Texas Server Passes Handheld POS System to Diners at Checkout. Then They Dine-and-Dash in the Most Diabolical Way Possible

A Texas server got duped by a table of three who didn’t pay their bill. Now, she’s reeling in the aftermath. 

Kait (@kaitnow) posted a video that received more than 12,000 views. In it, she described how three girls didn’t pay for their check by selecting the “cash” option after she handed them the restaurant’s POS system. The server acknowledged how she mistakenly contributed to the situation, but said, “3 years in the service industry and this has never happened to me before.”

Here’s what happened and how she experienced her first dine-and-dash.

The dine-and-dash

Kait said she had a party of three that racked up a $75 tab. She noticed that the table seemed like they were in a rush to get out the door, so Kait came over and brought them their check. 

Everything seemed normal; the party requested to-go boxes, which Kait provided. Then they requested a tap-to-pay. Kait went ahead and handed the POS system to one of the girls at the table and left. 

When she came back to the table, she saw that the girls had left the table. The POS system was “wiped out,” so Kait assumed that they paid. Later in the evening, she realized that the girl who had the bill at the table clicked the “cash” option on the POS system. She never provided Kait cash, so she was empty-handed. 

“ They left the restaurant so fast, like the whole thing was just sketchy. I have too much faith in people, I guess. I don’t know,” Kait said. 

In an update, Kait said, “I am fully aware that this was my fault. That also doesn’t mean that it still wasn’t stressful and frustrating. I maybe use the handheld once every couple months and I never leave it on the table. That was the first time I’ve done that. And I have obviously learned my lesson.”

@kaitnow Updated: I am fully aware that this was my fault. That also doesn’t mean that it still wasn’t stressful and frustrating. I maybe use the handheld once every couple months and I never leave it on the table. That was the first time I’ve done that. And I have obviously learned my lesson. 3 years in the service industry and this has never happened to me before. #se#serverproblemse#servera#waitresse#serverlifee#servertok ♬ original sound – kaitnow?

Can trust lead to dine-and-dashing?

Most restaurateurs would say they have a longstanding beef with dine-and-dashers. The restaurant loses out on the entire tab. Servers waste time on a table that offers no tip. And crucially, the experience creates a lasting, negative experience for those involved. 

Despite the negative impact it can have on hospitality workers, a survey in 2018 found that one in 20 diners have walked out of a restaurant before paying. The reason why? The study reported that many customers didn’t want to wait for the bill. The Independent added that an additional 25% of customers would consider dine-and-dashing if they had to wait more than 30 minutes for a check.

Dine-and-dashing is also associated with “dysfunctional,” opportunistic customer behavior. A study published in Service Business, an international journal, found that dysfunctional behavior—such as shoplifting, verbal abuse, complaints, and fraud—can be associated with available opportunities. Service failures or tiny slip-ups can lead to customers “gaming” the system.

The study used an example in a retail setting: A customer finds a $200 coat with a $20 price tag—a mistake. Opportunistically, they may present the coat to a retail worker and purchase it for $20 despite knowing it should cost $200.

Kait’s table may have mistakenly selected the cash option. Or, as Kait suggested in her video, they may have seen an opportunity to select the cash option because they had the handheld POS. Ultimately, it’s difficult to know based on Kait’s video what the table of three was thinking or whether they deliberately walked out without paying.

The Mary Sue has reached out to Kait via email for comment.

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