At many fast-food places, when you buy a soft drink, they give you an empty cup and you go fill it yourself. Do you feel free to refill your cup? Do you think it's theft? (Or both? ;))

A few places have signs that say either "Free Refills" or, say, "Refills 50 cents". In those cases it's clear. In others it's not. I usually do feel free to refill my cup unless there's a sign explicitly prohibiting it or charging for it. In hundreds of instances, no one has ever challenged me on it. But I still wonder whether the proprietors consider it theft.

What do you think? What do you do?

I feel odd if I refilled and went out the door without paying, if I don't see a sign. So, I always ask how much is the refill before doing so.

BTW, Starbucks gives you $.10 credit for bringing your own cup but make sure they take it off because sometimes they forget.

It's rare in the south to find a restaurant that does not offer free refills on soda and tea. In some cases, your server will bring you a refill (without asking), in others you will serve yourself from an accessable fountain where you filled it initially, and in others you bring it to the counter and ask.

My rule of thumb is: if it's behind a counter, in the kitchen or (oddly enough) overpriced, refills might not be free. Otherwise, it's been factored into the cost of my meal and I'm allowed to refill. I do feel a little guilty filling one for the road, but no one's ever stopped me or given me a dirty look. Two over the top situations I've observed: refills at convenience stores and chugging at the fountain before refilling.

It never occured to me to think about it as theft. If I get an empty cup and the soda/ice tea machine is freely accessible I always assumed that refills are free, unless there's a sign which says otherwise.

It never occured to me to think about it as theft. If I get an empty cup and the soda/ice tea machine is freely accessible I always assumed that refills are free, unless there's a sign which says otherwise.

Ah, but would you save your cup and come back later in the day, or tomorrow for that matter? There's no sign to stop you, right? :D

Actually, the idea of saving the cup and coming back for more later never occured to me either. Besides, I'm not THAT cheap! :p

When it's self servive I always have my fill of Diet Coke... Actually I've seen some people at fast serve places politely ask for a refill and get it when they don't have self service...

-Vincent

When I walk into a place that offers self service soft drinks then has a sign saying they have a charge for refills I walk out. 32oz of soda from a fountain costs somewhere around 20 cents, the cup usually costs more - any place that cheap does not get my business.

-Vincent

Of course! At a place like that the small size=Super Gigantic Large size. Heck, I had friends in undergrad who would carry around a McDonald's cup in their bookbag and just refill it when they got thirsty. At least I bought a new one each time...

BTW, Starbucks gives you $.10 credit for bringing your own cup but make sure they take it off because sometimes they forget.

Goingsomewhere- this is great news. You have truly made my day.

If the fountain is on the customer side, I assume free refills unless there is a sign that says they aren't. (I don't believe that I've ever seen this, by the way.)

If the fountain is on the employee side, I assume no free refills unless there is a sign that says they are.

Mike

I only go to fast food joints when I'm travelling. The last thing I would do is have a refill and then go back on the road. :D

I only go to fast food joints when I'm travelling. The last thing I would do is have a refill and then go back on the road. :D

small bladder? :D

If the fountain is on the customer side, I assume free refills unless there is a sign that says they aren't. (I don't believe that I've ever seen this, by the way.)

If the fountain is on the employee side, I assume no free refills unless there is a sign that says they are.

Mike
My feelings exactly. I don't drink soda anymore, so I'm picky with the places I go. They have to have lemonade and unsweetened ice tea to mix.

If the fountain is on the customer side, I assume free refills unless there is a sign that says they aren't. (I don't believe that I've ever seen this, by the way.)

If the fountain is on the employee side, I assume no free refills unless there is a sign that says they are.

Mike

It may be rare, but I have seen a No-Refills sign or two on a self-pour set up.

small bladder? :D...lucky me... :(

I assume no free refills unless it says so explicitly, such as at Panera. If I'm still thirsty, I get a refill of water from the machine.

I'm also in the camp of free refills if they soda machine is out in the open and self-service. It'd be pretty cheesy to come back with a cup another visit. Its crossed my mind, but I wouldn't do it.

I personally don't go for seconds, but I also don't think there's anything wrong especially on places with no specific restrictions.

I like Seattle's Best though, since the receipt entitles free coffee refill ^ .

