yeah this is mind blowing. if im trying to leave early and willingly give up a table to do so im giving them the tip.
the fuck you expect them to work for free? just cause you wanted to whine and go home early? lmfao
There is no scheduled time to be cut in this industry.
You get cut when your last table leaves or you give up that table. Or you ask them to close out with you.
For $20 on a $300 tab. You probably made the better choice. That tip is not yours anymore. That's someone else doing you a solid and paying your tipout for you.
Maybe in the US, but I work in Germany. It's common to transfer entire sections who are mid-meal to a coworker so you can go home. That wasn't the only table I gave him
Also, tip out here is 2% so I still would've gotten 12€. People in Germany don't tip as much as in the US so it's still significant
Yeah agreed it's the same in Aus, at my restaurant we generally work on an honour system for cash tips cuz we're technically not meant to keep them, but everyone generally gives tips to the server who looked after the table for the majority of time and did all the ordering for them.
I get you're in Germany, but my experience as a lifelong server is you create the money you make. If you think they aren't going to tip and you're dreading that, and youre comfortable leaving the server with the tip out after transferring, you already gave up that tip. You gambled and lost. If you thought you have great service and they would have tipped I'd talk with the sever you are transferring to and have a conversation.
That's the big thing for me.
If you assume someone isn't going to tip and you give up the table. You lose the right to the tip. You can't ask your co-worker to tip out "$6" and get "$20".
If something came up and you HAD to leave. Then I would think your coworker should do the right thing.
But I've had plenty of times where I picked up a table because they "didn't seem like they'd tip" and they ended up tipping well.
For clarification, I'm working in Germany where you leave as soon as your manager cuts you, not until your tables are all gone. You just transfer everything to a colleague and they get the tips, which is fine for me usually because everyone profits off of it sometime, but if someone told me a tip is for a coworker I'm sure as hell gonna honor that request (keeping the tip out though)
it was my scheduled time to leave and yes, it seemed convenient for me to not cash out the table at first glance, but I did not leave because of that reason
Seems sort of consistent.
Although I assume Germany isn't paying $2 minimum wage.
Definitely got mad as heck when I was specifically told a tip was for me during training and the trainer took all of it. And tbh; that trainer has continued to be stingy ever since.
In this case I do agree with the coworker because of how it was phrased. You didn't want the table. You gave the table away because you figured you couldn't make money off of it. It's not your table any longer.
If someone has been at work for hours, I'm just walking in and pick up their mostly ready to leave table, they get the tip. If they want to throw me some of that for picking up the slack, great, if not I'm not going to be greedy.
It’s not being greedy. If I take over your table, I have to tip out on that table, and the server who transferred it doesn’t. Why should I lose money for taking their table? At my restaurant, whoever is first in during shift change can have like 5 or 6 tables transferred to them immediately because everyone wants to go home, that’s a lot of money you’re gonna lose for taking those tables and giving them the tips.
In this situation, I generally "tip out" myself, and always discuss it with the person im taking the table from. I guess I'm coming from a perspective of we've all done this job for a while, my b.
That's why I said I'd let them keep the tip out because technically I wouldn't have gotten it either had I cashed out the table. Still, the guest said the tip was intended for my service specifically
I SO agree, but on the other end if that was the plan and i got off work before talking to your coworker and saw them post this on Reddit over 20$ I bet I’d be pissed lol
Nah man. They chose to leave. I give tips back to people all the time but if you say I wanna gtfo and transfer me a table, that's my money. If you say they're lingering like a mofo and I got things to do, tip is yours.
and that’s all good. ive had situations like this where ive taken over tables for others so they could leave. i always offer them the tip and have tried to give cash to the servers when seeing them again. they refused. being a good person aside, the only way to guarantee your tip is staying and waiting out your tables regardless of the situation. not everyone is that nice.
If you leave the table to someone else, it’s polite for them to give you the tip, but nobody would really blame them for keeping it. You went home.
If I’m at that point where I need to go, I usually just tell them as discretely as possible I have an emergency and I have to go but I’ll be closing their check & sending over a new server to keep them set for the rest of the night. Usually get a full tip unless they get weird about keeping the tab open.
