Tipping

Why do we base our tip amount on a percentage of the meal? So if a restaurant raises their prices, does that mean that the quality of the service suddenly got better? Does that mean that the waiter or waitress suddenly has more tasks to do and therefore deserves a larger tip? 

The price of the food is indicative of the quality of the food not the quality of the service. I have actually given less tip if the food is too expensive, figuring they can afford to pay their employees more since they're charging so much, so they don't need my tips to survive.

And why are we expected to give a certain percentage regardless of the service rendered? The standard nowadays is around 20%. Who came up with that arbitrary amount, and why did we all agree to it?

Why don't we base our tip amount on a list of defined tasks? For each task or service rendered, they earn a defined amount...not percentage. So, if I receive the same service at a hamburger joint that I receive at a 5-star restaurant, then they get the same tip.

It could go something like this:

• Makes sure my drinking glass is always full of liquid without me having to ask - $1
• Gets my order correct and comes back after the food is delivered to make sure it was prepared correctly - $1
• Checks on me several times throughout the meal to see if I need anything - $1
• If the food is taking too long, comes to the table to apologize and explain what's going on - $0.50 (bonus $1 if offers a complimentary something while we wait)
• Interacts with the table in a funny and personal way - $2
• Brings the bill at the right time without me having to ask - $1

In this way it becomes a reward system where they know what they need to do to earn the tip, we know how much to tip based on what they did, and the amount is consistent regardless of the restaurant or price of the food.

And why do we feel compelled to tip someone for doing their job? They don't even have to go above and beyond to get a tip, just do their job. Like tipping a taxi driver? Their job is to transport us from one location to another. Why should we tip for that? Now if they go above and beyond, like getting us there quickly or avoiding traffic by taking an alternate route, then ok. Or tipping my barber. I expect them to cut my hair and do it correctly. Why am I tipping for that? Now if they entertain me with conversation or consult on the best way to do my hair to be more advantageous to me, then ok. I just think that tipping should be in response to a service above and beyond, not just expected.