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| Pepsi-Cola. Photo: Dalton Rowe, Flickr |
Hanna Raskin's first waitressing job was at a small Greek diner in Michigan. In the 15 years since, she's worked at a chop suey joint in Mississippi, an exclusive Arizonan country club, a vegetarian eatery and an Irish pub. She currently picks up odd shifts at a seafood eatery in the North Carolina mountains, where she cracks crab legs for helpless tourists. This is the third in a series of posts.
Here's a confounding bit of restaurant math:If you and your three friends sit at my table and order a bottle of wine, all I'm expected to do is pick up the bottle from the bar, pour four perfectly measured glasses and toss the bottle in the recycling bin. On average, that particular routine earns me about $10.
But say your table contains three teetotalers who ask for soda instead. Inevitably, you'll slurp down your Sprite quicker than your tablemate polishes off his Coke, which means I'll have to make multiple visits to your table, each time sweeping up different glasses, carting them across the dining room and returning them freshly filled. All that work is usually worth about 80 cents.
McDonald's Korea and a poll after the jump.
Free refills are a boon for consumers, who can drink gallons of soda for the same price a convenience store might charge for a liter. But there are few other restaurant policies that so brazenly undervalue a server's work. Many servers are starting to wonder whether the free refill madness can be stopped -- and, thanks to the recession, some restaurant owners are supporting them.
Last month McDonald's Korea, where soda is not self-serve but refills were administered behind the counter, scrapped its free refill policy, saying customers' constant badgering for more soda was costing the company time and money. The new stance could be influential, since the fast food sector helped instigate the free refill craze.
Free refills on coffee and tea are a longstanding restaurant tradition most places, but it took franchises like Taco Bell to push bottomless soft drinks into the mainstream. Fast casual spots like Olive Garden soon followed, presumably pleased to create the impression of hospitality and value for mere pennies. By 1999, the practice had become so widespread that Orange County health inspectors began warning consumers of the dangers associated with free refills (think swapped cups and filthy soda machines).
There are now few restaurants of any caliber that dare to charge customers for a second cup of soda. Americans apparently wouldn't stand for it. But since diners at high-end eateries won't abide super-sized glasses or pitchers on their tables either, servers are stuck catering to their endless thirst -- and typically garnering less than the price of a soda for their trouble.
What do you think? Should restaurants maintain their free refill policy?
| Yes | |
|---|---|
| No | |
| Depends (tell us more in comments) |
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7-07-2009 @11:16AM Adrianne said... I totally agree with you. It's so frustrating when the lunch crowd is guzzling tea, and we only charge them $1.95. And then they ask for a togo cup! 9 glasses of tea plus one togo for less than 2 bucks?!? Now that's a good example of Americans' sense of entitlement!
A lot of restaurants are also moving to canned sodas, including mine. We just charge for each can, and no one can really argue with that!
Cheers!
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7-07-2009 @11:33AM LinC said... Since those free refills cost the restaurant about 35 cents and breed return business, I can see why they are so common. If I'm paying $2 for a glass of iced tea, I expect to be able to drink a couple of glasses in the course of my meal. I don't mind the pitcher on the table, and I've been known to get up and visit the drinks station to ask for a refill if the wait staff is too busy to help.
Your beef shouldn't be with me, the customer, but with the restaurant that wants you to carry the load. If you are scrambling to service all the tables assigned to you, that's bad management on the part of the restaurant. I tip generously based on the amount of the bill, and that $2 per drink per person at the table is part of the equation.
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7-07-2009 @11:43AM Scott said... Are they entitled? No. If you're going to charge 2-3 bucks for a soda/tea then one refill should be free. That's harder to manage in a restaurant perhaps so maybe charge less per drink?
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7-07-2009 @11:40AM Matt_M said... Hanna,
What do you think of people that only order water, like myself?
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7-07-2009 @11:46AM Emily said... Wait...LinC, you go refill your own drink at the waiters' station? That's a bit much. I feel like American consumers are so concerned about squeezing the very last drop out of economical value that it devalues the feeling of the restaurant. I personally don't want to see another diner filling their own drink (if it's a decent restaurant).
While I can appreciate the free refills, I feel like it might be smarter economically to just switch to canned sodas. I'm less likely to get a drink (if I ever do) if it's a can because it seems obviously overpriced.
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7-07-2009 @11:57AM Josh said... I tried to use the reply button, but for some reason your PHP is not stripping slashes and it causes me to be redirected to the front page. http://php.net/manual/en/function.stripslashes.php
My comment is a reply to Matt_M. I'm the same. I rarely order a sods when I'm out...I mainly drink water and a lot of it, but I tip 20+% so doesn't that account for something?