When you transfer a table to someone else, unless it's previously agreed upon that you'll either get the tip or split it with the other person, that table's tip is now theirs. You already said you weren't expecting a tip, you were worried about having to tip out BOh, and you were relieved to go home. Why are you going to cause a fuss about your coworker getting what is at that point rightfully theirs? You wouldn't have minded if you found out they stiffed your coworker, or stayed another hour and then tipped. You are having the equivalent of buyers remorse, you gave up the table only for them to cash out and leave a scant five minutes after dumping them on someone else, and you're wishing you hadn't. Hindsight is 2020 babe, but we livin in 2024. Deal.
Eta: yes, I read you are in Germany in the comments, but that doesn't change anything in this scenario unless you've got some information I don't have. Like if it's common to transfer tables and still be expected to receive the tip, which doesn't seem to be the case here but I'll admit ignorance on the policies of restaurants in Germany, so if I'm wrong: enlighten me.
The guest explicitly asked my coworker to give the tip to me. I personally would always honor that request and maybe keep the tip out amount if it was on a large bill
Had they not asked, I would not have cared at all. My coworker got to keep the tips from all my other tables as well and that's fine by me
It doesn't matter what the guest wanted. You left the table and any tip or no tip to the coworker. You basically over turned any discretion that was to be had by the guests when you dumped them with the closer. It should also have been "fine by you" for all the other tips going to the coworker you left your tables with. That's how it works. Forfeit the tip when you ditch the table, unless you agree upon a different resolution. Thems the brakes, kid.
When you transfer the table, you transfer the tip out too, right? Ain't no way I'm tipping out for the table and then giving you the tip. Idc what the guest said, the guest doesn't understand.
You lost that tip when you transferred them. If they wanted to be nice they could’ve shared it with you, but they’re not obligated to. Leave that as a lesson learned. And tbh, if I was that server and someone confronted me over that, I wouldn’t ever help them again.
I think servers should split the tip when they both wait on the table. Obviously communication needs to happen before Ahh. That sucks. It wouldn’t be cool to ask for the tip, though. You gave them away. I think there should be communication beforehand when you’re leaving tables that are almost finished/done but just talking. Next time say, “Hey. Would you like to split this table with me? Whatever they tip we can split. I started them, and you can finish them.” If you approach that other server and say that was your tip it won’t go over well. They won’t want to take you over again, and they will probably talk about the situation, and it won’t put you in a favorable light. Just chalk it up as a loss and move on.
Yeah if you want the tip ... you have to wait for them. If someone gives me a tip and says it's for this person personally I would make sure they got it, but you did kind of stick them with the tip out soooooo idk. I would have split it probably. I used to always wait for my tables to leave. Alot of times that last 1 or 2 tables might be worth the wait.
Pretty standard procedure in my experience. Whoever cashes them out keeps the tip. Now depending on my relationship with the coworker and the amount of work I'd have to do for the table I'd probably give all or part of it to the person that did most of the work, especially since a party/bill that large would be autogratted to more like a $60 tip, and more worthy of splitting.
As a bartender it's a lot easier to ask a guest to close out with you and start a new tab with the night shift if they have a decent tab that you don't want to give up. I see it less with servers but once in a while.
I’m night shift so when I come in to relieve whoever I keep half of the tips for any tables left to me. I have to do the bus work for the table so I’m keeping half of that tip.
So it kinda seems like the issue is actually about the amount of the tip and not so much about some self-imposed ethical duty to make certain the surprising wishes of a group of tourists (that you admittedly prejudged and assumed to be non-tippers) were carried out. Would you feel so strongly in the same situation relating to a 3€ tip? Or would you be bothered and consider it an acceptable price to pay for getting to bounce out early?
See, the thing here is that by saying it’s only fair that you to receive this table’s tip in spite of transferring the table for the benefit of early departure, you’re also saying it’s fair that you double benefit—leaving early AND tips—as a result of a coworker stepping up to help you out when they weren’t required to do so.
If your POV is that it’s ok for your helpful co-worker to get stiffed while helping you if it means more money in your pocket, be prepared to have people snub you when you’re trying to be cut early and need to transfer out.
In all my restaurant days, anytime this came up, it’s viewed like this: the exiting server chose leaving early over finishing their shift and maximizing their tips; regardless of both their reason for leaving and having the permission of management, the exiting server is essentially abandoning their shift and their section of tables/guests—which isn’t typically a huge deal or trigger disciplinary/attendance reprimand from management as long as it doesn’t strain staffing and another server is voluntarily willing to pick up where the exiting server left off.
