I use to work in retail. I once had a customer give me an laminated million dollar bill featuring Aaron Rodgers. I could not resist. I accepted it. Management did not find out and I was not fired! YAY. Well not fired for that reason haha.

Why can't you accept tips? That just shows you gave good service.

I would offer before I got the same job...but when they forced me to do that i would put it in the tip jar

When I worked at the hospital we weren't allowed to take tips either, but if a situation like this occurred the money was given as a donation to the volunteer dept. There's no way your company wrote you up...I sense op is embellishing a bit.

We have a similar policy. I'm management and although I know how it's supposed to be treated, it's a policy I refuse to have anything to do with especially in this case. I've had people shove money into my closed hand (yeah he pried it open), I had a woman shove a $10 bill in my pants pocket, people are gonna do it and your best bet is to just let it sit there until you are off the clock. Management doesn't need to know, because you don't need to ever get written up or fired because someone plastered a dollar to your face. Hope the write-up doesn't impact your record drastically. Best of luck.

The elderly gentleman is ruthless about being kind.

that's bullshit

I hate jobs that don't let you take tips, if a costumer is grateful enough to give money you must deserve it

Sounds like your company doesn't approve of old guy trying to be nice. To be fair, I can see from the company's end that would probably be a hard story to bite. Sorry OP. Tough luck.

We aren't allowed to accept tips anyways, but how can you refuse when he puts it that way?! That'd be bad customer service ;)