Question for restaurant servers.

GetSoda

How come y'all never refill my soda pop? At least half the time I'm trying to eat, I'm sitting and waiting for soda pop while my food gets cold. Some are better than others, but I'd say 9/10 times, I'm sitting there thirsty. And the pop gets taken out of the tip! (Which is $1.99-$3.99 here.)

Only one waitress ever caught on. She left a pitcher for me. I tipped her 100%.

DavPul

Soda and water refills are entirely what my tip amounts are based upon. And I refuse to ask for a refill. I just sit silently with my empty glass on the end of the table counting how many times they pass by without noticing.

karenjoy

Americans are very odd

We usually have to pay for extra drinks in restaurants

bearkisses

i dunno, i tip based on accommodating service. bringing me hot sauce...and.....not touching my fiance on the arm.

DalekBrittany

If you are really nice, but you never refill my drink and I have to ask someone else to do it...I assume you're busy. If you're a flaming ***** and you never refill my drink...I assume you are a busy *****. You will get tipped according to how friendly you are, not how much you refill my drink.


Unless the restaurant is empty...then, I tip 20% if you don't refill but you're nice, 10% if you don't refill and you're also a *****.

GetSoda

Americans are very odd

We usually have to pay for extra drinks in restaurants

Yeah. I won't go to places that don't have free refills. Exception being shopping mall restaurants, because the rent there is 2-3x more expensive. Usually its the super cheap/dirty hole in the wall places that charge for refills around here.

Cost for a refill of a soda is pennies to the restaurant. So.

MelMoly

for sure!

AnninStPaul

Americans are very odd

We usually have to pay for extra drinks in restaurants

In the US, they rarely charge for refills on fountain drinks (soda). Bottled sodas, which are usually specialty/more expensive, are per bottle. I've found refills on milk to be free at some places, but that appears to be dependent upon how well behaved my kids are being at the time.... Americans do tend to drink huge amounts of soda as well -- a typical restaurant glass (plastic cup) is 16oz.

karenjoy

Americans are very odd

We usually have to pay for extra drinks in restaurants

Yeah. I won't go to places that don't have free refills. Exception being shopping mall restaurants, because the rent there is 2-3x more expensive. Usually its the super cheap/dirty hole in the wall places that charge for refills around here.

Cost for a refill of a soda is pennies to the restaurant. So.

I usually have wine in a restaurant, clearly my idea of a restaurant is different to yours

GetSoda

Americans are very odd

We usually have to pay for extra drinks in restaurants

In the US, they rarely charge for refills on fountain drinks (soda). Bottled sodas, which are usually specialty/more expensive, are per bottle. I've found refills on milk to be free at some places, but that appears to be dependent upon how well behaved my kids are being at the time.... Americans do tend to drink huge amounts of soda as well -- a typical restaurant glass (plastic cup) is 16oz.

Yep.. I'll take 3-5 refills on average. 5-7 at a mexican place. Up to 10 or more at places that have free refills on food (all you can eat) stuff.

DalekBrittany

Americans are very odd

We usually have to pay for extra drinks in restaurants

Yeah. I won't go to places that don't have free refills. Exception being shopping mall restaurants, because the rent there is 2-3x more expensive. Usually its the super cheap/dirty hole in the wall places that charge for refills around here.

Cost for a refill of a soda is pennies to the restaurant. So.

I usually have wine in a restaurant, clearly my idea of a restaurant is different to yours

Yes, very! Most people I know don't exclude a restaurant because they don't offer free refills on soft drinks, but I think (please correct me if I am wrong!) that America has quite a lot more "cheap" restaurants than other countries have. You can go and sit down and have your order taken, and you could probably get some wine, but the food is decent at best and the wine is probably out of a box.

michelleepotter

Americans are very odd

We usually have to pay for extra drinks in restaurants

Yeah. I won't go to places that don't have free refills. Exception being shopping mall restaurants, because the rent there is 2-3x more expensive. Usually its the super cheap/dirty hole in the wall places that charge for refills around here.

Cost for a refill of a soda is pennies to the restaurant. So.

I usually have wine in a restaurant, clearly my idea of a restaurant is different to yours

I don't like wine. If I'm going to drink, I'd prefer a nice whiskey -- but not with my dinner. As such, I can assure you that all the finer quality restaurants also offer soda, tea, and water. And if I'm paying upwards of $50 a plate, I definitely expect someone to be paying attention to whether my drink is empty.

GetSoda

Yes, very! Most people I know don't exclude a restaurant because they don't offer free refills on soft drinks, but I think (please correct me if I am wrong!) that America has quite a lot more "cheap" restaurants than other countries have. You can go and sit down and have your order taken, and you could probably get some wine, but the food is decent at best and the wine is probably out of a box.

