Originally Posted by
moonlady
I am really fascinated by your perspective, Chris. So you're saying that waiters/waitresses would be incapable of providing good service when guaranteed a 20% tip that's built into the pricing? So then you agree that automatically adding mandatory tips for parties of 6 or more at your restaurant should be eliminated? And that everyone else in the world who has a job that does not includes tips can be excused for turning in a crappy performance?
I have great empathy for waiters/waitresses because it can be a really hard job and because without tips most of them do not make a decent wage. But if you were to eliminate the whole notion of tipping and pay them a real wage commensurate with the skill level and training required for the job, then I think it's only reasonable to expect nothing less than a professional, enthusiastic performance each and every time. Anything else is just a version of "entitlement" thinking, which I'm afraid has crept into much of your reasoning on this thread.
I would think the level of service would remain the same for the average server as that is the level of tips they are used to. Very good servers might look elsewhere as they are used to there tips being higher then that.
One thing that management at all establishments will cut bad servers who arent up to the standard or those that get complaints (repeated complaints not the fluke complaints) as one bad dining experience will be spread like wildfire but.
It comes down to that If you dont like the policy which btw is usually in the menu so its not a surprise unless you just didn't read the menu. let your server know ahead of time and they can get a manager to not invoke it or remove it, but if you do take care of your server for reasons stated above, as cheapos are remembered and broadcast to the rest of the staff and there friends in the industry to watch out for you the next time you come in.