I’m with you in regard to the “shared” tips. If you’ve got busboys and barbacks, I understand the bar and wait staff tipping them, but not the pooled tipping that I’ve seen in some places. Thankfully I never waited tables or tended bar in any place with that policy.
We didn’t have any bus staff then, we had to bus our own tables. I didn’t work there long, maybe a couple months. Then I went to a place that did not share tips..........I have no idea how that ever got started. This was 1970-1973.....
I used to work as a delivery driver. The only reason we made more than minimum wage is because of tips. And you only got tips by busting your butt off and being quick.
The problem there, was the overall business model. Our boss was really clever, but he was stuck at a bad divide. Two drivers was almost enough to cover all his business during the day shift, but 3 was too many and nobody made money.
So I really don’t have -any- sympathy for waitresses setting tips.