Reminder for everyone that when there are efforts to change the system and have employers pay higher wages instead, the majority of workers are vehemently against it.
You'll see people in this thread telling you that it's not the workers' fault, and that taking it out on the workers by not tipping is not fair, as if they're victims of the system.
Most pressure to maintain the system (or add tips to new industries) comes from the workers, and I feel that not tipping is entirely appropriate if you want it to change.
When the workers themselves start clamoring for raising wages and getting rid of tipping culture, I will empathize with them more.
People don’t want to constantly pay more fees in the form of “voluntary” tips that are supposed to be a courtesy based on service quality, not a tax and payroll dodge for employees and employers who obviously have no incentive to report cash income like this. And now even more people are jumping on the tip bandwagon, and on top of that they calculate the tip on the total including tax. I’m not giving the government a tip, too. Tips are becoming compulsory in the eyes of far too many service industry employees.
It’s far easier for them to shit on customers than it is to assume any risks associated with fighting employers and the established system for real wages. Leeching off the hard work wages of customers rather than doing the hard work of fighting for a real wage.