On the whole, we’re pretty nasty to waiters and waitresses. We complain they’re wasting our time if the food takes too long to come, we complain they’re trying to rush us out if the food comes too early. We warn about allergies, make special requests, ask for more bread, and talk openly about their tip while they’re busing the table next to us. We’re kings barking orders from the booth and they’re sweating peasants in aprons and pieces of flair with dirty J-cloths hanging out their back pocket.
Waiters and waitresses have to put up with us and paste wide, toothy grins across their faces, besides. They split bills, sop up spills, and slip and slide across slick kitchen floors for us.
Despite this all-odds-against-them setup, there are a few gems out there, a few rare, bright gems, who deliver perfect waiter or waitressessness. Perfection here is defined solely as bringing free refills to the table without us even asking. Because nothing beats ice-filled towers of cola arriving unannounced at our table, just as we’re finishing up our spinach and artichoke dip for a perfectly timed palate cleanse before the big entrée. The only things that come close are ice-filled towers of cola arriving unannounced right after the entrée and ice-filled towers of cola arriving unannounced with the check and handful of mints.
…Three hours later, when you lay bloated on the coach, your entire meal swimming in the carbonated sea that is your digestive system, I know your eyelids will droop heavily and your posture will slide, but I also know you’ll give a thin, subtle smile, and a slow, sure thumbs-up sign when anyone asks “How was dinner?”
AWESOME!
52 Comments
June 30, 2008 at 10:23 am
If it’s breakfast, then the free coffee refills can not come too fast. Especially if all you have to drink out of is some tiny little cup that the coffee goes cold in within 30 seconds. A few places have figured it out, and just dump a whole thermos carafe on the table. That, my friend, is AWESOME.
June 30, 2008 at 3:24 pm
But how do you KNOW it’s a free refill? If they simply come along and ask if you want another refill, it’s slightly embarrassing to ask if it’s free or not. What then?
April 19, 2010 at 2:11 pm
If they ask you if you want a refill, it isn’t free. For example: draft beer. However, if they just bring it to you, it is free.
May 16, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Most menus will also say free refills underneath or near the selection of drinks shown. Usually, it seems that only coffee and soft drinks get free refills.
July 9, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Any waitress who brings me refills before I ask for them gets my phonenumber on the napkin. NO MATTER IF THEY WANT IT OR NOT.
April 1, 2009 at 12:51 pm
nice.
But a bit random
November 16, 2009 at 12:21 am
so that was YOU who left me your number?
June 3, 2010 at 5:24 pm
haha very funny!
June 29, 2010 at 12:21 am
This comment just kind of made my night! hahaha
July 21, 2008 at 11:53 am
Generally in the Southeast (US) soft drink and other refills are always free. It is expected. My father was visiting from the North East and was so astounded by the very friendly service and the free refills at one of our local restaurants. He must have drank eight cokes. I travel around the country and find many variations in service. I have found very nice people everywhere I have been and think that “nice” in the US is more the rule than the exception. New England can be rather abrupt and you will pay for every refill and food is more expensive there than most other areas, NY city and parts of NJ can be dowright harsh and espensive, Greater Pennsylvania area (great food!!!), southeast, midwest and most of the West are also very nice. But free refills on everything save OJ and milk in the south is almost guaranteed. Of course if you order tea in the south, expect a very very (okay syrup!) sweet drink served on ice. If you want it unsweetened, you have to ask.
August 10, 2008 at 10:11 pm
i am a waitress in Michigan and on a busy day this is the main thing i do. since its free and i don’t lose any money i’d rather give someone an extra drink they’re not going to dip thier straw in and make an extra quarter. the best thing should be waiters that bring free drinks and free refills without telling you, tip is guaranteed to be a multiple of 5.
September 2, 2008 at 4:23 am
When I worked as a waitress, we were really instructed to refill guests glasses once they’re half-empty. So part of the job is to look at people’s glasses, and when you’ve got ten tables to attend to, that’s not quite easy.
September 23, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Servers are the glue of the world. With out them we would all be standing in one big buffett line!
itrwb.blogspot.com
November 6, 2008 at 5:05 am
People should not have to ask for a refill. If you are a server, and you have to wait for their glass to be empty, and they ask for a refill. You fail. I mean there are circumstances where this is sometimes unavoidable, but for the most part refilling drinks is like the number one thing.
Also never ask a customer, “Would you like a refill?” “No thank you, actually I am just going to sit here with any empty glass the rest of the night.”
January 20, 2010 at 1:50 am
I understand it’s part of “the job” but when you have someone gulp a glass of soda in one sip over and over, as well as many other guests you’re taking care of, He can wait a darn second on his refill. Everyone pays the same price and deserves the same service. So depending on situations I don’t believe its a fail. Some people feel they deserve more then they honestly do, and lack respect for other patrons around them.
January 20, 2010 at 2:15 am
Sometimes at restaurants I do like to be asked if I’d like a refill, in case I’m leaving soon, or if I’m filling up on soda before my food gets to me. It’s still awesome when they gimme a refill without me asking, but I wouldn’t consider it a fail for them to ask.
