You do realize that by openly endorsing tipping, you basically are rewarding one group of hard-working low paid people while kicking to the curb anybody else.
That is, unless you also tip the following types of people that after tips probably make less than miss waitress making $3 an hour officially (without taxes on much of it of course):
1) the entry-level administrative assistant who greets you in your building
2) Wal-Mart cashier or greeter at the front door
3) the janitor who helps clean your office
4) early child care workers who help take care of you kids
5) the busboy working his butt off to clean the restaurant tables of plates, yet you shell out the cash to the waiter but ignore him.
Is everyone on FR wealthy or just consumed with an attitude of noblese oblige? I tip because I have to, but it doesn’t mean I approve. Most people work hard in their jobs without tips, and still strive to do their best.
Tipping is out of control. Everyone now has their hand out. Don’t people realize that bartenders make very good money for what is demanded from them? Do they go to college? Did they study and learn the job for years? No, all it takes is effort and a pleasant personality. Consider how much a bartender makes in a night if he gets a dollar for every $3 beer. Not only is that better than 30%, it’s for half-a-minute of work! The result is that by the end of the night he has earned a lot more than many of his customers -tax free.
It used to be that the service industry was for those who lacked opportunities and were uneducated. In this topsy-turvy world of today, 21 year old service people often have more money than white collar workers with years of experience. Oh, and they are usually the first to appear at the emergency room with no insurance. We poor customers not only have to tip generously, but then subsidize their healthcare because THEY are too cheap and irresponsible to care for themselves!
One final rant: even the owners now expect to get in on the gravy. It used to be considered gauche to tip the owner. After all, the owner earns money on every purchase due to the markup.
That one group of hard-working low paid people spends more time in direct contact with the customer too. And they’re feeding me. And having done time in retail and in food service I know they actually work a lot harder in worse circumstances.