Life

Waiter Covers Upset Woman’s Bill, Next Day He Gets A Note

Waiter Covers Upset Woman’s Bill, Next Day He Gets A Note October 27, 2022Leave a comment

Shock coursed through him as he opened the leather folder and saw the figure scrawled inside. This had to be a mistake or joke, right? His eyes wandered to the napkin. The same red writing was scribbled all over it.

He was left dumbfounded as he read that one line over and over again, "My mother did not need your help." Then, all off the sudden, it made sense.

Its's Enough

Flickr / Mike Mozart / CC 2.0

It was one of those days for Kasey Simmons, a resident of Texas. He could, however, not have predicted that this day would be one of the worst days in his line of work. On most days, it was hard enough merely working the night shift at the local Applebees, yet it was nearly impossible to do so when it was short-staffed.

He tried his best to fill in the gaps, but it felt hopeless against the endless stream of customers. Kasey reached the end of his rope when another woman walked in.

Trouble Ahead

YouTube / ABC News

The woman sat down with her family and patiently waited for Kasey to take their drink orders. When he eventually got around to serving her table, he decided to be honest about his situation.


He tried to crack a smile as he introduced himself, "Hey, my name's Kasey. I just wanted to let you know that I am far behind and absolutely in the weeds right now." Her face fell as he informed her that he would only be able to take their food order in 45 minutes.

Getting Rushed Off His Feet

YouTube / ABC News

Kasey offered to pay for the table's drinks in a frantic effort to satisfy the woman. It was honestly not his day. He became increasingly overwhelmed as orders piled and more customers flowed into the restaurant.


Matters were only made worse as the complaints started to come in. The customers we unhappy with the pace at which Kasey was serving them.

Feeling Tempted

YouTube / Rachel Ray Show

Half a dozen tables demanded Kasey's attention, yet he was only one server. He knew that there was no way that he would be able to tend to all these tables by himself as he turned to face another woman who was demanding her drinks. Then he found himself thinking about the alternative. The little voice in his head pushed him to carry on. What if he just walked out right the second?


Kasey was no coward, despite how tempting it seemed to quit. He also needed the money to get by.

Throwing A Curveball

YouTube / ABC News

Although Kasey was accustomed to working extremely hard, he had his limits. To help him out, he decided to ask management to send a second server to his section. However, he wasn't surprised when his request was denied, as Applebee's was entirely too understaffed that night.


He attempted to make an effort while battling through his fatigue. But he was not prepared for the new curveball thrown at him.

The Good And The Bad

Twitter / Olivia Austin

Kasey had grown accustomed to working good and bad nights, but the result mainly depended on the tips he received. He greatly appreciated the big tips that some generous customers left. Some customers, though, we not as charitable. Some customers left small tips, or even worse, no tips at all, despite his best efforts to provide them with good service. Kelsey knew this was the reality of life in the service industry.

He was completely blindsided as he rushed back to the woman so he could finally take the table's orders.

A Tiny Order

Twitter / Olivia Austin

The woman ordered a bottle of flavored water before she left and informed Kasey that the table would not be ordering any food. Kasey felt terrible, the woman and he family had patiently waited for a whole hour to place their orders for their meals, yet they were leaving without doing so.

He quickly rang up the bill and fetched the woman's flavored water, but he had no way of knowing that she was not done with him yet.

Dividing the Bill

YouTube / ABC News

The bill came down to only 74 cents after he added the cost of the bottle of flavored water and subtracted the drink that Kasey had asked to pay for. After the woman foraged through her handbag, she declared she did not have it.


As if Kasey's hands weren't already full, she requested that he split the cost of 37 cents each between two credit cards. Kasey couldn't believe it, yet he patiently obliged before hurrying off to serve another table.

Finding The Note

YouTube / ABC News

After catering to his other customers, Kasey finally returned to the woman and her family to fetch the bill. As he neared the table, however, he realized it was empty. He could only assume the worst, that they had left in an angry huff since he hadn't taken care of them as well as he should have.


He was powerless to change it now if that was the case. Then his eyes widened as he opened the leather folder and discovered the note on the receipt.

Did He Deserve This?

YouTube / ABC News

Written in the gratuity line of the receipt the woman had written $500.37. At first, he thought she must have made a mistake. But when he counted the wad of cash and the coins, he knew it was correct.

Tears welled in his eyes as the incredibly generous gesture truly sank in. But he still felt confused. What had he done to deserve this? Then, he saw the note on the napkin.

An Explanation

YouTube / ABC News

“On behalf of the Sullivan family, I want to thank you for being the person you are,” the note written on the napkin in red ink began.

“On one of the most depressing days of the year, (the passing of my father’s 3-year anniversary) you made my mother’s day wonderful. She has been smiling since you did what you did.” Puzzled, he read on until the note began to make sense.

Good Karma

Youtube - nozmoking1

Only earlier that day, Kasey saw an elderly woman in the Kroger grocery store while he shopped for a few necessities. Immediately noticing that she looked quite upset, he approached her. “I noticed there was a lady standing in front of me,” he recounts.

“It looked like she had been crying because once in a while she’d glance over to me.” But he had no idea that his actions would send some good karma his way.

Southern Hospitality 

Facebook / Kroger

Texans took hospitality seriously, or at least that’s what Kasey Simmon’s mom had always taught him. He respected those around him as a young man, but Kasey’s caring nature went beyond family.  

It started as a day like any other. However, on this warm Texan morning, Kasey had no idea what a simple gesture would lead to when he decided to help a stranger. 

