Theresa, by the way, you're wrong.

Say they did just pay their waiters a living wage.

The extra cost of paying out wages would force them to raise the price level, and isn't this monetarily the same as a mandatory gratuity? The same amount on average is going to be paid out no matter if you have tipping or if you pay a higher wage.

The workers have no incentive whatsoever to give better service other than to keep their job, under the non tipping system.

While on average their wage would be the same and the customers payout to the restaurant would be the same, what's different is incentive.

Under a tipping system, there is always incentive for a server to provide excellent service.

And if there wasn't tips, the problem of understaffing would still exist, and the customer would still receive shitty service. The only difference is that the server's money would be protected (but on average they'd still make the same as under a tipping system).

quote:

Originally posted by ownymcown The only difference is that the server's money would be protected.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

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quote:

Originally posted by Lews You say that like it's a bad thing.

it's not a bad thing, but i'm saying that a protected wage may stay at for example 12 bux an hour, but even though tips can be shitty they also fluctuate in the positive direction so on average it would be the same in the end (12).