Basically, it's the best way to ensure excellent customer service. The quality of customer service can only be effectively judged by the customer being as it's completely subjective, and a tip is essentially a rating. The tip serves as a direct incentive for the server to do everything within his power to up that rating. Compare going to a coffee shop vs going to a 7/11. Warm smile, eye contact, small conversation, empathy... Practically speaking, it's the simplest way to get a great customer service experience, people get to pay what the want for it, employers can get away with lower prices, workers end up getting paid a decent amount for their skills. Win win win win win win winI never quite understood what the point of tipping was.
Sure, that's how it's supposed to work in theory, but what I find is that tipping becomes a required thing on the part of the customer. And if you don't tip, or tip lowly you get dirty looks from people that came with you. So essentially you are forced to tip a "regular" amount, or even above. Which completely eliminates the feedback/rating part. Honestly, I think that both service charges and tipping should be removed. And the workers paid an average amount. And introduce tipping as just something that is done for good service anywhere. I don't see why it should be limited to restaurant servers, when they aren't the only people serving you. All it does is drive up costs for the customers and makes the worker stressed out about being paid a "normal" amount.
Well, wait, you aren't required to tip above. You're right in that etiquette requires tipping a 'normal' amount (15%) but there's always the potential that you tip above and beyond. Servers are compelled to prove to you that above and beyond tip. Hey, I agree with you there. At sushi places, the sushi chefs have their own tipping jars I always make sure to frequent. Eh, I'd rather work at a place where I get tipped because I know I can make bomb tips because I can work it. I don't want to share my tips, I don't want to make the same amount no matter how good I am to my customers. I will dominate them with my service skills.And if you don't tip, or tip lowly you get dirty looks from people that came with you. So essentially you are forced to tip a "regular" amount, or even above. Which completely eliminates the feedback/rating part.
I don't see why it should be limited to restaurant servers, when they aren't the only people serving you.
All it does is drive up costs for the customers and makes the worker stressed out about being paid a "normal" amount.
As I said, I'd rather see tipping as just a cultural thing where you'd tip whenever and wherever good service was found. Not just for waiters. I see no problem with genuinely giving extra for hard/good work. But when it becomes culturally required, that's when I have a problem. I shouldn't have to tip, just because you don't get paid enough. I should tip when I feel like you did a good job. I see it as a "donate" button on a website. You don't have to click it. But you do if you like the website.
Hey, that's reasonable. Maybe I'm sympathetic because I work coffee where it isn't culturally required. But pro tip: tip your barista at least if he makes you a specialty drink. Or assume he doesn't like you. ;) (If he just pours you drip coffee, another story. But if he's a nice dude and makes you a bomb ass latte, all it takes is fifty cents and he makes his 15%.)