Those who work in the service industry rely on tips to make ends meet. Without them, workers in this industry would make only a few dollars an hour– an unlivable wage in most developed countries! The expectation is that most customers will tip around 15% to 20%, which is usually enough to make up a reasonably good salary. However, there are never guarantees.
Every once in a while, a generous tipper comes in and brightens a server’s day. On rare occasions, the tip is generous enough to change a life.
Chelsea Bell’s Best Shift Ever
Chelsea Lantrip, who goes by the name Chelsea Bell at her work, has always lived paycheck to paycheck. In the service industry, where cash is king, this is an especially precarious financial situation. Chelsea looks forward to serving customers who tip well, but she couldn’t imagine what her shift had in store for her when she started one Tuesday night. Two women, who weren’t regulars, came into the bar where Chelsea works. Since she didn’t recognize the women, she didn’t know what to expect when she went up to serve them.
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To her surprise, one of the women bought a round of drinks for everybody in the bar. Since it was a Tuesday and the establishment was quiet, the woman’s bill only came out to $179.50. Despite the relatively small bill, the woman decided to tip $1000. Touched by such generosity, Chelsea Bell began to tear up. After seeing her display of emotion, the customer changed her mind about her tip.
The Bartender’s Tears Prompt a Life-Changing Tip
The woman, seeing Chelsea’s tears, decided to up the tip to $2,000. Then, she upped it again to $4,000.
“I didn’t believe it until it went through the credit card machine," Chelsea explained. "I still didn’t believe it until it hit the bank."
The tip was life-changing for Chelsea Bell. On top of living paycheck to paycheck, Chelsea was preparing to send her adult son to Texas A&M University. Her son had worked hard to get grants and scholarships so that he could attend the school, but Chelsea was upset that she didn’t have the means to help him out financially.
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This $4,000 would allow her to help her son out a little bit as he started this new chapter of his life. On top of her obligations to her son, Chelsea wanted to do something special and fun for her family by taking them out to a nice dinner! The generous tipper, who wanted to stay anonymous, was like a guardian angel for Chelsea.
“She is a gift from God," Chelsea said. "I believe in guardian angels, I believe in people coming into your life at the right time that you need them. And she was definitely one of them.”
Paying it forward
The woman who left Chelsea the amazing tip had recently come into an inheritance. She decided the first thing she would do with her new windfall was to spread the love. Both Chelsea and the bar she worked for couldn’t believe the kindness this woman had shown.
Most of us expect people to hoard their wealth and good luck, and it is a pleasant surprise when people choose to pay it forward. When we can change people’s lives just by leaving a tip, doing so is an amazing act of kindness!
brown wooden bench on green grass field during daytimePhoto by 