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7-07-2009 @12:26PM Karen said... You know, I'm all for tipping well, but this column always turns me off to the servers.
YES I think you should refill my cup as many times as needed. That is serving my needs and that is your job. At 2.39 for a glass of soda, I want all I am going to consume with my meal.
Do you feel the same way about people that order sandwhiches over full entrees? This isn't just about you serving the most expensive items so you can increase your tip.
Unless it is fine dining, there is no reason you can refill the drinks at the table and if it is fine dining, then you shouldn't be so short staffed that you don't have the time to devote to your table and make multiple trips. Besides, you shouldn't be refilling the glasses, but bringing new ones and taking the old ones away.
The sense of entitlement isn't on the part of the consumer in this case, but on the server.
Ugh!
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7-07-2009 @12:28PM Suzanne said... Free refills contribute to America's growing waistline. Making people pay for each soda they consume will help them to realize just how much soda they drink.
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7-07-2009 @12:31PM Hannah said... I would have no problem paying for refills if the price of a drink at a restaurant was reduced. For someone who rarely drinks that much at one sitting (and rarely needs a refill_, paying $2-3 for a glass of tea or soda is a bit ridiculous, in my opinion.
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7-07-2009 @12:52PM kassie said... I think places that serve a lot of alcohol should have free refills for sober cabs. Let them spend $2 and drink what they want to ensure that their friends, who are drinking alcohol get home.
But, free refills anywhere else are sort of insane. Let people pay for what they get. They don't give away free refills of beer. Tea in Chinese restaurants are usually one pot for the table and charged for additional pots. I'm starting to see the same with coffee too.
Let people buy thier soda by the picture if they want to drink a lot.
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7-07-2009 @12:54PM Kurt said... Perhaps the confounding math question ought to be why someone feels they're entitled to a $10 tip for pouring four perfectly measured glasses of wine and then tossing the bottle into the trash. I don't think that it's reasonable to base what you believe an adequate tip is for unit of work based on perhaps the highest 'tip quotient' portion of the meal.
I typically order a bottle of wine with dinner, but am often accompanied by non-drinking companions or minors. The tip is calculated on the total cost of the meal and not on a single component. I suppose I could reduce my tip in recognition that the wine pour didn't take as much work as the soda runs and therefore should not be as highly compensated; but it all averages out.
I'm more likely to give a generous tip to a server that is attentive and cheerfully checks on whether refills are desired than a server who displays an attitude that we're more trouble than it's worth. I could understand some frustration if a party came in and *only* ordered 4 soft drinks, but I suspect that's rarely the case. Your blog gives the impression of someone better suited to another line of work.
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7-07-2009 @1:03PM Erin said... I fully agree with Karen. I believe in fair tipping, and in soda's contribution to America's growing waistline, but that's not the point of this post.
It's honestly not my intent to be rude or unfair, but this column absolutely reeks of entitlement. If you choose to work as a server, and you accept a position at a dining establishment, then you agree to abide by the policies of that restaurant. When you accepted your current position, you knew that free refills were a part of the deal, so why complain?
Let's look at it from another angle: I doubt that many servers complain of receiving tip on an overpriced bottle of wine. (When was the last time you told someone what their tip was too much? That your time wasn't worth that much?) I may be wrong, but it seems to more or less balance itself out in the end -- you get less than your "fair share" on the free refills, but getting 15-20% on a $50 bottle of wine that your customers know retails for $30 doesn't sound like a bad deal ($7.50-$10, instead of $4.50-$6).
Bottom line: if I pay for free refills, I expect to get free refills. Tip is based on the total of my bill, and I shouldn't feel guilty for asking your to do your job, even if that means walking over to the drink station a few times.
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7-07-2009 @1:05PM Richard Ahlquist said... The difference is that $4-5 burger I purchase costs the store probably $3. The Soda I pay $1.99 for costs you as little as $.20. If only 1 in 7 people refill then youre not gonna die from it.
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7-07-2009 @1:37PM Mel said... As a server in fine dining, the primary thing that annoys me about refills is when I'm bringing something else out, notice their soda is gone, say I'll be back with a refill, get ignored, and get asked for a refill.
Or if I'm in the middle of doing something (greeting, taking orders, answering questions, etc) and have someone ask for a refill from a different table. Especially because its usually waiting for me on the bar, because I've already noticed that they were low. Awesome.