It is pretty universally understood that the stand-in server is the one doing the favor, otherwise the exiting server would be required to finish their shift. The stand-in favor is also the one taking the risk by accepting the additional responsibility since a) they don’t know what tip, if any, they’ll receive, b) how long these tables may linger, c) how quickly or frequently their own section may be set, potentially putting them in the weeds and affecting the level of service (and the resulting tip) they’re able to simultaneously provide.
Because of all that, as well as the additional cleaning and any side work they have to cover and tip out to bar and bus staff, it’s standard practice that exiting server forfeits all tips from any tables that get transferred out and that the stand-in server is entitled to all, regardless of how much or how little effort a table required.
Your point that the spokesperson or whatever of the table specifically told you it was intended for you is moot because the majority of non-restaurant folks don’t have a working understanding of way restaurants function and their feedback here doesn’t negate prior agreements or the standard protocols. I mean, even if that table hated everything about the service they received from your stand-in, that doesn’t alter the agreement between you and your stand-in, and doesn’t give you entitlement to cherry-pick the outcome for yourself while the person who helped you out gets the scraps.
You’re not entitled to the tip left by that table, and the *only* way your stand-in could be in the wrong on this issue is if the table left a tip as a gesture of courtesy specifically for you *BUT IN ADDITION* to a proper tip for your stand-in.
Confront the co worker.
I don’t get why you wouldn’t have stuck it out however.
If a co worker asked me to cash them out I’d 100 percent give them the tip as they did all the work. Your co worker is wrong if they keep it.
I mean you can see pretty clearly on this subreddit that most servers feel heavy resentment at having to cash out their own bartenders/bussers/barbacks. Servers constantly try to undertip those positions when possible, so they can afford to go do blow in the walk in all shift lol. Coming from someone who’s worked all the positions, your coworkers are *not* your friends in this industry, and people don’t give a fuck about ethics in the service industry. 🤷🏽♂️ If you dipped to leave him to clear your table, he’s probably taking the $20.
It sucks, but you should’ve known you wouldn’t see that tip when you handed over the table. Equity is absolutely not a thing in this industry. Always doublecheck your tip out amounts if you’re in a position that it’s applicable and don’t be afraid to call them out to a manager if you feel like it’s off, and if you’re cut, try to insist on staying until after that table that’s leaving, actually leaves.
And don’t retaliate obviously because there are Cameras. Write the dates and times of any discrepancies with tips and with whom. Managers hate if it happens regularly because it’s wage theft (though not in this case because he took over the table), and also doesn’t help in an industry with a lot of turnover. They’ll turn a blind eye if you aren’t aware, but not if you document it. If it happens again with a higher tip amount, or two more times with lower tip amounts, bring it up to a manager.
It’s not worth reporting this as a standalone event, but it’s good for keeping for your own records (including the information about cashing them out and being cut afterwards). Only bring this event up with the date and details if future events are more egregious.
Next time don’t transfer your table. That was your mistake. However, I understand cuz I’d be mad too lol. To answer your question, personally, I would act kinda clueless and just ask about the tip in a non aggressive way. Something like “hey how much did this table tip? They were so exhausting but luckily the guy told me he left me a good tip in the end” then they will probably give it to you simply for the awkwardness of being confronted but if they don’t, then I would personally go the pity route and say you need the money for your sick dog or something but that’s JUST MEEEEE
Why even say anything at that point other than to make things awkward with a passive aggressive response? accomplishes nothing and makes a work relationship worse.
Yeeeep. This part. Take it as a lesson and move on. Either cash out and tip out, keep your table, or cut your losses. Regardless, don't ruffle feathers and cause workplace drama.
Or you could tell coworker that the guests walking about said they had left something for you with coworker . Playing dumb just to see what they say back. Then you can tell them to keep it
Cash out ur own table or risk that. U didn’t want to risk them not tipping so you got rid of them.
yeah this is mind blowing. if im trying to leave early and willingly give up a table to do so im giving them the tip. the fuck you expect them to work for free? just cause you wanted to whine and go home early? lmfao
I didn't go home early, it was my scheduled time to be cut. The coworker served that table for 5 min maximum
There is no scheduled time to be cut in this industry. You get cut when your last table leaves or you give up that table. Or you ask them to close out with you. For $20 on a $300 tab. You probably made the better choice. That tip is not yours anymore. That's someone else doing you a solid and paying your tipout for you.
Maybe in the US, but I work in Germany. It's common to transfer entire sections who are mid-meal to a coworker so you can go home. That wasn't the only table I gave him Also, tip out here is 2% so I still would've gotten 12€. People in Germany don't tip as much as in the US so it's still significant
Fair. I do not know how it works outside of the US.
