[ENGNR]

Restaurant staff are still nice in Australia, and friendly.

They don't HAVE to be, but they also don't have to do a bunch of unnecessary stuff to play the tips game, like fill up water that's barely empty or check in on how you're going all the time.

Maybe people in America like a "service heavy" experience, and the only way to get it is tips?

[bnralt]

> Maybe people in America like a "service heavy" experience, and the only way to get it is tips?

Interestingly enough, I find the service worse in the U.S. Part of the reason is that the tip system leads to waiters wasting time talking about a table, and waiters who aren't your own feeling like they don't have to do anything for you. It usually takes me 5-10 times longer to pay the check in the U.S. than it does in some other countries.

I wish restaurants started offering self service sections where you could order by phone and pick up the food yourself. Having to use waiters gives me the same feeling as when I drive through New Jersey and I'm not allowed to pump my own gas.

[frollogaston]

That's a good analogy. I appreciate good service, but tipping doesn't exactly lead to that.

[ricardobeat]

I think that’s pretty much the gist of it. People enjoy the diner-style pampering, and the only way to get that kind of service is if the employees are coerced to do it in order to get a living wage.

Happy employees who earn good salaries would not submit to ass-kissing and degrading work.

Knowing this is what makes the often terrible service in the Netherlands a bit more tolerable :)