No that was just how it worked. The customers did it to the waitresses too. They would purposely sit in a particular “area” tables so they could get their favorite waitress. And the waitresses who treated the customers well got the better tips.
This reward for good service extended to the busboys helping make it happen too. The busboys who hustled for them also got to share in the rewards that were EARNED. It was teamwork. And it was the Customer who truly got the best benefits of the structure.
Was it morally sound? Probably not because it was based on extortion and protectionism. But if you know anything at all about business it is all about extortion and protectionism... These are the real engines that truly drive what we currently call “Capitalism”... And no they are not moral, but if you ask the business cult all is fair and acceptable in this greedy war for that one extra penny.
Nonsense, without even getting into a waitress picking and choosing on which individuals she will do her job well with, the busboys either clear tables or they don’t, and they do it when it is time to clear them, not before and not after, there is no variation in what they do, it is exactly the same every time.