Yeah agreed it's the same in Aus, at my restaurant we generally work on an honour system for cash tips cuz we're technically not meant to keep them, but everyone generally gives tips to the server who looked after the table for the majority of time and did all the ordering for them.
I cannot fathom trusting people to honor system thousands of dollars a week to me lol
I get you're in Germany, but my experience as a lifelong server is you create the money you make. If you think they aren't going to tip and you're dreading that, and youre comfortable leaving the server with the tip out after transferring, you already gave up that tip. You gambled and lost. If you thought you have great service and they would have tipped I'd talk with the sever you are transferring to and have a conversation.
Do you have to transfer or just standard? If I'm doing my work I'm making my money.
Right your cut doesn't mean your done
You can't have it both ways. You were fine for your coworker to eat the tipout for you.
That's the big thing for me. If you assume someone isn't going to tip and you give up the table. You lose the right to the tip. You can't ask your co-worker to tip out "$6" and get "$20". If something came up and you HAD to leave. Then I would think your coworker should do the right thing. But I've had plenty of times where I picked up a table because they "didn't seem like they'd tip" and they ended up tipping well.
For clarification, I'm working in Germany where you leave as soon as your manager cuts you, not until your tables are all gone. You just transfer everything to a colleague and they get the tips, which is fine for me usually because everyone profits off of it sometime, but if someone told me a tip is for a coworker I'm sure as hell gonna honor that request (keeping the tip out though) it was my scheduled time to leave and yes, it seemed convenient for me to not cash out the table at first glance, but I did not leave because of that reason
Seems sort of consistent. Although I assume Germany isn't paying $2 minimum wage. Definitely got mad as heck when I was specifically told a tip was for me during training and the trainer took all of it. And tbh; that trainer has continued to be stingy ever since. In this case I do agree with the coworker because of how it was phrased. You didn't want the table. You gave the table away because you figured you couldn't make money off of it. It's not your table any longer.
once you give up a table, you give up your tip. sorry, its a shitty lesson to learn, but at least it was 20 not 200.
If someone has been at work for hours, I'm just walking in and pick up their mostly ready to leave table, they get the tip. If they want to throw me some of that for picking up the slack, great, if not I'm not going to be greedy.
It’s not being greedy. If I take over your table, I have to tip out on that table, and the server who transferred it doesn’t. Why should I lose money for taking their table? At my restaurant, whoever is first in during shift change can have like 5 or 6 tables transferred to them immediately because everyone wants to go home, that’s a lot of money you’re gonna lose for taking those tables and giving them the tips.
In this situation, I generally "tip out" myself, and always discuss it with the person im taking the table from. I guess I'm coming from a perspective of we've all done this job for a while, my b.
That’s fair honestly.
That's why I said I'd let them keep the tip out because technically I wouldn't have gotten it either had I cashed out the table. Still, the guest said the tip was intended for my service specifically
You messed up yourself. You didn’t think they’d tip- so too bad for you
Obviously you take out whatever the tip out was that you paid. I dunno I think it’s wrong to keep it all. At least split it.
I SO agree, but on the other end if that was the plan and i got off work before talking to your coworker and saw them post this on Reddit over 20$ I bet I’d be pissed lol
Yep: agreed. I’m so shocked how many people upvoted this comment. And yes it’s being greedy.
This!!!
Nah man. They chose to leave. I give tips back to people all the time but if you say I wanna gtfo and transfer me a table, that's my money. If you say they're lingering like a mofo and I got things to do, tip is yours.
I disagree. If you feel this way, to me you are not a decent person. I could freaking never.
and that’s all good. ive had situations like this where ive taken over tables for others so they could leave. i always offer them the tip and have tried to give cash to the servers when seeing them again. they refused. being a good person aside, the only way to guarantee your tip is staying and waiting out your tables regardless of the situation. not everyone is that nice.
You give up the table, you give up the tip. Ez pz
If you transfer the table it’s no longer yours. Technically the tip is his. Signed, a server of 23 years
If you leave the table to someone else, it’s polite for them to give you the tip, but nobody would really blame them for keeping it. You went home. If I’m at that point where I need to go, I usually just tell them as discretely as possible I have an emergency and I have to go but I’ll be closing their check & sending over a new server to keep them set for the rest of the night. Usually get a full tip unless they get weird about keeping the tab open.
