Day ninety: free refills

I was always under the impression that the rules of free refills at a restaurant are common knowledge but, once again, I have been proven otherwise. 


Generally speaking, if you order a coffee or a soda, it's safe to assume that you can have all the refills you want. This is of course in reference to fountain beverages and not canned drinks. There are some places, however, that do charge for refills on fountain beverages. Take for instance the Pony Corral. This particular restaurant charges their customers for refills on soda but on the bright side the Pony Corral is disgusting so by avoiding dining at that establishment it's safe to assume the injustice that is pay-per-glass soda is equally as avoidable. 


Wonders never cease when it comes to the expectations of strangers. Tonight, an older gentleman and I use that term as loosely as one can, was upset when he found out that he would be charged for each individual tea bag he used. He was bothered so much that he threatened to "never come back." Sometimes it's just easier to give someone a free tea bag in order to avoid being read the Riot Act over some dried out leaves. 


But expecting free tea bags is like expecting free refills on apple juice. I wish I could give out free refills on juice, especially apple juice because it is delicious and the most thirst quenching of all the juices, but I can't.

My job is to bring out the food, not to establish prices and/or the rules of refills. Those tasks are above my pay grade and the sooner a table can recognize my position in the grand scheme of (insert real name here) the faster we're all just going to get along. 

When someone threatens to "never come back" my response is always the same: an indifferent "ok." What do I care if you never come back? Answer: I don't. Furthermore, if a person has such an awful experience they vow never to return, chances are he or she or they won't be missed.