Mark me down as someone who always refills if self-serve fountain is in the customer area. Why else would the restaurant place it there? I've worked in a restaurant before (years ago) and that is exactly why we did it. People expect free refills from a fast food restaurant and it is much easier to let the customer get the refill themselves. No, I don't consider it stealing UNLESS there is a sign that states "NO REFILLS", otherwise it is fair game.

usually they have promos like that. free refils..why not?

but in my case, if there is no sign, i will not refil my cup of course.
but most of the time i go to restaurants and pay for bottomless drinks and lets the waiter refill it for me.

I always refill on my way out, I have never seen a " no refill signs in the places I go

I always refill on my way out, I have never seen a " no refill signs in the places I go

^ ^ I always "top off" on the way out....

Fountain served Diet Coke is one of my vices - I am totally addicted and have to have at least 1 32oz cup a day.... If all the bad stuff written about nutrasweet is true I am toast :eek:

I usually refill two or three times. But I don't drink anything other than water or beer. It's too bad the only self-serve place to get beer I know of is in the NRT RCC.
If the drink machine is out in the lobby or whatever then I've always just assumed refills were free.

Reminds me of our local Burger King that was around the corner from a Junior High School. At about 1:30 pm a bunch of kids would show up, ask at the counter for a glass of water, they got their water cups and promptly marched over to the Coke machine in the customer area, filled them up with Coke, guzzled it down, refilled them (with Coke) and left.

Never thought of this as theft (except with the 'no refills signs) until I read Freakonomics.

Reminds me of our local Burger King that was around the corner from a Junior High School. At about 1:30 pm a bunch of kids would show up, ask at the counter for a glass of water, they got their water cups and promptly marched over to the Coke machine in the customer area, filled them up with Coke, guzzled it down, refilled them (with Coke) and left.

Now thats just dishonest...

-Vincent

When it's self servive I always have my fill of Diet Coke... Actually I've seen some people at fast serve places politely ask for a refill and get it when they don't have self service...

-Vincent
Why do you drink Diet Coke? It is obvious that you are drinking more than the 8oz serving size. You might as well drink full blown Pepsi as it has the most calories and you are obviously going to get very fat off the Diet Coke and that is not accomplishing anything but a taste change. Read about the effects of Diet Coke and then rethink what you are doing.

When I walk into a place that offers self service soft drinks then has a sign saying they have a charge for refills I walk out. 32oz of soda from a fountain costs somewhere around 20 cents, the cup usually costs more - any place that cheap does not get my business.

-Vincent
32oz soda from a bottle costs 23.4 cents. Why don't you just drink it and demand a refill? If is obvious you have no respect for a business to make a profit and believe you have a right to anything you want. Your self serving attitude is a part of what is wrong with society today. If a place wants to sell you a drink and you want to buy it, that is it. You do not have a right to any refill. You pay a price for a certain amount. I guess you think that until you have refilled your drink 3 or 4 times and turned their profit into 0 or ended up with the business taking a loss then you have not been treated fairly. Your stealing if you take a refill when it was not in the price to begin with.

Of course! At a place like that the small size=Super Gigantic Large size. Heck, I had friends in undergrad who would carry around a McDonald's cup in their bookbag and just refill it when they got thirsty. At least I bought a new one each time...
Your friends are thiefs! :td:

Most restaurants that put the fountain in the dining room expect you to get refills and to choose your own drink. However, some do place a sign that says refills $XX and in that case you should pay for it. When in doubt just ask and the answer will probably be that they are free.

So, for the refillers, do you buy the regular, medium, or large sized drink to start?

Why do you drink Diet Coke? It is obvious that you are drinking more than the 8oz serving size. You might as well drink full blown Pepsi as it has the most calories and you are obviously going to get very fat off the Diet Coke and that is not accomplishing anything but a taste change. Read about the effects of Diet Coke and then rethink what you are doing.

I drink only Coca Cola Products - I can't have the sugar content of Coca Cola Classic, is there a reson you are bing so attacking?