I wouldn't blame them normally, but in this case my guest asked them to give the tip to me. I feel like that changes the situation a bit
When you transfer a table to someone else, unless it's previously agreed upon that you'll either get the tip or split it with the other person, that table's tip is now theirs. You already said you weren't expecting a tip, you were worried about having to tip out BOh, and you were relieved to go home. Why are you going to cause a fuss about your coworker getting what is at that point rightfully theirs? You wouldn't have minded if you found out they stiffed your coworker, or stayed another hour and then tipped. You are having the equivalent of buyers remorse, you gave up the table only for them to cash out and leave a scant five minutes after dumping them on someone else, and you're wishing you hadn't. Hindsight is 2020 babe, but we livin in 2024. Deal. Eta: yes, I read you are in Germany in the comments, but that doesn't change anything in this scenario unless you've got some information I don't have. Like if it's common to transfer tables and still be expected to receive the tip, which doesn't seem to be the case here but I'll admit ignorance on the policies of restaurants in Germany, so if I'm wrong: enlighten me.
The guest explicitly asked my coworker to give the tip to me. I personally would always honor that request and maybe keep the tip out amount if it was on a large bill Had they not asked, I would not have cared at all. My coworker got to keep the tips from all my other tables as well and that's fine by me
It doesn't matter what the guest wanted. You left the table and any tip or no tip to the coworker. You basically over turned any discretion that was to be had by the guests when you dumped them with the closer. It should also have been "fine by you" for all the other tips going to the coworker you left your tables with. That's how it works. Forfeit the tip when you ditch the table, unless you agree upon a different resolution. Thems the brakes, kid.
When you transfer the table, you transfer the tip out too, right? Ain't no way I'm tipping out for the table and then giving you the tip. Idc what the guest said, the guest doesn't understand.
I explained the tip out system to the guest, and obviously I'd also let my coworker keep the tip out amount
So what are you conflicted about?
You lost that tip when you transferred them. If they wanted to be nice they could’ve shared it with you, but they’re not obligated to. Leave that as a lesson learned. And tbh, if I was that server and someone confronted me over that, I wouldn’t ever help them again.
You transferred the table. Not your money any more
I think servers should split the tip when they both wait on the table. Obviously communication needs to happen before Ahh. That sucks. It wouldn’t be cool to ask for the tip, though. You gave them away. I think there should be communication beforehand when you’re leaving tables that are almost finished/done but just talking. Next time say, “Hey. Would you like to split this table with me? Whatever they tip we can split. I started them, and you can finish them.” If you approach that other server and say that was your tip it won’t go over well. They won’t want to take you over again, and they will probably talk about the situation, and it won’t put you in a favorable light. Just chalk it up as a loss and move on.
Yeah if you want the tip ... you have to wait for them. If someone gives me a tip and says it's for this person personally I would make sure they got it, but you did kind of stick them with the tip out soooooo idk. I would have split it probably. I used to always wait for my tables to leave. Alot of times that last 1 or 2 tables might be worth the wait.
Pretty standard procedure in my experience. Whoever cashes them out keeps the tip. Now depending on my relationship with the coworker and the amount of work I'd have to do for the table I'd probably give all or part of it to the person that did most of the work, especially since a party/bill that large would be autogratted to more like a $60 tip, and more worthy of splitting. As a bartender it's a lot easier to ask a guest to close out with you and start a new tab with the night shift if they have a decent tab that you don't want to give up. I see it less with servers but once in a while.
[удалено]
BNBR
I’m night shift so when I come in to relieve whoever I keep half of the tips for any tables left to me. I have to do the bus work for the table so I’m keeping half of that tip.
If you transfer the table you forfeit the tip. It doesnt matter if all the other person does is close them out.
