Daniella decided to turn an unpleasant situation into a lighthearted moment, aiming to remind everyone that servers are human too.

A British waitress, Daniella Claeys, turned the tables after receiving a harsh one-star review from a family with a crying child, sparking a flurry of online discussion.

Anyone who has worked in hospitality knows the challenges of dealing with a wide range of customers, from unusual requests to rude behavior. These struggles are simply part of the job.

For Daniella, a 24-year-old waitress, managing difficult customers wasn’t anything new. But even she found some humor in the situation when faced with a family and their screaming baby.

Daniella shared her experience on TikTok, explaining how the incident occurred during one of her shifts when she was battling a cold.

“I could just hear this child screaming. It was a big family,” she recalled.

“The crying went on for quite a while, and the other staff members were aware of the disruption. With my migraine, it felt like the sound just pierced through my ears. I think the family could tell I was uncomfortable. I’m not denying that.”

“Looking back, I realize I could have handled it better, but I was honestly just really uncomfortable.”

The situation was later echoed online in a harsh one-star review, in which Daniella was called out by name.

The review claimed that she had suggested the family sit “outside [in] the cold” because of their crying baby.

family] a message after reading the review, apologizing for how they felt and offering a lighthearted take on the situation. I wanted to make sure they knew it wasn’t personal, and I genuinely felt sorry for any discomfort caused.”

Daniella then took to TikTok, sharing her side of the story with humor and grace. She acknowledged the discomfort but emphasized that it wasn’t her intention to upset the family. Rather than letting the negativity take over, she turned the experience into an opportunity to connect with others who understood the challenges of working in hospitality.

Her honest and humorous response struck a chord online, with many praising her for handling the situation so well despite the difficult circumstances. review] to everyone I knew and put it on my Instagram. Everyone thought it was so funny.”

Taking her humor to the next level, Daniella had the one-star review printed on a custom-made t-shirt, which she proudly displayed on TikTok.

In the video, Daniella wore the shirt at work, captioning it: “When you get a one-star review for being a bad waitress, so make a top out of it.”

Explaining her decision to create the t-shirt, Daniella shared that working long shifts—sometimes up to 14 hours a day—makes it inevitable that mistakes will happen now and then.

Through her playful reaction, Daniella aimed to remind people that servers are human and mistakes are part of the job.

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

She also took the opportunity to highlight a broader issue within hospitality, where servers are often treated as though they are merely “personal servers.” Daniella expressed that while waitressing isn’t always seen as a high-skill profession, she believes it truly is, and that the hard work of servers often goes unappreciated.

“I have so many friends in hospitality who endure a lot. There’s very little room for error when it comes to getting service right,” she added.

After sharing her witty response online, Daniella was met with an outpouring of support. Many viewers praised her sense of humor, with some even calling the t-shirt “the best thing [they’ve] ever seen.”