[trashtester]

> Why not do the best job you can all the time?

> I may be imagining a utopian ideal there

You definitely are. Most people need some kind of incentive to do their best. What those incentives are, vary wildly. In a family restaurant, the whole family may share in the pride of providing a great experience (and maybe get rewards from online reviews).

Tipping is simply ONE approach. Part of a tipping culture (when it works) is that tips is not something "extra", no more than smiling or saying "thank you, it was delicious" or any other way of showing appreciation during the social interaction involved in the transaction.

To not tip in such a setting (without good reason, such as bad service), is simply to behave in a rude uncultured (relative to the local culture) way.

Like drinking wine from the bottle and eating the steak with your hands in France.