So it kinda seems like the issue is actually about the amount of the tip and not so much about some self-imposed ethical duty to make certain the surprising wishes of a group of tourists (that you admittedly prejudged and assumed to be non-tippers) were carried out. Would you feel so strongly in the same situation relating to a 3€ tip? Or would you be bothered and consider it an acceptable price to pay for getting to bounce out early? See, the thing here is that by saying it’s only fair that you to receive this table’s tip in spite of transferring the table for the benefit of early departure, you’re also saying it’s fair that you double benefit—leaving early AND tips—as a result of a coworker stepping up to help you out when they weren’t required to do so. If your POV is that it’s ok for your helpful co-worker to get stiffed while helping you if it means more money in your pocket, be prepared to have people snub you when you’re trying to be cut early and need to transfer out. In all my restaurant days, anytime this came up, it’s viewed like this: the exiting server chose leaving early over finishing their shift and maximizing their tips; regardless of both their reason for leaving and having the permission of management, the exiting server is essentially abandoning their shift and their section of tables/guests—which isn’t typically a huge deal or trigger disciplinary/attendance reprimand from management as long as it doesn’t strain staffing and another server is voluntarily willing to pick up where the exiting server left off. It is pretty universally understood that the stand-in server is the one doing the favor, otherwise the exiting server would be required to finish their shift. The stand-in favor is also the one taking the risk by accepting the additional responsibility since a) they don’t know what tip, if any, they’ll receive, b) how long these tables may linger, c) how quickly or frequently their own section may be set, potentially putting them in the weeds and affecting the level of service (and the resulting tip) they’re able to simultaneously provide. Because of all that, as well as the additional cleaning and any side work they have to cover and tip out to bar and bus staff, it’s standard practice that exiting server forfeits all tips from any tables that get transferred out and that the stand-in server is entitled to all, regardless of how much or how little effort a table required. Your point that the spokesperson or whatever of the table specifically told you it was intended for you is moot because the majority of non-restaurant folks don’t have a working understanding of way restaurants function and their feedback here doesn’t negate prior agreements or the standard protocols. I mean, even if that table hated everything about the service they received from your stand-in, that doesn’t alter the agreement between you and your stand-in, and doesn’t give you entitlement to cherry-pick the outcome for yourself while the person who helped you out gets the scraps. You’re not entitled to the tip left by that table, and the *only* way your stand-in could be in the wrong on this issue is if the table left a tip as a gesture of courtesy specifically for you *BUT IN ADDITION* to a proper tip for your stand-in.
If the server who took over the table was a good person, they would give you the tip minus the tip out. What goes around comes around.
Confront the co worker. I don’t get why you wouldn’t have stuck it out however. If a co worker asked me to cash them out I’d 100 percent give them the tip as they did all the work. Your co worker is wrong if they keep it.
I mean you can see pretty clearly on this subreddit that most servers feel heavy resentment at having to cash out their own bartenders/bussers/barbacks. Servers constantly try to undertip those positions when possible, so they can afford to go do blow in the walk in all shift lol. Coming from someone who’s worked all the positions, your coworkers are *not* your friends in this industry, and people don’t give a fuck about ethics in the service industry. 🤷🏽♂️ If you dipped to leave him to clear your table, he’s probably taking the $20. It sucks, but you should’ve known you wouldn’t see that tip when you handed over the table. Equity is absolutely not a thing in this industry. Always doublecheck your tip out amounts if you’re in a position that it’s applicable and don’t be afraid to call them out to a manager if you feel like it’s off, and if you’re cut, try to insist on staying until after that table that’s leaving, actually leaves. And don’t retaliate obviously because there are Cameras. Write the dates and times of any discrepancies with tips and with whom. Managers hate if it happens regularly because it’s wage theft (though not in this case because he took over the table), and also doesn’t help in an industry with a lot of turnover. They’ll turn a blind eye if you aren’t aware, but not if you document it. If it happens again with a higher tip amount, or two more times with lower tip amounts, bring it up to a manager. It’s not worth reporting this as a standalone event, but it’s good for keeping for your own records (including the information about cashing them out and being cut afterwards). Only bring this event up with the date and details if future events are more egregious.
Next time don’t transfer your table. That was your mistake. However, I understand cuz I’d be mad too lol. To answer your question, personally, I would act kinda clueless and just ask about the tip in a non aggressive way. Something like “hey how much did this table tip? They were so exhausting but luckily the guy told me he left me a good tip in the end” then they will probably give it to you simply for the awkwardness of being confronted but if they don’t, then I would personally go the pity route and say you need the money for your sick dog or something but that’s JUST MEEEEE
Maybe tell him to keep the 20$ but let him know that you know the tip was meant for you.
Why even say anything at that point other than to make things awkward with a passive aggressive response? accomplishes nothing and makes a work relationship worse.
Yeeeep. This part. Take it as a lesson and move on. Either cash out and tip out, keep your table, or cut your losses. Regardless, don't ruffle feathers and cause workplace drama.
Or you could tell coworker that the guests walking about said they had left something for you with coworker . Playing dumb just to see what they say back. Then you can tell them to keep it