-Vincent

32oz soda from a bottle costs 23.4 cents. Why don't you just drink it and demand a refill? If is obvious you have no respect for a business to make a profit and believe you have a right to anything you want. Your self serving attitude is a part of what is wrong with society today. If a place wants to sell you a drink and you want to buy it, that is it. You do not have a right to any refill. You pay a price for a certain amount. I guess you think that until you have refilled your drink 3 or 4 times and turned their profit into 0 or ended up with the business taking a loss then you have not been treated fairly. Your stealing if you take a refill when it was not in the price to begin with.

I have my certain standards as to who I will give my business and not, I prefer establishment that offer customer friendly policies rather than nickel and diming ones.

Once again - why are you being so attackful? I never said I take what I want - I simply said I prefer places that offer free refills, and as such I will be a patron of those estalishment rather than those who elect to charge; it speaks volumes on how a business is run by the little things - charging for refills on self service - when tradionally they are welcome to a free refill, just says quite a bit about how that particular estalishment is run. I choose not to frequent them.

You know nothing or my habits of personality I would appreciate you refraining from the PERSONAL ATTACKS.

-Vincent

I never said I take what I want - I simply said I prefer places that offer free refills, and as such I will be a patron of those estalishment rather than those who elect to charge; it speaks volumes on how a business is run by the little things - charging for refills on self service - when tradionally they are welcome to a free refill, just says quite a bit about how that particular estalishment is run. I choose not to frequent them.
That is not what you said, you said "When I walk into a place that offers self service soft drinks then has a sign saying they have a charge for refills I walk out. 32oz of soda from a fountain costs somewhere around 20 cents, the cup usually costs more - any place that cheap does not get my business."
If you are going into a fast food place and eating in, then you probably are going to get free refills. Some fast food places are located in neighborhoods where free refills are ABUSED and they must MAKE A PROFIT (If they don't they won't be in business long) so they have a charge for refills. If they are not fast foods then you should not expect a free refill. If it is a convenience store then you should NOT expect a "FREE" anything. If you find a place that allows free refills, then be thankful but not expecting or deserving of it. Your comments states that if you see a sign you turn and leave. (that's ok, leave) then you go onto say that 32oz of soda costs 20 cents (it doesn't but what is the point? If it cost 10 cents or 90 cents. The business must make a profit) A computer chip costs less than $5.00 to manufacture does that mean that you should get it for $5.00 or $50.00 or $100.00? You are trying to dictate that a business does not have a right to charge for refills! A business has a right to charge you for every service and every product, every time. When they choose to give a blanket price that is a bonus. I know coffee drinkers that go into restaurants at 6:00 am buy a cup of coffee and expect free refills until they go home around 3:00 pm. They may have paid $1.00 for that cup or more or less, but they ended up costing the business many dollars in product and lost customers due to their loitering. Many businesses have put a stop to this and charge for every cup of coffee to keep those loiterers out. In your post you called the business "cheap", that speaks worlds about an "Entitlement Attitude" that is what I have a problem with. People who think they are ENTITLED! You also stated a 32oz Diet Coke. That is such an oxymoron :D Diet drinks is very bad for you and actually causes more health problems. 32oz is the result of marketing and is not something your boby needs or can handle. You should consume 8oz and stop (read the can) drinks in the past came in 6 1/2 oz, 10 oz and 12 oz. In order to increase the price of the product they marketed larger containers and sold it to FDA as a resealable container so that people could get more for their money and reseal the container and drink it for two different meals ie 16ozs. the rest is history. Now an extrapilation of your comment about the costs of a 32oz drink could be compared to.... HOW MUCH DOES A BOTTLE OF WATER COST? If you consider it attacking, think about it!

If there is no sign saying refills cost something then I usually fill the cup up again before I leave. I have never thought of it as stealing.

If there is no sign saying refills cost something then I usually fill the cup up again before I leave. I have never thought of it as stealing.
Nor does anyone else in a fast food restaurant. However, a convenience store would be a different story.

Nor does anyone else in a fast food restaurant. However, a convenience store would be a different story.

Again, what does it mean if there are three different sizes, all priced differently? Do you buy the largest and refill twice, or the smallest and refill five times?

Is the difference in price just reflecting the value of the time saved in having to refill less often?

Again, what does it mean if there are three different sizes, all priced differently? Do you buy the largest and refill twice, or the smallest and refill five times?

