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Sonic Drive-In

Sonic Drive-In review: charge for water! 13

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10:46 am EDT
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My wife and I were eating there and she had a water with her meal. She finished her water and wanted some more. Being the nice guy that I am, I got out of my truck and brought inside my wifes cup for a refill on water. Some little punk under age supervisor told me he would not refill my wifes cup with water and told me to go back to my car. I said I still want some water for my wife. He said he would have one of the girls bring it to me. I said ok. She brings it to me with a TICKET for 30 cents plus tax.

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13 comments
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BDA123
, US
May 31, 2022 11:45 am EDT

Honestly all of your arguments are nonsense. A cup with lid costs Sonic about 5-12 cents each. I live in AZ and every other establishment provides free waters with the cup. Sonic charges 30-60 cents per the cup because they want to make money off their cups or because they don't want to give out water when they make money off of a soda. And as for cross contamination. That excuse is BS too. If you remove the lid and straw there is .[protected]% chance of cross contamination somehow getting from the lid edge to the lever for filling the cup. And most soda machines nowadays have a button they push to fill the drink so there is exactly 0% chance of cross contamination. These arguments are complete BS. The truth is that it is about the $ just like it always is. If Sonic wanted to provide better customer service they would give them for free like everyone else. But they don't. They want to charge so that you will just purchase a drink. That is why I no longer go to sonic. If management thinks that they can charge for a 5 cent 8 oz cup when the shake I just purchased cost $5 then I chose to go somewhere else. Best way to vote is with your $.

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sacredlife323
Granbury, US
Nov 20, 2012 8:46 am EST

just fyi i just went to a sonic and was charged for a water with my meal even though the meal comes with a "soft drink.' but "water is not classified as a soft drink".. i would understand if i just ordered a water by itself, but i didnt i ordered a meal that comes with a drink water does not cost no where near as much as a freakin soda. come on people

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DHB
Starkville, US
Dec 17, 2009 7:39 pm EST

You have to pay for the cup because it is a health code violation, to be read: against the law, to refill a previously used cup. Any item which has left the drive-in's interior is considered to be previously used. Since it is previously used, we must select a new cup which we must pay for. It falls under an account called "paper cost". The partner in charge of the drive-in, or the owner, keeps a close check on paper cost, food cost, etc. and if the line items are too high, the management is chastised or fired depending on who you work for or the circumstances.

Oh, and before you ask, the reason it is against health code to refill a previously used glass or dish is because food-born illness has had the opportunity to infect the cup, plate, fork, etc. If the piece was to come in contact with another and did have some type of illness on the piece, then it would have potential to be transferred to the new cups, plates, etc. and infect someone else.

The sonic drive-in's i supervise also charge $0.30 per cup, lid and straw. You get them as a set. The operational handbook for Sonic dictates that all cups are to be served with a lid and straw, so you are paying for all three.

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Katie_Charleston, SC
Charleston, US
Jun 21, 2009 6:52 pm EDT

First of all, its 30 cents, get over it. You're probably the same person that comes into dine in restaurants and thinks it's perfectly fine not to tip. Hand the woman a few coins and go on with your day. She didn't write the policy and she doesn't get paid enough to put up with your bull.
Secondly, you don't walk into a drive in. It's just like walking into the kitchen at your dine in restaurant and waving your cup around wanting a refill. You'll get told the same thing: Go back to your seat and wait for your server. Besides, ever wondered why your server never picks up your glass off the table and takes it back to the kitchen for a refill? It's not because they love to do dishes. The restaurant would be violating health codes if they took the cup out of your hand and refilled it, and I don't know about you, but I would rather pay 30 cents for a cup then eat at a restaurant with health code violations.

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Thomas18
, US
Sep 26, 2023 2:51 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

We need more people like you. (Sonic worker here)

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nik
, US
Jan 21, 2009 12:34 pm EST

Why would you have to pay for the cup? Is it because it's styrofoam?

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Shannon
,
Aug 26, 2008 4:59 pm EDT

Everyone is right on the health code subject.

No one is supposed to enter the building at all, except for employee's.

Also, if we kept having people drive up and ask for a refill on a day old cup (as some do) we would have to charge MORE!

I know some Sonic's do refills, but the one I work at doesn't. It's up to the working Partner. Would you want some liars to come and get "refills" on their drinks, while every time they do it's 15 cents out of your pocket? That also effects raises for employees.

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Sarah
,
Aug 21, 2008 4:18 pm EDT

refills on waters are not free...sonic does not offer refills, it is against health code regulations to bring an already used cup back into the building and refill it because of cross contamination. and u are paying for the cup not the drink. and it depends on what sonic you go to on what u get charged, the sonic in parkville missouri it is 27 cents.

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gvm
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Aug 01, 2008 7:39 pm EDT

First of all, you are being charged for your cup, not the water. Secondly, it is now considered a health code violation to refill a drink in the cup that has already been drank out of. why? i'm not sure...i don't make the rules, but i've worked at 3 restaurants, being servers at all, and we were told to ALWAYS bring fresh glasses (or cups in this case), not refill the empty one, though, many didn't comply with this. I am currently a car-hop at a sonic, this is why i know this. And lastly, just buzz in if you need a refill. Generally, a well-managed sonic would not charge you for refills on water alone. Customers are not supposed to walk into a strictly drive-in place, hence the name, unless otherwise notified or it is a dine-in sonic.

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kimberely stockholm
Henderson, US
Jul 17, 2008 12:28 am EDT

LMFAO KEN! Why dont you RE-Read it dumb ### He said he Brought HIS CUP IN... ummmm they should not charge for a cup he already has...duhhhhhh

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kim
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Jul 17, 2008 12:19 am EDT

Wow... I work at Sonic also (located in South West Ohio) but we never ever charge for refills on water, sodas, teas, or slushes. I just can't believe that someone would be that rude to tell you to go to your car like that.

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Megan
,
Jul 12, 2008 8:29 am EDT

Yeah...i work at sonic too and you are paying for the cup, but they shouldn't charge you 30 cents for it. It's only supposed to be 11 cents, but refills on water are free...

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Ken
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Jul 09, 2008 9:52 pm EDT

i work at sonic, your paying for the cup loser, not the water.