Thais Rodriguez.Courtesy of Thais Rodriguez Thais Rodriguez worked as a server for two years at an Olive Garden restaurant in Florida. She said after she started giving away free desserts, her tips sometimes doubled. Rodriguez would also wear makeup and put her hair in pigtails to get more tips. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Thais Rodriguez, a 21-year-old former server at Olive Garden in Florida.