W16: A Snowstorm, A Bad Tip, And A TikTok Miracle
Tipping culture in the U.S. has spiraled out of control—but for workers who rely on tips, it’s more than just an inconvenience. In this episode, we share the incredible story of Connor Stephanoff, a 20-year-old pizza delivery driver who braved a Midwest snowstorm to deliver an order—only to receive a $2 tip. But one chance encounter changed everything. Lieutenant Richard Craig, a police officer with a TikTok following, saw Connor’s dedication and took action. What started as a simple act of kindness turned into a viral crowdfunding campaign, raising over $40,000. This episode explores the power of community, the realities of tipping culture, and why small moments of generosity can make the biggest impact.
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W16: A SNOWSTORM, A BAD TIP, AND A TIKTOK MIRACLE
IF YOU’RE LIKE ME, YOU’VE HEARD A LOT IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO ABOUT TIPPING CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES BEING COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL. AND I CAN’T DISAGREE.
YEARS AGO, OUR TIPPING WAS LIMITED TO THE 15 OR 20% TIP WE GAVE WHEN WE WERE SATISFIED WITH THE SERVICE AT A RESTAURANT, BAR, OR FOOD DELIVERY. THERE WAS THE OPTION OF DROPPING YOUR SPARE CHANGE INTO A JAR AT THE REGISTER OF YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL SPOT…. WHICH WAS FINE, BECAUSE IT ALWAYS FELT OPTIONAL AND IT WAS A LITTLE WAY TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
BUT THESE DAYS, WITH DIGITAL TRANSACTIONS, TIPPING HAS SUDDENLY MORPHED INTO SOMETHING ELSE ALTOGETHER WHERE SOFTWARE SYSTEMS INCLUDE TIPPING OPTIONS REGARDLESS OF THE BUSINESS OR LEVEL OF SERVICE. TO SEE 20, 25, AND 30% TIPS RECOMMENDED WHEN BUYING A PACK OF GUM AT A CONVENIENCE STORE OR IN AN AIRPORT WHEN PURCHASING A BANANA AT A SELF-CHECKOUT KIOSK IS…BANANAS.
THE RESULT OF ALL OF THESE BUSINESSES TRYING TO ADD A REVENUE STREAM WITH TIPS, BESIDES IT BEING CONFUSING FOR AMERICANS, IS IT CAN CAUSE CUSTOMERS TO GET FRUSTRATED, AND DIAL BACK THEIR TIPPING FOR ALL TRANSACTIONS – INCLUDING TIPS FOR PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY RELY HEAVILY ON THEM TO MAKE A LIVING.
THIS IS A STORY ABOUT SOMEONE IN ONE OF THESE JOBS, WHO, AFTER RECEIVING A TERRIBLE TIP DELIVERING A PIZZA IN A SNOWSTORM, HAPPENED TO BUMP INTO THE RIGHT PERSON AT THE RIGHT TIME….
EPISODE
20-YEAR-OLD CONNOR STEPHANOFF LIVES WITH HIS GRANDMOTHER IN BROWNSBURG, INDIANA, A WESTERN SUBURB OF INDIANAPOLIS. TO MAKE ENDS MEET, HE BORROWS HER SEDAN AND DELIVERS PIZZAS FOR A LOCAL PIZZA RESTAURANT, ROCKSTAR PIZZA. ON THIS DAY IN MID-JANUARY, THE MIDWEST WAS HIT WITH A SIGNIFICANT SNOWSTORM, AND EVEN THOUGH THE RESTAURANT WAS OPEN, THE BLIZZARD-LIKE CONDITIONS MEANT THAT HE WASN’T REQUIRED TO HEAD INTO WORK.
STILL, CONNOR WAS DETERMINED TO MAKE SOME MONEY THAT DAY, SO HE TOOK THE RISK, JUMPED IN HIS GRANDMOTHER’S CAR, AND NAVIGATED THE DANGEROUS SNOWY CONDITIONS TO THE RESTAURANT.
ONE OF HIS DELIVERIES THAT DAY WAS A $40 PIZZA ORDER TO ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE AREA. WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD, HE NOTICED A SCHOOLBUS WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL, BLOCKING THE STREET AFTER LOSING ITS TRACTION AND SLIDING SIDWAYS, AND IT WAS SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE AND POLICE OFFICERS. RATHER THAN RISK DRIVING HIS GRANDMOTHER’S CAR DOWN THE HILL TOWARD THE BUS TO DELIVER THE PIZZA, HE FIGURED HE’D PARK AT THE TOP OF THE HILL AND WALK THE PIZZA DOWN THROUGH THE SNOW TO BE SAFE.