March 27, 2010 at 1:49 pm
I always find it amazing when the room is chalked full of people and my server manages to notice mine, yes MINE needs a refill.
I find myself drinking less because otherwise it feels like I am being selfish with my server’s time, also I am obsessive and I project that – the server has already anticipated two refills and I do not want to catch them off guard and ruin their perfect record.
One time I was ‘dying’ of thirst and after the 2nd refill I told my server he could bring two or a larger glass. It felt a bit tacky coming out of my mouth but I could tell they appreciated it.
A waiter or waitress can make or break your meal. Keep our server’s cheerful always tip accordingly.
I tend to tip a much larger then 20% when restaurants are very inexpensive – according to what the max is I would pay for the meal.
(the $40 meal at the mom and pop Italian place – yet the one up the street would charge $80 for the same meal)
If I do not have an alcoholic beverage I add what one would have cost to the total before calculating the tip.
Why tip $10 for a $50 meal when throwing in another $5 bucks ($15) will put a smile on the person’s face who catered to you and kept you smiling for an hour.
April 19, 2010 at 3:01 pm
I like you. :)
April 20, 2010 at 12:14 am
I really really like you. :D
June 25, 2010 at 3:25 pm
I <3 you
November 12, 2008 at 9:33 am
But if your like myself who had stingy boss’s, and dont like putting in a Post-Mix machine, then well free-refills just dont happen people, not here in Australia, unless u go to Burger King or Hungry Jacks
November 29, 2008 at 11:38 pm
I too am a server and as part of training in the restaurant I work at, I was taught to ask before bringing a refill, because although they will drink it if it’s in front of them, some people dont actually want that whole other glass of pop, they might actually want water or an alcoholic beverage… so in asking you always make sure the customer is getting what they want. :)
December 8, 2008 at 11:20 pm
At the resturant i work at currently, we have whats called “bottomless” drinks and we also drop a carafe of soda off with your glass so we dont have to refil as often, same with our coffee and juices. saves some time and is easier to keep track of with large numbers of tables.
December 19, 2008 at 7:49 pm
As a waitress who prides herself on ‘silent refills’ I appreciate your gratitude. I never thought that customers actually think about the job we’re doing in its entirety. Thanks for this post :) Makes me feel like all is not lost.
December 2, 2009 at 10:09 am
Cassandra, wipe your tears, faithful maiden !
It ain’t over till its over.
February 4, 2009 at 1:37 am
A server who can keep my glass filled is rewarded very well. My daughter and I guzzle the iced tea when we go out to eat, so not letting our glasses reach empty is easier said than done and GREATLY appreciated.
Before we moved to the town we are now in, we had regular restaurants with regular servers. They’d see us and bring us a pitcher. It was a glorious thing. We have been in this town for 4 1/2 years, eat out often, and have only one place that takes care of us remotely well. ‘Tis sad…of course, the food/restaurants available here lack in every regard so maybe that’s a reflection of it all, but I digress.
Anyway, I don’t think anything determines the tip as much as how full or empty our glasses are during our meal.
February 19, 2009 at 1:30 am
Charging for refills is completely ridiculous. The boxes of syrup to make soda are pretty inexpensive and you get like a thousand cokes from each one.
April 17, 2009 at 6:27 am
I went to a breakfast buffet, where you get given a complimentary tropical juice. They were in these huge glasses too, and as soon as you finish it they give you a new one. I downed about seven cups, and felt distinctly ill afterwards.
It was awesome!
June 2, 2009 at 4:30 pm
I have been a waitress for 10 years and I will ALWAYS bring refills w/o being asked. Some people are just too embarrassed to ask so I try to make it a little easier for them. I did work at a restaurant where the refills were NOT free (I live in So. Ca. so you’d expect them to be free) and whenever people asked if they can have a refill, I told them that it wasn’t free. They, of course, had a fit and complained but there wasn’t anything I could do about it.
August 12, 2009 at 3:02 pm
“…Three hours later, when you lay bloated on the couch, your entire meal swimming in the carbonated sea that is your digestive system…”
love your way with words…makes me want to take a trip to the local buffet where the food is hot, the service is great, & the refills are always free…and then of course, retire to my couch
September 12, 2009 at 6:02 pm
As a non-US citizen but frequent visitor to various US cities i have wondered how to tell if soda refills are free. My observation is that if the restaurant gives you a glass of iced water without being asked then any soda is not ‘bottomless’. So no water = free refills. Am i right?
January 20, 2010 at 2:24 am
Not quite (at least in the midwest). Many restaurants where you sit down to order give you water, even if refills are free. So most of those places give water and free refills. Most likely, if it’s a chain restaurant, the refills are free.
