Question for restaurant servers.

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  • chubby_checkers
    chubby_checkers Posts: 2,354 Member
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    If this is a common occurance, maybe it's you? I've never been to a restaurant that didn't at least offer to refill my drink.
  • Rosplosion
    Rosplosion Posts: 739 Member
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    Ask for what you want - you're much more likely to get it.
  • _Krys10_
    _Krys10_ Posts: 1,234 Member
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    A server that brings me a fresh drink before my old one is empty gets a bigger tip and if they take away the old glasses its even better. I can't stand it when I'm trying to play Tetris with dishes on my table yet they walk away empty handed.
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
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    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?

    Also prohibited. Very strict service standards. All I can do is bring one in a 20oz pint glass with easy ice rather than a 12oz tall glass. Even so, the occasional guest can still defeat this strategy.
  • fionahay
    fionahay Posts: 44
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    I agree with simply ASKING for a refill - and nicely, too. Nothing worse than a rude customer.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    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?

    we don't typically have soda with our pancakes at IHOP
  • GetSoda
    GetSoda Posts: 1,267 Member
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    I agree with simply ASKING for a refill - and nicely, too. Nothing worse than a rude customer.

    There is one thing worse... a lazy server ;)

    But seriously. Of course I'll wave the server down if possible. Sometimes I have to go to the kitchen because they are sitting in there chatting.
  • khall86790
    khall86790 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    I just don't tip.
  • kelseyhere
    kelseyhere Posts: 1,123 Member
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    why don't you just drink water? they refill that more often because they leave pitches out and don't have to go to the back.

    plus it doesn't rot your teeth :)
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
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    I can rarely finish a soda before it's refilled or replaced. I guess I just don't go to cheap restaurants?
  • Happy_10yr
    Happy_10yr Posts: 287 Member
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    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.

    From time to time unfortunately, we can be overly focused on excess. Not always because we want or need it, but just because it's there.
  • GetSoda
    GetSoda Posts: 1,267 Member
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    why don't you just drink water? they refill that more often because they leave pitches out and don't have to go to the back.

    plus it doesn't rot your teeth :)

    Most serve water in plastic/from plastic and it tastes disguuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuusting.
  • Happy_10yr
    Happy_10yr Posts: 287 Member
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    If this is a common occurance, maybe it's you? I've never been to a restaurant that didn't at least offer to refill my drink.

    Great comment!!

    You don't ask....you'll never know ;)
  • katebowen37
    katebowen37 Posts: 55 Member
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    I have a question for customers: can you not see that I'm running my butt off serving 6 to 8 other tables? That I'm seating people at the door, helping people at the register, making soups, making salads, and I just can't do it all at once? You drank your soda in three minutes? That sucks, do you want me to just sit here and watch your table non-stop? I do the best I can, and I'm serving 25 customers at a time in my cheap restaurant where we're understaffed, so thanks for shorting my tip because I'm not superwoman.
  • jenluvsushi
    jenluvsushi Posts: 933 Member
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    For all you people who say they "just don't tip" or leave a few pennies, heads up to this. Servers are charged taxes on their total sales. They have to pay taxes based on 8% of that total (its been a while since I was a server so it could be more now in CA at least). So if you don't tip at least 8%, that server actually loses money waiting on you. SO unless the server is especially rude or bad at their job, please don't screw them like that. As someone who lived off of tips (although I was a damn good server) cheap *kitten* who stiffed me or tipped next to nothing deserved to get throat punched. That is all.....
  • DalekBrittany
    DalekBrittany Posts: 1,748 Member
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    I have a question for customers: can you not see that I'm running my butt off serving 6 to 8 other tables? That I'm seating people at the door, helping people at the register, making soups, making salads, and I just can't do it all at once? You drank your soda in three minutes? That sucks, do you want me to just sit here and watch your table non-stop? I do the best I can, and I'm serving 25 customers at a time in my cheap restaurant where we're understaffed, so thanks for shorting my tip because I'm not superwoman.

    /thread.
  • chinamonkey
    chinamonkey Posts: 90 Member
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    How on earth does your bladder hold so much!??? in UK, very rarely will you encounter anywhere that does refills and if it does you pay a little extra for free refills (that doesnt really work out but its unlimited drinks!)

    But really how can you drink more than two pint glasses and still have room for your meal???
  • khall86790
    khall86790 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    For all you people who say they "just don't tip" or leave a few pennies, heads up to this. Servers are charged taxes on their total sales. They have to pay taxes based on 8% of that total (its been a while since I was a server so it could be more now in CA at least). So if you don't tip at least 8%, that server actually loses money waiting on you. SO unless the server is especially rude or bad at their job, please don't screw them like that. As someone who lived off of tips (although I was a damn good server) cheap *kitten* who stiffed me or tipped next to nothing deserved to get throat punched. That is all.....

    This doesn't apply in the UK, nor in other countries in Europe I've lived in so far (Greece, France, Holland & Germany).
    So yeah... I don't tip. They get minimum wage just like the rest of us.
  • jenluvsushi
    jenluvsushi Posts: 933 Member
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    For all you people who say they "just don't tip" or leave a few pennies, heads up to this. Servers are charged taxes on their total sales. They have to pay taxes based on 8% of that total (its been a while since I was a server so it could be more now in CA at least). So if you don't tip at least 8%, that server actually loses money waiting on you. SO unless the server is especially rude or bad at their job, please don't screw them like that. As someone who lived off of tips (although I was a damn good server) cheap *kitten* who stiffed me or tipped next to nothing deserved to get throat punched. That is all.....

    This doesn't apply in the UK, nor in other countries in Europe I've lived in so far (Greece, France, Holland & Germany).
    So yeah... I don't tip. They get minimum wage just like the rest of us.

    Well then I guess you are entitled to being cheap :drinker:
  • pippywillow
    pippywillow Posts: 253 Member
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    I would be embarrassed to get more than 1 refill of soda at a restaurant, it doesn't seem like anyone should be drinking that much soda at a time. I find it annoying when they just bring me a refill without asking because usually if I'm still thirsty I'd rather have water.

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