We try not to go to restaurants that do that either, but more and more are doing it. Hubby likes to put no tip on the payment slip and then tip in cash at the table. That way he thinks the person that waited on us gets the tip. I think it still goes in the share pot if the restaurant has a shared tip policy.
“Hubby likes to put no tip on the payment slip and then tip in cash at the table.”
I do that too, so’s my GF. It’s more personal with the waiter. When I was back in college as a bartender and a waiter, both resto/bars I worked for had a pool-share thing going on. Red Robin had it when I was there.
One of my co-workers back then, we both went to the same university listed himself as “cashier” so the IRS will not tax him on tips.