Is the difference in price just reflecting the value of the time saved in having to refill less often?
It is assumed that a person who purchases a larger cup is wanting to carry more with them when they leave. If you are going to only drink one or two cups and throw away the cup when you leave, buy a small drink. If not... buy larger.

It is assumed that a person who purchases a larger cup is wanting to carry more with them when they leave. If you are going to only drink one or two cups and throw away the cup when you leave, buy a small drink. If not... buy larger.

What it the price difference between the smallest and largest drinks at a typical fast food establishment?

My experience is if its out on the floor somewhere then refills are free, I've yet to see a fountain out amongst people where they charge for refills. That would be hard to maintain if people were paying and way too much of a headache for somebody. Normally if the fountain is behind the counter I ask if there are free refills cause that determines whether I get a drink or not. Even at restaurants I ask if drink or coffee refills are free, as a lot of places have started charging for them.

I don't drink soda anymore, They have to have lemonade and unsweetened ice tea to mix.

Aside from refilling, custom mixing is another advantage of the self serve drink machines.

Aside from refilling, custom mixing is another advantage of the self serve drink machines.

I think my kids call that a kamakaze. :)

I'm in the QSR business. Our refills are free on beverages that are located on the customer side of the counter (i.e. beverage bar). We also provide free coffee refills, but you need to bring us your cup. We don't want someone getting burned pouring their own coffee. Other drinks with much higher food costs such as OJ, milkshakes, etc. are not allowed free refills.

Yikes, I had no idea this subject could generate such controversy! :eek: However, I must agree with most of the posters here - if the fountain is out in the open, then I take refills to be free in the absence of contravening documentation. If an establishment didn't want customers to refill their beverages, it would either put up a sign prohibiting the practice, or not put the beverage equipment where customers can get at it in the first place.

I don't think it's appropriate to say someone is anti-business because they do not wish to patronize a place that advertises quite loudly that there are no free refills even though the placement of the machine may make it look like there are. I as much as anyone respect the need of businesses to make a profit, but I find the tactic of charging for refills - when combined with the posting of obtrusive signs to make a point of it - to be quite tacky. It sends a message to me - whether intended or not - that the proprietors would rather build their business by nickel-and-diming the customers than by offering a fundamentally strong value proposition. I'm not so severely offended by this that it would cause me to walk out of a place, but you can bet I won't be too keen on coming back either. In cases where the sign had to be put up to deter rampant abuse, well, that says a lot about the clientele and the decorum thereof and doesn't make me any more enthusiastic to offer repeat patronage. Really, if it's that much of a problem, just quietly put the fountain back behind the counter and be done with it. I recognize everyone's right to charge for refills, but I do not appreciate anyone's insistence on constantly reminding their customers that they are not about to waive that right.

Some businesspeople - and this seems to be more prevalent among smaller owner/operators than larger ones - are almost neurotically obsessed with making sure they don't accidentally give anything of value, no matter how small that value is, to a customer for free. I submit that this is one of the reasons those businesses stay small: it is far more profitable to focus your limited resources on big-picture issues of quality and service than to fixate upon picayune notions like customers making off with an extra cup of soda. As a practical matter, given a choice between a place that doesn't bother the customers visiting the soda machine and one that waves fingers (or signs) in their faces telling them they'd better not try to get away with anything, I will choose the former every time. It's simply better business.

If they serve Selzer, yes; otherwise, no!

you are obviously going to get very fat off the Diet Coke ... Read about the effects of Diet Coke
Ah, the Dave Ramsey logic of credit cards in now being applied to diet. Well drbond, only stupid, irresponsible people get into debt by using credit cards and only stupid, irresponsible people get fat from Diet Coke. Thankfully for Dave Ramsey, there are plenty of those types to keep him in business. :D

I feel odd if I refilled and went out the door without paying, if I don't see a sign. So, I always ask how much is the refill before doing so.

BTW, Starbucks gives you $.10 credit for bringing your own cup but make sure they take it off because sometimes they forget.

I've noticed that when you're ordering a coffee or other drink and you want to use your own cup, ask for a tall and they usually fill it up all the way anyway. Another way to save some money in addition to the $.10 credit. I remember there used to be a promo where you could buy a mug for $40 and come in for *UNLIMITED* refills for 3 months, too bad I learned about that after it was over.