
@lildebbienthesnackcakes girl what #DoritosTriangleTryout #applebees #pEtTy ♬ original sound – thea
Viewers largely sided with Thea, and several applauded her clap back.
“‘It’s me hi I’m the co-workers,’” one viewer commented, echoing Thea.
“get em GET EM,” another said.
A third wrote, “Love this energy! People hate when you have to remind them to do THEIR JOB .”
Several viewers noted that the co-worker had turned the comments off on her videos. Others said working as a server is easier when everyone does their own jobs.
“Serving is so much easier/better when you and your co-workers are able to communicate and work as a team,” one user said.
“100% yes, I left service industry bc all the other young new hires did absolutely nothing and I got tired of being the only one who did the job,” a second wrote.
Other users questioned why management allowed the co-worker to leave without completing her tasks.
“The management doesn’t check prior to giving tip out?” one commenter asked.
Another said, “That’s wild to me. We could never leave before everyone’s sections was clean and side work was complete. Not just ours.”
Thea wrote in reply, “That’s how it used to be. we don’t do sign-offs anymore. but GENERALLY we all help each other out. we’re nearly all friends!”
The Daily Dot reached out to Thea via TikTok comment and to Applebee’s via email.
