Originally Posted by
darthbimmer
As I was responding to someone else in the text you quoted, I can't be certain your explanation is what that other person meant. I do agree with you, however. People who dismiss the entire profession as unskilled and valueless are clods.
I certainly don't think the profession is "unskilled and valueless". Any job requires some amount of skill, and any job has value. However, being a server requires no particular educational qualifications, and people can be trained for it in a matter of days. The skill needed is on par with jobs like a cashier. Therefore, I believe that in states without tip credits, servers are significantly overpaid for the work they do.
Originally Posted by
JamilD
The service industry has its earnings dictated by the free market, not a central planner who magically decides how much each person is worth based on their education and supposed "skill". Sure, there's some correlation, but it's certainly not dictated by anything, and not should it be. If a restaurant could get away with suggesting a 5% tip, they would – lower prices for consumers and more clients for the restaurant.
The free market only works where there is transparency and predictability. If a service is provided and THEN the customer decides how much to pay for it, that is not a free market. Very few markets work that way, and those that do, very poorly.