Tipping is outdated and should be scrapped

Tipping is a system almost exclusive in the USA, which expects customers to directly pay the wage of the waitstaff while minimizing the responsibility of the restaurant to do so. The system allows restaurants to “motivate” waitstaff by encouraging commission, but this raises the price for customers and leads to a sense of entitlement towards customers.

Rather, I think restaurants should simply pay realistic wages, and include them as part of the service, rather than expect it to be paid by the customer directly (this is an international standard). This minimizes the amount the customer must pay (making the choice to dine out more attractive), and weans servers away from expecting a tip in all circumstances and the overbearing behaviors.

The biggest resistance to this change is likely the waitstaff. Some have become entitled to the large tips they can receive by relying on the USA system. For unskilled labor, I don’t believe they are entitled to large tips simply because they perform work they contractually agreed to.

Nothing puts me more off my food than being repeatedly bothered and made to feel guilty, and the tipping system does just that.