Originally Posted by
Christopher
And I still don't understand why one shouldn't expect people in the service industry to perform their jobs well, without expecting extra money for doing so, and why one shouldn't also expect that their employers should pay them a living wage accordingly — which, of course, the customer would ultimately pay: so it's not a question of my wanting to pay less as the customer, it's a question of the whole rationale behind the process.
(1) It isn't extra money - it is standard fee-for-service if you will. Think of it as buying an airline ticket and paying extra to check your bags. Except that restaurant service isn't optional (except at fast food).
(2) I agree that it would be nice if employers in the US paid a living wage so that tips were really only paid for extraordinary service, but that's not the way our system works. Understand that it is a cultural norm, just as showing the back of hand is an insult in some cultures. Deal with it.
Originally Posted by
tsastor
Well it seems you don't understand: My post is not about saving money, but of avoiding the (to me) unpleasant experience of tipping. You could even say that I am prepared to pay a little more to avoid tipping.
Deep down 90% of these objections are from cheap Euros who don't like paying tips because they don't have to at home.
But giving you the benefit of the doubt I must admit I don't understand why tipping is so unpleasant for you. Most people get pleasure out of giving money to others, some even get pleasure from spending, so deep down I suspect the unpleasantness is just a reluctance to spend the money for something that you get for free in your home country. Be that as it may, you are certainly entitled to avoid tipping for whatever reason you like. Maybe you should find one of the restaurants where tips are already included in the bill before it arrives. Would that solve the problem?