Waitress Responds To 1-Star Review From Family With 'Screaming Child' In The Best Way Possible

A British waitress who received a harsh one-star review from a family with a 'screaming child' turned the situation around with a response that has people talking.

Anyone who's ever worked in hospitality knows it can be tough dealing with all kinds of customers. From unusual requests to outright rude behavior, challenges like these are just part of the daily grind.

For Daniella Claeys, the 24-year-old waitress at the center of this story, handling dissatisfied customers is nothing new. But even she had to laugh at the drama when faced with a less-than-happy family and their crying baby.

Daniella shared her story on TikTok, explaining how this particular incident unfolded during one of her shifts when she wasn’t feeling her best due to a cold.

"I could just hear this child screaming. It was a big family," she remembered.

"The crying went on for a considerable amount of time and other staff members were aware of the disruption. Because of my migraine it just seemed to pierce through my ears. I think the family could see my discomfort. I'm not denying that."

"On reflection I should have handled it better but I was quite openly uncomfortable."

The aftermath of the visit appeared online in the form of a brutal one-star review, where Daniella was specifically called out by name.

According to the review, she had allegedly suggested that the family sit "outside [in] the cold" because of their crying baby.

Daniella admitted she could have handled the situation 'better'. Kennedy News and Media

"[Daniella] didn't bother to hide her discomfort and looked at us like we were rubbish," the family wrote, adding that they "left the restaurant straight away."

The review included low scores for Atmosphere, Value for Money, and Likelihood to Recommend, prompting Daniella to reflect on the incident. She admitted that while she had sensed the mom was upset during the visit, she hadn’t realized just how angry she had been until reading the review later.

"At the time I was super upset. I never want to make anyone feel uncomfortable," Daniella said.

Instead of letting it get her down, Daniella decided to make the best of the situation and turn it into something funny.

She explained: "I sent [the review] to everyone I knew and put it on my Instagram. Everyone thought it was so funny."

Daniella wanted to find humor in the situation. Kennedy News and Media

Taking the humor a step further, Daniella had the review printed onto a custom-made t-shirt, which she proudly showcased on TikTok.

The video featured Daniella wearing the shirt at work, accompanied by the caption: "When you get a one star review for being a bad waitress so make a top out of it."

Explaining her choice to create the t-shirt, Daniella noted that working shifts as long as "14 hours a day" makes the occasional mistake nearly inevitable.

TikTok / @dandanthexanman

Through her lighthearted response, Daniella wanted to remind people that servers are human and that mistakes happen.

"I wasn't doing it out of malice or saying the woman was wrong, I was just laughing at what had happened," she explained.

"It is widely felt across hospitality that a lot of the time people talk to you as if you're their personal server... Waitressing is just not regarded as a high-skill job even though I truly believe it is. A lot of the time people don't appreciate or recognise the effort we make."

"I have so many friends in hospitality that have to put up with a lot. There is quite a small margin for error in terms of getting service right."

After sharing her creative response online, Daniella received overwhelming support. Viewers praised her sense of humor, with many calling the t-shirt "the best thing [they've] ever seen."