October 28, 2009 at 12:21 am
I’ve been all over the world and I can tell you with very few exceptions, anywhere in the South and parts of the Midwest the refills on tea, coffee, and soft drinks are free. Period. If they don’t do that they eventually go out of business. Everywhere else – both in the Northern US and other countries, they charge outrages prices for any refills. Also in those places the entire attitude – as far as customer service – is totally different (like: what are you doing in my restaurant?). I never understood where that attitude came from until it was explaind to me that in many of these other places the staff is paid a much higher base salary. So they don’t care as much about tips. So in many cases you have a much more pompous attitude which is reflected in the level of service and the attention you get. And especially in places like Europe, a server is almost the same professional level as a teacher or a cop – really more of a consultant on dining. Totally different attitude…
April 28, 2010 at 10:35 am
Servers in Europe are paid decent wages so they don’t need to grovel to customers. The fake-enthusiasm of a server who won’t pay rent if they don’t get your tip is just depressing. The key is finding a decent place that doesn’t work staff into the ground so they have the energy to be genuinely happy :)
November 12, 2009 at 11:52 pm
o lovely they do that for our family because we are wealthy
November 15, 2009 at 4:19 pm
I am a waitress in the northeast. We always ask if customers want a refill. The owner of the restaurant has said “If you see an empty glass or a glass that is low, ask if the customer wants a refill or another drink.” A few comments back, someone mentioned they always ask in case the customer changes their mind. The owners of the restaurant I am in are also big on not wasting (as am I.. I cringe when I discard uneaten food or bring back a glass 3/4 of the way full with a refill.) So we always, ALWAYS ask. Be aware of restaurant policies before you assume we are simply not doing the “little things”, like refilling your glass without asking.
November 16, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I’m a waitress. I do this often. Gotta get that tip somehow. :)
December 2, 2009 at 9:06 am
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December 17, 2009 at 6:22 pm
I feel the same way when I come back from dinner in a restrunt. i just want to go to sleep. I like those people who do that for us. Their so sweet!!!
January 5, 2010 at 3:30 pm
My husband drinks water with meals… because he loves water. Water refills are always free. But everytime we have to ASK for a refill the tip drops by a percentage. If his glass is filled without asking the tip goes up by a percentage. All of you waters and waitresses out there, keep the water coming!
March 2, 2010 at 1:24 am
I thought I was the only one who had the same point of view.
March 6, 2010 at 1:20 pm
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March 6, 2010 at 2:03 pm
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April 15, 2010 at 8:33 am
totally cool!
in the philippines, a fast food restaurant has unlimited rice. this is awesome for filipinos because rice is a staple food. yay! :)
April 18, 2010 at 2:13 am
Sounds awesome!
Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen much in Australia (as far as I know). The exception, as Brendan said above, being at Hungry Jack’s (same as US Burger King), but then you have to get it yourself.
It’s been interesting to read some of the other comments too, from both sides of the equation: patrons and servers.
From my point of view, I don’t think it’s an automatic fail if the server asks you if you want a refill, or if there’s a bit of a delay in a busy time.
I think that comes down to the customer being aware of more than just their own little world and their own needs, wants & desires. Which is something we could say about almost any situation in out societies.
Anyway, I’ve only just found your blog, but will definitely be spreading the word!
Keep up the great work.
Michael
April 22, 2010 at 2:05 pm
I have been a server in small and large restaurants and it is a give and take on both sides, if the restaurant is packed with 8 tables and only the one server, cut them a break if they don’t fill the glass right away, but if they are giving great service then tell them ! The other thing that people don’t realise if you have never been a server is not everyone tips, and we do get a lower wage then everyone else because we do receive tips.
In all aspects of life we never know what the other side of life is like until the shoe is on the other foot.
April 22, 2010 at 5:05 pm
More often then youd think I have tables that limit themselves on their pop/coffee…never water… If more then 2 people order water I take a jug of water to the table with their waters. I keep a close eye on my tables drinks.. but always ask… If I ever order pop at a resturant I will never take more then one glass.. doesnt matter if there free or not i dont want it Its a waste and I always think.. I wish they would have asked.
Its the new customers that are tricky.. the regulars you know their style , If i know one drinks a jug of coke everytime he comes in i just bring it right away. The ones I dont know ask.. better to ask then to let down!
May 4, 2010 at 5:42 pm
Not even just the free refills. I love when a waiter or waitress knows exactly when to come back and ask me if I would like another beer. The best ones seem to just know when I take my last sip
May 10, 2010 at 8:33 am
[...] #994 Waiters and waitresses who bring free refills without asking [...]
July 18, 2010 at 10:22 am
My crew of 8 friends reguarly went to a Dee’s for hours on end. Every time the waitress brought a new round of drinks, we would all throw another dollar on the table for her tip. She routinely left with $30+ a night, just for that!
August 29, 2010 at 7:26 pm
personally, that has always really annoyed me…
I’m mean what if I DON’T want another glass?!
I hate wasting food or beverage, so i have to drink it, and I have to leave quickly before they bring me another… (just me)
September 2, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Yeah, I definitely agree that this is awesome. It costs NOTHING at all to make things like soda. You’re paying $3 for something that costs pennies to make. It’s basically like paying an inflated rate for renting the cup for the duration of your restaurant stay.
Any waitress who brings free refills is not only a good customer service rep, but intelligent enough to know it won’t cut into her business’s bottom line.