Service is part of what you pay for at a restaraunt, regardless of the spin that is being placed on tipping now. That is what a gratuity means - above and beyond the price of goods and services rendered. Don't be fooled by the implicit statements here that service is not part of the price.

I again agree with abcedaria - I have worked at places, where if you DO NOT DO A GOOD JOB, you will be asked to leave. They do not give extra money for doing your job - you are expected to do a good job. Doing a good job is implicit in expecting to continue to be employed, regardless of whether the business actually enforces this view. Again, however, I would point out that some states apparently allow pay to be below minimum wage, although I do not believe this to be the case in California. Knowing that, I can accomodate a higher tip in some states, but not California unless I learn otherwise.

Then there is the threat implied by one poster saying that they will f** with a customers food if they receive bad tips and the customers return another day. You can understand the reaction of the average person - this is now EXTORTION. If I don't give them what they expect in a tip, they are going to f*** with my food! As they sit in jail awaiting trial, they can ponder the fact that they will in fact be getting "negative wages" because they are not working.