Originally Posted by
JackE
Because there is a Robin Hood mentality.
The focus of percent-based tipping is not on the efforts of the server; it is on the wealth of the consumer. The idea is that the person who can afford to order a $80 steak and a $200 bottle of wine should cough up more money than the Mom and Dad trying to feed their kids.
I do not agree with that at all. The percentage tip is based on the theory that if I order an app, a main course, dessert, and drinks throughout the meal, I will tip more than the person who just orders the main course. That is fair as the server did more work when more items are ordered. Unfortunately, there are many examples where this percentage approach does not work well, like the $200 bottle of wine that you cite.
I tend to tip 25% or so at a diner where food is real cheap and reduce my tip by maybe excluding taxes from the denominator or even 18% if the wine prices are excessive and the server is not doing anything worth an excessive tip.