A server deals with rude kids with clever revenge, doesn’t give them the Mountain Dew they were expecting

Dealing with rude customers is already an ordeal for service workers, let alone rude customers who happen to be kids. One server recently decided to teach some disrespectful young customers a lesson: don’t mess with the people who prepare your food. On TikTok, Minerva (@mini_minniii) shares what she said she did with their drinks.

“What’s something that you’ve done as a server to rude customers?” the on-screen text begins. Minerva revealed what she did to the kids’ drinks when they were allegedly being rude. “I’ll go first. If you’re rude and you have bad a– kids that want mt [Mountain] Dew, I put a splash of mt dew then 90% soda water,” the on-screen text reads.

Fellow servers also revealed in the comments how they deal with customers, admitting they’ve used similar tactics. “I give them regular soda instead of diet,” one viewer wrote. “I’m charging them for lemons and butter,” another added.“I had a kid YELL at me for a soda. Dad did nothing. Lil dude got 20% root beer, 80% soda water. He complained it tasted funny. Refilled exactly the same,” a third shared, claiming this soda trick is not uncommon in the service industry.

Soda trick is the oldest trick in the book for servers

Minerva told BroBible that other service workers have done far worse things that are disturbing to hear. She claimed, “The thought of even doing half of the things most of the service workers do and have admitted to are just sick. Some of the confessions made me physically sick to my stomach.”

She offered a more compassionate take on the rude customers, since they have no idea what they are going through. “I don’t do anything different. The rude guests are temporary and I have absolutely no idea what they have or are going through. I won’t lower myself or my work standards for anyone.”

@mini_minniii Your kids shouldn’t have mt. dew anyways 👀 (there’s so much more) #serverlife#tipping#servertiktok#serverproblems#customerservice♬ Mozart/Requiem “Lacrimosa”(1394506) – Mint

Customers being rude or aggressive toward servers is a tale as old as time. Restaurants often become places where some people feel free to unleash their nastier side. Whether it’s snapping their fingers at the server, talking loudly on the phone, or letting their kids run wild, few things are as unappealing as a rude dining companion.

According to a report by The Guardian, restaurants are the best place to watch human power dynamics displayed. “Social hierarchy has a big role in whether individuals are rude to others,” said Dr Daniel Redhead, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. Mistreating staff has long been seen as a sign of poor character, but restaurants often tolerate inexcusable behavior in ways they wouldn’t elsewhere.

It also doesn’t help that the “customer is always right” mentality has fostered entitlement among some diners. However, as Minerva pointed out, service workers sometimes find ways to get their revenge, so customers might want to be on their best behavior.