I feel for the little people on the bottom end of the scale. A favorite trick of mine is to leave very little as a tip on the credit card (usually rounding up to the nearest dollar) and an actual cash tip on the table.
But I think the better solution is to do what they do in Japan: Pay their people a decent wage and not expect the customers to subidize management which they are already paying for the meal. If it means an increase in the price of the meal, then so be it.
If you do that, make sure the server gets it and not the busboy.
They also ensure I will never darken their door again. “Automatic gratuities” are just a way to jack up the bill without being honest enough to raise prices.
I’m now starting to see “discounts” where you can get a $50 or $100 dining gift card/coupon purchased at a reduced rate. Then you read the fine print and learn you are required to tip $20 on that meal before it has even been served.
So much for “discounts”. It’s just kicking the can forward is all it does.