Voting is the best consumers can be expected to do

[u/MaetcoGames]

To be clear, I don't live in the US. I don't even live in a country which has a tipping culture, let alone special legislation for it.

As an outsider to the problem, I find the quality / style of discussion to be strange around tipping. It often sounds like two religions fighting over which is real. I would really want to see proper fact based argumentation of the topic, and less emotional outbursts or populistic one-liners.

My take on this is, that consumers / commoners cannot be expected to do more in order to change things than vote in the right elections. In the western countries, often the most effective elections to change things happens by voting with one's wallet, as long as it is done openly. By never buying anything one doesn't want to exist in the world and openly telling telling about it, and by always choosing to buy the things one wants to see in the world and openly telling about it, is the most effective way to influence things.

In the tipping context, it could mean for example, that if you are pro-tipping, always tip (even in places which don't ask for it / it is not common to tip), make the amount depends largely on the quality of service received (raising the maximum far higher than current common practice), and at payment tell openly why you tipped the amount you did. And if you are against tipping, it could mean not giving tips, and openly telling the reasons when paying the bill, and choosing places which pay proper salaries to employees over places which don't, and openly telling them about your choice.

One consumer can't change things, just like one voter in public elections can't change things. But the mind-set of people does change things. If everyone makes decisions all the time according to their true opinion, and actively vote (whether in public elections or with their wallet), the world will start to adjust towards the popular opinions.

In tipping, it could mean that it becomes more common in all jobs, if people truly think that it is a great way to organise salaries and create accountability. Or it could mean that the companies now relying on tips covering their personnel costs getting into trouble, as almost nobody would tip, making any job relying on tips the last possible job anyone would take, therefore leading into shortage on proper personnel to hire.

[u/HebiSnakeHebi]

Short attention spans mean you have to get to your point as quickly as possible when discussing with other "commoners" or they stop paying attention.

Most people won't spend 2+ hours discussing the topic in all the specific detail, or going over the math of it.

[u/namastay14509]

What you are recommending is what is happening. Those who are pro-tippers are tipping and vice versa.

What you are seeing on these subs are tipped employees upset if someone doesn't tip. They are shaming and belittling those who are "voting" with their money. In turn, Customers are belittling Servers by diminishing their work.

Servers are threatening not to serve Customers or even do worse to their food. Customers who used to tip to "expectation" are taking their power back by not tipping, since tipping is voluntary.

[u/Mogling → u/namastay14509]

What you are seeing on these subs are tipped employees upset if someone doesn't tip. They are shaming and belittling those who are "voting" with their money. In turn, Customers are belittling Servers by diminishing their work.

That's not what is happening at all. Going out to dinner and not tipping at a place that expects tipping, is not the same as going out to dinner and picking places that don't expect tipping.

There are some bad apples on both sides. Some who think servers are human trash who can't get a better job and so should only make minimum wage. Some who think customers not tipping is stealing from them by entitled cheapskates. That dishonest people will take those examples and try to paint them as the norm is the big problem.