WEARING NOTHING BUT A SWEATSHIRT AND SWEATPANTS, WITH TENNIS SHOES, CONNOR TRUDGED HIS WAY ALONG WITH HIS HEAD DOWN, TRYING TO GET THROUGH THE TOUGH CONDITIONS AND DELIVER THE ORDER.
AS HE LABORED PAST ONE OF THE POLICEMEN, LIEUTENANT RICHARD CRAIG, THE OFFICER WAS ALARMED AT WHAT CONNOR WAS WEARING AND WHERE HE WAS GOING. THEY TALKED FOR A BIT, WITH OFFICER CRAIG NOW INTERESTED IN THE DETAILS OF THE DELIVERY SINCE THE CONDITIONS WERE BAD AND THE YOUNG MAN WAS RISKING HIS SAFETY DRIVING A SMALL SEDAN. HE WAS DISHEARTENED TO LEARN THAT CONNOR ONLY RECEIVED A $2 TIP ON THE $40 ORDER.
CONNOR SHOOK IT OFF…HE SAID IT WAS STILL HIS JOB TO MAKE THE DELIVERY….AND CONTINUED ON THROUGH THE SNOW TO THE HOUSE, NOT WANTING TO MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT THE TIP.
OFFICER CRAIG COULDN’T BELIEVE IT.
OF COURSE, WRONGFUL TIPPING ISN’T AN ENFORCEABLE OFFENSE, BUT HE THOUGHT SOMETHING NEEDED TO BE DONE….SO WHEN CONNOR WALKED BACK AFTER THE DELIVERY, HE HANDED HIM $15 JUST BECAUSE HE LIKED THE WAY CONNOR HANDLED HIMSELF AND HE WANTED HIM TO HAVE SOMETHING.
THEN IT DAWNED ON OFFICER CRAIG…AS THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR THE DEPARTMENT, HE WAS SOMEONE WITH A LARGE TIKTOK PRESENCE, OFTEN POSTING ENTERTAINING VIDEOS OF HIS JOB, SO HE THOUGHT HE’D SEE WHAT HIS FOLLOWERS MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO TO SUPPORT THE YOUNG MAN.
HE TOOK THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE OF THEIR INTERACTION, COMBINED WITH HIS OWN VIDEO PLEA FOR SUPPORT, SET UP A GOFUNDME PAGE, AND SHARED THE INFO WITH HIS FOLLOWERS TO SEE IF HE COULD GET CONNOR A LITTLE EXTRA HELP.
HE FOUND MORE THAN A FEW TIPS…THERE WAS AN OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT FOR CONNOR. THE STORY SPREAD ACROSS THE INTERNET, AND AS OF NOW, THE CROWDFUNDING EFFORT HAS RAISED OVER $40,000 FROM THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE MAKING SMALL DONATIONS.
CONNOR SAYS HE PLANS TO GET HIS OWN CAR WITH THE MONEY, AND IF THERE’S SOME LEFT OVER, HE CAN HELP HIS GRANDMOTHER WITH THE BILLS.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE WOULD AGREE THAT TIPPING CULTURE IS A MESS – BUT WE CAN’T FORGET THE INSTANCES WHEN GOOD TIPPING IS ESSENTIAL FOR CERTAIN PEOPLE TO PAY THE BILLS.
A BIG THUMBS UP TO LIEUTENANT RICHARD CRAIG, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER AT AVON SCHOOLS POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHO WENT WELL OUT OF HIS WAY TO TAKE CARE OF SOMEONE IN HIS COMMUNITY AND BRING AN IMPORTANT ISSUE TO LIGHT.
OFFICER CRAIG SAID IT BEST IN AN ONLINE VIDEO TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED FOR CONNOR, AND MAYBE IT SHOULD APPLY FOR HIM AS WELL:
HE SAID…
“GOOD THINGS COME TO GOOD PEOPLE WHO DO THE RIGHT THING.”
https://www.today.com/food/people/pizza-deliver-driver-tip-snowstorm-gofundme-rcna190184