Day 159--- "Can I Get A Refill???"

Well, due to very shotty Internet connection over the past few days I have not been able to throw up a new post... I can only imagine the turmoil that you guys must have been going through without a bit of me to get you through the day... In other news, voting ends tomorrow for round four of the blogger idol... This week is the closest I have come to being eliminated, but I have faith that you guys will put me over that hump... Or else... Today I have decided to write about another one of the people that annoyed me during my restaurant days, those who ask for a refill when their glass is still more than half full...

Now, this may not seem like a big deal to you, and if I had never worked at a restaurant this probably would not bother me either. But after years of working for needy people these ones are damn near the top of most needy... Just for the record, I did not work at a fancy joint, when you are paying $200 a plate I can understand expecting to have a full glass, but I worked at a fast paced chain restaurant a step above fast food (price-wise). We are serving kids pizzas and french fries, with our wine in a shot glass, just because this may be the most expensive meal of your life that doesn't mean you're at the Four Seasons. I plan to give the best service possible, but for the $10 tip on a $100 tab don't be expecting to get your crumbs picked up with one of those little scooper things... Now you may think I have lost the point but this is where I circle it right back around to people who ask for refills when it is not necessary...

They are the type of people that when you pass through the restaurant with a full tray and they see you they will flag you over in the middle of what you are doing and tell you they need more water... OK I understand that you are parched, but your glass is still more than half full... This just seems over cautionary to me, you are assuming that I wont be back near the table in the 20 more minutes that it takes you to finish the last 3/4 Th's of that drink... I know this all may seem crazy, because maybe you have only been on one side of this, but it is really one of the things us waiters talk most about behind your backs... In a business where we are constantly busy it just seems like such a waste of time to be filling up glasses that are already considered full... Unless of course you are one of those people who subscribes to the glass half empty way of life... Then I could understand that a glass that I consider to be three-fourths full you would clearly see as three-fourths empty...

These are the type of people who will be looking for any reason to give you less of a tip... They are the ones that at the end of the meal when talk of gratuity comes up they will be the one in the party that will say " Oh, he really wasn't that good, I had to ask for more water like three times when I had taken one sip out". They are the ones who are too cheap to pay for anything other than water half of the time, but wanna be treated like they are drinking the Don Perignon. They are the epitome of asshole Americans, people who want more before they finish what they have... Hey, it may be a stereotype that the rest of the world has tagged us with, but we all know stereotypes exist with 90% truth... I know I am taking this all way deeper than anyone would have thought possible with such a small group of people. But I swear this is the mentality that bugs me most about human beings... Trust me sir, you are not going to go without a beverage at any point during this meal; we don't need to waste my energy filling your water up after every sip you take. This is like ordering your dessert while you are still eating your starters, at least this is the way it seems to everyone else who has an ounce of patience. This is why I think all people on earth should have to wait tables for one year of their lives, I think we would all be a whole lot nicer to everyone... Or I guess if you become too jaded it could do the exact opposite...

Whatever the case may be if you are ever around anybody who insists on being this person at a table it would be nice of you to remind them that it is not smart to piss off the people who are handling your food. This is a word to the wise... If you are already one of these people there are douche bag help hot lines out there, I suggest that you give them a call and get help as soon as you can... If you catch it soon enough it should be treatable... Or just consider this post a wake-up call... Maybe you now realize that the world does not actually revolve around you...