Diner who left restaurant without paying forced to return after leaving phone on table

With the cost-of-living crisis, hospitality staff are under more pressure than ever.

However, one former barista revealed how she got revenge on a customer after they dined and dashed at a restaurant where she was working.

Even more hilariously, the customer was forced to return as they’d left their phone during the fumbled escape plan.

Take a look below:

TikTok user @insydemymind, also known as Syd, has become famous for her stories about badly behaved customers – proving that they aren’t always right.

Having gained over 65,000 followers on the app, the 20-year-old has made a Hostess in a Rush series where she spills the beans on the very worst offenders from her waitressing days.

In the latest update, she recalled how a customer realised they’d left their phone behind after dining and dashing a few days before.

TikTok/@insydemymind

Whilst most of us wouldn’t have had the nerve to go back, the reckless thief called the restaurant to try and claim their phone back – even describing their cracked screen in detail.

However, their bad behaviour hadn’t been forgotten.

It was then that Syd took her revenge, by informing her manager about the incident and arranging for the clueless customer to pick up the phone at around 4 pm.

Acting out the scene between her then-manager and guest, the TikToker then revealed that her boss held the phone hostage until the would-be thief finally paid up.

Understandably, people have been going wild over the story with the viral video racking up over 874,000 views on the app.

TikTok/@insydemymind

Reacting in the comments, one user joked about the phone being a ‘hostage’ during the tense negotiations.

They wrote: “The phone is actually a hostage in this situation.”

Other hospitality staff shared similar stories, although their bosses seemed even more vengeful. (Eek!)

The user explained: “That literally happened at my job and my manager went back to call the cops bc they had the phone and dude waited up front the whole time.”

A third added: “It’s even better when they forget their card n realize n come back for it n pay way more than they would’ve had they not done that.”

Sadly, we still don’t know what happened to the clueless customer in Syd’s story, with her fans begging for a follow-up in the comments.

As her fans wait for another update from the former barista, here’s hoping she doesn’t encounter any more criminal customers.