Optional tipping allows you to exercise freedom to express gratitude (or displeasure) for services. Freedom is the key word. As long as tipping is a choice, not a requirement, it should be allowed. Emotional reactions to “suggested” tips upon checkout, either before or after satisfaction is decided, as in take-out food, can be brought up at your next therapy session if you’re that bothered by it. Should tips be pooled & evenly distributed on a regular basis? might be a hotter debate.
Ending tipping and adding a flat service charge is the solution to keeping business open and service workers able to live sustainable lives. If we want to continue to go out to eat and have good experiences, we are going to have to pay for it. Ending tipping allows us to stop paying based on emotions and paying a flat fee for the service we received. Business and servers can be punished by Yelp/Google reviews. There has to be accountability on the owners to keep their service worthy of the “service fee” if they want to stay in business.
My position with adding standard service fees allows standardization to the service industry. Yes, it may be a bad experience and you overpay with a service fee at bad restaurants, but life is a gamble. Tipping now lets restaurants take advantage of people (your son) by sneaking in 10% service fees on top of a 20% tip. Imagine how many people miss seeing that service fee included? They are shady about it because the servers want more.
Who will oversee this standardization overhaul? Those who are struggling will be all for it, those who are thriving from their tips will not. As for that sneaky 10% svc fee or tip $ that have already been added in to your bill, well, buyer beware.
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