Trying To Brighten Her Day

Facebook - Kasey Simmons

“I go up to her and say, ‘It’s not raining inside. There’s no reason to look so down. I’m sure you have a beautiful smile because you are a beautiful lady.’ It looked like she had a bad day,” Kasey remembers.

“She kind of shut me down a little bit. I wanted to make her at least grin a little bit and it wasn’t happening,” He added during an interview with ABC News.

She Refused To Smile

Youtube - KIS KIS - Keep it short

The woman grimaced more now, but Kasey was not so easily deterred. She reminded him of his gran and, such was his nature, he could not bear to see her upset. 

He tried his best to crack some jokes and kept trying to make her smile. As he did this, he hadn’t expected her reaction. Instead of smiling as he hoped, she began to cry more. 

He Didn’t Give Up 

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Kasey was invested in this now. Seeing the old woman so upset saddened him, and he felt more resolute about helping her. Where others may have given up and left her alone, Kasey couldn’t bring himself to leave her in tears. 

Trying his hardest and acting the fool for her benefit, Kasey was determined to change her mood. After all his antics, something finally happened.  

It Was Worth It

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The woman’s face was pink now, her grey hair matted and wrinkled face streaked with tears. She looked so sad it broke Kasey’s heart. But after all his efforts, against all this, the woman broke a tiny smile. 

Seeing it spread across her face was like a ray of sunshine to Kasey. Now that he’d accomplished the smile, he wanted to do more for her.   

A Small Act Of Kindness

Youtube - nozmoking1

After speaking to the elderly lady for a while, Kasey offered to pay for her groceries. He wanted so badly to brighten her day. The total came to $17. After insisting that he would pay for it, she agreed.  

She smiled at him warmly, and that’s when Kasey knew that he had just made her day a little easier. But he didn’t give it much thought after that. Little did he know, his good deed was about to come back to him in ways he’d never imagined.

A Bad Day

Facebook - Kasey Simmons

After he had paid for the stranger’s groceries, Kasey bid her farewell and gave her his Applebee’s business card. He wanted her to have someone to call if she ever needed help. Then, he headed off to begin his shift.

“Every time I get to work, I say, ‘It’s a great day. I’m going to make some friends and make some money,'” Kasey said. “This day happened to be the worst day of my Applebee’s career. I was having such a bad night that I was about to walk out of [that] place, and this lady comes in…”

The Next Day

Trip Advisor / LJB049 / CC

By the next afternoon, Kasey could not dwell on the old lady. As a server at a local Applebees, his late shift was in full swing. Doing his best to keep up with the rush, Kasey cleared the table for a small family. 

He immediately knew something was off. Despite there being two parents and two young kids, all the family ordered was a small flavored water for 37 cents before asking for the bill. 

The Note 

Facebook / Kasey Simmons 

Being a dinner rush, any other server might have been annoyed by the family. They even asked to split the meager bill between two credit cards. But Kasey was no ordinary server. 

Instead of anger, he politely did as they asked, choosing not to judge. When the family left, and he fetched the receipt, his jaw dropped as he found the note left for him. 

Paying It Forward

YouTube / ABC News

Kasey had no idea that the woman who sat down in his section was actually the woman from Krogers’ daughter. It turns out that she had paid a special visit to Applebee’s just so that she could repay him for the kindness he showed her mother.

“Her grocery was only $17.00, and you insisted on paying and told her she was a very beautiful woman… my mother did not need you to help her, but you made her year,” the note concluded.

The Payback

YouTube / ABC News

Kasey could not believe his eyes. It seems ordering the flavored water had just been a ruse. Kasey had to check in with his manager if this was really happening. 

He felt like he didn’t deserve it. The manager confirmed it was real. For a 37-cent bill, the family had left Kasey a $500 tip. 

He Wasn’t Alone 

Facebook - Kasey Simmons

Kasey was so amazed by what had happened that he posted about it on social media. In no time, the story went viral. Before long, even national news agencies were running the story. 

The reaction to Kasey’s story has been overwhelmingly positive. Praised for his kindness, Kasey continues to look for opportunities to help others. 

Everyday Hero

YouTube / ABC News

It wasn’t long before Kasey’s story was picked up by local news stations. Before he knew it, the story had gone viral. When he opened his Facebook feed, he was surprised to see netizens from all over the world hailing him as a hero!

“Fantastic to see that there are still good, generous, humble, sincere, and caring people in our vicious world of today. Well done and thank you!” one commenter wrote.

Kasey’s Philosophy 

Facebook - Kasey Simmons

Kasey’s philosophy in life is to be kind at all times, but his example may not always be an easy one to follow. 

These days, most people would rather look out for themselves than ever try to help another person – everyone is absorbed in their own lives. But Kasey’s story shows us that kindness can often be its own reward.

How To Change The World

Flickr / Chris Potter / CC 2.0

Another Facebook user described Kasey’s story as “heartwarming,” and almost everyone agreed. Then, the original commenter made a suggestion. “If everyone did one act of kindness a day the world would be a much better place,” she said.

But just how does Kasey feel about becoming a hero and garnering so many followers and fans’ attention on social media?

Leading By Example

YouTube / ABC News

Despite his recent fame, Kasey remains humble. He just did what he thought was right by trying to brighten a stranger’s day. 

“Even with what I did at the grocery store, I would want someone to do that for my daughter, mom, or grandmother,” he confessed. “If they looked the way that woman did at Kroger, I would pray you would do the same.”

Making A Difference

Alamy Stock

It’s stories like Kasey’s that help spread love and joy around the world. Performing one selfless act as simple as asking if someone is okay can make a huge difference in both your and their lives. And while not everyone might be as generous as the Sullivan family was to Kasey when it comes to returning the favor, that’s not the point of doing good deeds for others.

In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.