Talking to waitresses some things I’ve been told:
-If you are working at a high-end four-star place or Ruth’s Chris or something you can indeed make a very good living on tips. Not so much at the lower end (Dennys, IHOP, etc.)
-That goes double if you work the third-shift in a place that is open all night. Drunks are notoriously lousy tippers.
-The population is aging and seniors tend to be lousy tippers (they’re stuck in the days when 25 cents was considered a decent tip)
-More immigrants coming from cultures where tipping is not the norm....and they don’t.
-Growing numbers of people who watch these “Restaurant: Impossible” shows all think they are Gordon Ramsay, lay down tons of criticism and don’t tip as a way of showing their displeasure (even when it has absolutely nothing to do with the waitstaff)
With Helicopter Ben pumping up the money supply, I expect that when I'm old that sentence will be "they’re stuck in the days when 25 dollars was considered a decent tip".
“Drunks are notoriously lousy tippers.”
I take exception to that! ;-)