and there’s no real consensus about how tipping should work.

Versus how is always worked before?

Because there is consensus on that, it was a very straightfor rule.

The tip was a private transaction between a customer and an employee who went above and beyond the service that the employees' boss require them to do, to perform the job to the customer's satisfaction.

It had nothing to do with the boss or the company they were working for (no tipping automation on the registers, etc.).

And it wasn't ever used in lieu of the employee receiving enough of an income at the company they worked at.

I've contemplated not tipping altogether, already thought it was stupid. Your paycheck should not depend on someone's charity.

Want to win governor? Run on outlawing tipping. Just pay a fair wage.

"Etiquette expert" whatd do they do? Just going about yelling at people for doing things a different way. "YOURE SUPPOSED TO HAVE YOUR PINKY UP WHILE DRINKING TEA!!!"

Try this on for size: Tipping is a Legacy of Slavery

This opinion by Michelle Alexander always stuck with me.

I find it annoying to see the option everywhere, but I have continued to just tip on the things I always have at the % I always used. I hate the recommended amount with a passion... the last time I saw it it took the entire order amount and recommended % amounts where based off that. I have never tipped on total, why would after taxes be part of the tip %? Also I have heard mixed things about this but beer and mixed drinks are also removed as well before calculating the total for tipping. I at least will add a dollar for each drink since it's what I would tip if I was at the bar.

The only time I'd tip is for delivery. I don't even count it as a tip, I consider it a "don't spit in my food" tax.

it's not your waiter's fault that they're stuck in a scam on the scale of a whole culture

This seems to be more of a United States issue rather than a Western issue. In Canada, we didn't start tipping businesses all of a sudden that were never part of tipping culture. We always tipped delivery drivers, and servers, and bartenders, and hairstylists, and uber drivers. I've never seen a tip screen on a McDonalds or Wendys or Popeyes debit machine. I've never seen a tip screen on a retail debit machine. What the hell is going on in the US with tipping? What changed?