Unfortunately, it's one of those artefacts of American society and labour law that restaurants and similar can pay someone a reduced wage in the expectation that the workers will be tipped. The fact is there, and if one doesn't tip, one is essentially refusing to compensate someone else... it's perfectly legal, but you have to decide if it's right.
I'm very conscious of it, because when business is good I am making more money that those people, and they are working harder than I, and in many cases out of necessity, with little real love for what they do.
Some restaurants pool the tips and all waiters and waitresses get a pro rata share. I find that socialistic and reprehensible -- I like being rewarded commensurate with my achievements, and I especially like to reward someone whose efforts have pleased me.
I hate commissions too. Just pay employees a decent salary
Commissions are en excellent tool for motivating sales people, and most sales pros would have it no other way. In any business, the good salesman or saleslady will be one of the best rewarded people. I have known many salespeople who, through hard work and dedication to customer satisfaction, have earned more than their company's VPs or CFOs or CEOs.
Restaurant service people have to work just as hard as, say, people who sell professional services, high-tech equipment, machine tools, or business jets; and they do it for those few dollars customers throw on the table or scrawl on the credit-card tab.
Something completely different -- I wonder if part of the poor tipping that has the people on that wesite so irritated, is simply that many celebs are innumerate, and find calculating a 15% tip an unbearable burden. It's easy to see some of the mentioned celebs going into brainlock in the attempt.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
It's really easy. Remove the last digit and move the decimal one spot to the left - that's 10%. Remove the last digit, move the decimal and double - that's 20%. Remove the last digit, move the decimal and add half - that's 15%. Even if you don't want to do the hard math (and I don't), doing the easy math gets you in the ballpark and you can round up or round down from there.
For example, let's say your food bill came out to $37.24. 10% is $3.72. 20% (double this) would be $7.44. 15% (adding half) would be $5.58. Now, let's say the service was fine but nothing exceptional. I'll know I want to leave a tip of somewhere between six and eight dollars. If I'm paying cash, I may just leave $45 total for the tab (I try not to sweat the change - I figure it all evens out in the end). If I'm paying by credit card, I might just round the tip to the nearest dollar or I might do the hard math and leave the actual % tip I meant to give.
Now some people don't think it's right to tip the tax. Others think you shouldn't tip the drink - only the food. I'll let them whip out a calculator and do the math themselves if they feel that way. The only thing I usually exclude would be on those rare situations where I buy a gift certificate. I figure the gift recipient would be the one tipping.