I'm fine with refills, I just don't like the ego-centric mentality that some people have.
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7-07-2009 @1:26PM FullGTilt said... I have to echo Erin's sentiments here. Hanna, I feel your approach to this column is unbalanced and selfish. Every job has tasks that are unpleasant and require one to go out of their way for a client, customer, boss, whoever. If your intent here is to sow seeds of dissent in hopes of starting a discussion, mission accomplished.
Having been a server myself, I see where you are coming from, but I always viewed it as part of my job. Beverages (with the exception of water) are among the most overpriced menu items to allow for a few free refills and have a wide profit margin.
I don't really understand your point. Is it that free refills should be discontinued, that the burden placed on servers to deliver free refills is a bit much, or that the tipping disparity between those who order wine and those who order soft drinks is unfairly great?
Personally, I tip for good service, regardless of what I order. If my order comes to less than $10, I often tip 30% because I know the server wasn't working any less hard. And when I do order water, I often factor my tip assuming that I paid for the water (since it was brought to the table and faithfully refilled).
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7-07-2009 @2:29PM Seth M. Stevenson said... I think many here are missing the point. The restaurant effectively charges nothing for refills, which vastly increases demand. The cost for this extra work is deferred to tipping, but since we tend to tip as a percentage of total cost, the work that goes into free refills are literally not compensated for by either the restaurant or in tips. (The tip will be the same for a basic drink as for a drink plus 1000 refills.) The example of the wine bottle is presumably not to illustrate that everyone should undertip for a bottle of wine or overtip for drinks with free refills. It is to demonstrate that the current system makes no sense, in that earning are disconnected from labor.
For all of you who sigh and point out that service is just a part of the job are ignoring the fact that it is an uncompensated part, and therefore needs to be reexamined. The simple fact that it happens doesn't justify it, make it fair, or even make it profitable.
It doesn't seem unreasonable to suggest that it is effort that should be compensated, rather than price, and that likely suggests some sort of value added tax rather than the ad hoc tipping system we have now.
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7-07-2009 @3:09PM ahess2003 said... I'm fine with the end of "free refills," but that means the cost of drinks has to come down. When I worked at a restaurant through high school and college, I was shocked at how cheap soft drinks really are. I understand the points made in the post, but changes would have to be made (i.e. lower prices, not an overload of ice in the cup). Yes, my tips have been given based on the cost of the meal, but I also tip more based on quality of service.
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7-07-2009 @3:17PM nobodees Bidnezz said... As a consumer I feel the bite when everything from greasy spoons to better class restaurants up their soda prices 100%. If I get a soda, you better believe I'm going to justify the cost by having it refilled. I'm also going to justify the Waitstaff's tip based on how attentive they are. You're not getting a dime more out of me if you didn't *earn* the tip.
Oh, and I'll happily tip above and beyond the customary rates for Service Personal that actually provide exemplary service. Too bad that's getting harder to find in all levels of dining out.
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7-07-2009 @4:13PM Val said... I think it would encourage people if they really need an additional soda and cut obesity rates since we consume ridiculous amounts of soda as Americans..
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7-07-2009 @8:40PM Matt said... Phrasing the poll as to whether diners are "entitled" to free refills slants the question: "are people entitled to something for nothing?" The commenters rightfully point out that the cost of a soft drink at a restaurant is usually more than double what you'd pay at a convenience store, which itself is probably twice the cost of a supermarket. Even with free refills, soft drinks are among the most profitable items at restaurants.
I don't drink and I don't have a lot of money, and being told that I'm a leech because I don't spend $40 on a bottle of wine and $10 on your tip makes me want to avoid any restaurant in which you serve. I don't mean to be harsh, but it's hard to get any message other than "everyone but high rollers are wastes of my time." I've eaten at restaurants where it was obvious that they didn't care if I came back, and I have no desire to repeat that. I seek good food and a friendly atmosphere, not indifference if I don't purchase the highest-ticket items or upsell pressure beyond expected requests about appetizers or dessert.
If refills on soft drinks aren't free, I'll have a (diet) soft drink and a glass of water, which creates as much work for you and leaves me less satisfied, because I usually need the slightly acidic taste of soft drinks to cut through the richness of most restaurant food (since wine is not an option). I'm less likely to return in those cases. If water isn't free (or the server acts put-upon to provide it), I'm definitely not returning.
I can cook a tasty meal for less than half the price of going out in most cases. If going out is a chore or I feel unwanted, I'm just not going to do it. I already eat out less than I used to, and this column only emphasizes why I don't miss the restaurants.
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