[mc32]

A small sprinkle of restaurants[1] have begun trying an alternative where tips are disallowed but include some type of additional charge on your bill and in return the staff get paid a higher wage. According to another article this has resulted in better service from the staff --and that would seem to be opposite of what you might get from continental servers (who customarily don't get tips), so it bears watching.

[1]http://www.cbsnews.com/news/more-restaurants-adopting-no-tip...

PS. The strata of restaurant trying this approach might skew results, so, not sure what results one might get in a broad spectrum of restaurants.

[pmoriarty]

You don't have to wait for the results to come in. Just go to Europe, where this has been standard practice for decades if not longer.

For what it's worth, in my own personal experience and that of others I've talked with, the service in Europe is markedly worse than what you usually get in the US. But anecdotes like mine are too little to go on. I'd be interested to hear if there's been any cross-cultural research on the subject.

[monksy]

Are you kidding me? I've had only a handful of bad service experiences in Europe compared to the numerous great ones.

The Europeans tend not to keep coming back to your table to ask how you're doing, or if something is wrong. If there is something wrong with the meal they'll come because they're watching/paying attention.

[rhino369]

Most people want a waiter to come by because its rude to wave a waiter over.

European service sucks.

[stevekemp]

No, most people probably want to eat their meal in peace and quiet.

They don't need a waiter coming over every five minutes - specifically so that you'll remember that and equate it with "attentiveness" and "great service" when it comes to time to tip.

[rhino369]

Next time you are out at a fine dining place, which tend to be very selective about hiring wait staff, see how they do it. That's really what people want.

I'm sure there is a large minority who just want to be left in peace and quiet, but you aren't the average customer.

A good waitress will know when to time her visits so she isn't always there but you don't notice her absence.

[monksy]

For that type of waitress I will not hesitate to tip 22% or higher.

[DanBC]

Personally I loathe the intrusive cloying fake-friendliness of US waiters. I've had a few pretty poor[1] experiences despite not eating out that often in the US.

I have eaten out in the UK considerably more often and had fewer poor experiences.

maybe it's just a cultural thing?

[jasonwocky]

How in the world do you know that the friendliness is fake?

[DanBC]

Because the alternative - that people actually behave like that in their real life outside work - is not supported by my interactions with people outside the work environment.

Everyone has a level of friendliness. You step inside a restaurant and it gets ramped up dramatically. Some US places feel like the Disney store which has almost oppressive levels of forced-friendliness. (Where -employees- "cast members" are instructed to "spread the magic".)

[monksy]

Because it usually runs out pretty quick and they're a little too friendly too quickly. I.e. Tries to sit down with you and make small talk.

[jamespo]

It's not rude at all to catch their eye, or are you using the finger clicking method?

[mc32]

I thought that too, buut then I thought about Japan --and there they get paid near minimum wage (comparable to US minimum wage) but also have no tipping policy (or rather culture) and yet service tends to be great. So I think culture has a significant impact --and I wonder where US staff might fall; towards European apathy or Japanese pride in vocation.

[pmoriarty]

If they take pride in their work that might make me feel better, or it might make them feel better. But that alone is not going to put bread on their table.