Community for asking and answering any question related to the life, the people or anything related to the USA. Non-US people are welcome to provide their perspective! Please keep in mind:
It would be nice if tipping was just gone, and everybody got paid a living wage, like in most of the rest of the world. We're in a Nash equilibrium right now where if you don't tip, you're an asshole. Other people might even tip more if they hear about it, which reinforces the status quo. So I keep tipping well, and disliking that we're stuck here.
How can we end tipping culture and just have everyone be paid a living wage?
Let's get one thing straight: Waiting tables is the one industry where workers are already getting a living wage, and tipping is the reason for that.
Yes, it's a messy, organic system that no one would have designed. But it's evolved to fill the niche perfectly. Servers get more money, labor costs stay low, patrons choose how much they pay. It's a win-win-win and they only people unhappy are the one who think they are paying the servers too much.
Why would I want to switch from a system where consumers can pay for my labor directly to one where the managerial class takes a cut? If a restaurant stopped allowing tips, and raised prices by 20%, how much of that increase do you think would go to the workers? There's no way to get rid of tipping that's not a reduction in server pay and a more negative experience for restaurant patrons. As a bonus, these "solutions" usually make things harder for exactly the kind of small businesses that we all wish there were more of.
Tipping works. Please don't "fix" it.
It's origin was in not wanting to pay emancipated slaves wasn't it?
Off the top of my head I would guess it goes something like: 'owners/capital do not want to pay emancipated slaves, so let's put the burden on consumers (i.e.. non-capitalists) to do so.'
How do you solve it? Not vote Trump, or Democrat, that's for sure.
Edit - you undeveloped Americans downvote this but who gives a fuck? You are yesterday's man. Back you go to the stone age and take your down votes with you. You really can't deal with reality.