The French and France are socialist. That is why they have a constant 10%+ unemployment rate, massive taxes and nothing works...
And they can't even win the tour day france. Poor frenchie.
I will fully agree with GfG about the way Germany works and in general about French restaurants.
The service varies hugely as does the quality of the meals - but where is that not the case?
Lastly, it is important to note that no one forced this gentelman to go to France. Just as Europeans needn't visit the US if they cannot accept a slightly different way of doing things, neither should Americans expect that everyone should act like them.
Oh, one more thing, it is the primarily the socialist grip on the job market that is the problem. It is the major factor contributing to France's and Europe's unemployment problem. The way waiters are paid is completely irrelevant.
This guy has it all wrong. The 19.6% charge seen on every restaurant bill is the TVA (in English, VAT, or value added tax). It's basically a sales tax that goes to the government, just like sales taxes in the US. If the writer has in fact lived in France for a "prolonged amount of time," as he says, he sure isn't very observant, else he would've known this. You pay TVA on every purchase here, although the percentages differ for necessities, regular purchases and luxuries.
As a separate issue, service is always included in the menu prices.
Did you also know that stores have a specific time of the year when they can have a "sale" of items at reduced prices? That's right! I think it's July, when stores are allowed to lower prices to move old inventory.
God forbid they would actually have to compete against each other throughout the year.