Well, I don't drink. At all. I order sodas at the $80-100 a plate places too.
But mostly I dine at $15-25 a plate places.

But even $8-15 places have service here too.


$120+ bill at a restaurant one time, we were about the only customers there (well before dinner rush.) didnt get a single refill. Paid in cash, tipped 3 cents.

Laces_0ut

Americans are very odd

We usually have to pay for extra drinks in restaurants

Yeah. I won't go to places that don't have free refills. Exception being shopping mall restaurants, because the rent there is 2-3x more expensive. Usually its the super cheap/dirty hole in the wall places that charge for refills around here.

Cost for a refill of a soda is pennies to the restaurant. So.

I usually have wine in a restaurant, clearly my idea of a restaurant is different to yours

you drink wine at every breakfast, lunch and dinner?

ldrosophila

Americans are very odd

We usually have to pay for extra drinks in restaurants

Nah best place to get refill is in Nigeria pay the equivalent of abut $5 and you get two bottles of wine and two pitchers of tea. Ice is another story but beggars cant be choosers.

ldrosophila

Americans are very odd

We usually have to pay for extra drinks in restaurants

Yeah. I won't go to places that don't have free refills. Exception being shopping mall restaurants, because the rent there is 2-3x more expensive. Usually its the super cheap/dirty hole in the wall places that charge for refills around here.

Cost for a refill of a soda is pennies to the restaurant. So.

I usually have wine in a restaurant, clearly my idea of a restaurant is different to yours

you drink wine at every breakfast, lunch and dinner?

It's europe wouldnt you?

DalekBrittany

Yes, very! Most people I know don't exclude a restaurant because they don't offer free refills on soft drinks, but I think (please correct me if I am wrong!) that America has quite a lot more "cheap" restaurants than other countries have. You can go and sit down and have your order taken, and you could probably get some wine, but the food is decent at best and the wine is probably out of a box.

Well, I don't drink. At all. I order sodas at the $80-100 a plate places too.
But mostly I dine at $15-25 a plate places.



$120+ bill at a restaurant one time, we were about the only customers there (well before dinner rush.) didnt get a single refill. Paid in cash, tipped 3 cents.

Yepp, that's the places I eat too (Chilis, TGIFridays, Red Robin, etc.) because it's what I can afford. I would expect higher class establishments to also carry soft drinks as 1. I'm not even old enough to drink and 2. I don't even like wine.

ldrosophila

And hellz to the yaz I better be gettin my water and tea refill or u aint be see'in no dime

Laces_0ut

Americans are very odd

We usually have to pay for extra drinks in restaurants

Yeah. I won't go to places that don't have free refills. Exception being shopping mall restaurants, because the rent there is 2-3x more expensive. Usually its the super cheap/dirty hole in the wall places that charge for refills around here.

Cost for a refill of a soda is pennies to the restaurant. So.

I usually have wine in a restaurant, clearly my idea of a restaurant is different to yours

you drink wine at every breakfast, lunch and dinner?

It's europe wouldnt you?

on vacation sure

peleroja

I'm a bartender in a steakhouse. I can't understand, personally, how people can consume ten 12 oz glasses of sugary, carbonated pop and still eat appetisers, steaks, starches....however, it's not my job to police other people's diet habits. Spec at my restaurant is to bring a refill when the drink is 1/3 full, and we abide by that whenever possible. However, if a guest needs a new pop every four minutes and I have guests waiting for a first drink, I have to prioritise and bring the refill after the first drinks when I am very busy. We are forbidden from serving anything but water from carafes and cannot leave them at tables.

Bottom line? I and my coworkers do our very best to never, ever leave a guest with an empty drink, but the occasional guest who simply drinks an unreasonable amount does exist. And we try to accommodate those people as well, but sometimes we can't do it perfectly.

GetSoda

I'm a bartender in a steakhouse. I can't understand, personally, how people can consume ten 12 oz glasses of sugary, carbonated pop and still eat appetisers, steaks, starches....however, it's not my job to police other people's diet habits. Spec at my restaurant is to bring a refill when the drink is 1/3 full, and we abide by that whenever possible. However, if a guest needs a new pop every four minutes and I have guests waiting for a first drink, I have to prioritise and bring the refill after the first drinks when I am very busy. We are forbidden from serving anything but water from carafes and cannot leave them at tables.

Bottom line? I and my coworkers do our very best to never, ever leave a guest with an empty drink, but the occasional guest who simply drinks an unreasonable amount does exist. And we try to accommodate those people as well, but sometimes we can't do it perfectly.

Why not bring them two at a time?