I know a lot of really experienced bartenders, waitstaff, etc and was in the industry for years. No one you'd want to hire would work at a place that didn't do cash tips, unless we're talking super duper fine dining black tie stuff. And possibly even then.
EDIT: I've also known of places that switched to cashless have all their good staff quit, and be stuck with only completely useless people
Every study I've seen shows that people spend and tip more when they are using credit cards than cash. Do high and mid income earners walk around cash and use it a lot at any place but strip clubs?
I'd tend to agree at restaurants (anecdotally). But, when I tip at a bar with cash, it's a buck a drink, even when it's a 2 dollar coors light. If I pay with credit card, the 20% thinking kicks in and that's what I tip. 40 cents on a 2 dollar beer.
Is this really that a factor with 24/7 surveillance and legal repercussions for theft? I mean...you're making it sound like it is, and I believe you but it's just so hard to people employees are that stupid.
Yes it's a big factor. Walmart employees, watched by 37 cameras from right over their heads, will still steal cash from the purchase flow. For an organization their size, it's a big problem. You can guess the kind of people you often get for $11 per hour, when you need a million of them (ie 1% stealing means you've got 10,000 people stealing from you).
Not much has actually changed regarding this structurally, the surveillance has been there for 30 years and the legal aspect forever. Desperate and or stupid people, do desperate and stupid things. What has changed, is Walmart now has dramatically less cash flowing through it at the point of sales (due to cards or Walmart Pay et al). Merchandise theft is by far the bigger problem these days for Walmart. The same goes for places like liquor stores (which used to be an extremely cash heavy business, but now are mostly cards).
EDIT: I've also known of places that switched to cashless have all their good staff quit, and be stuck with only completely useless people