Reply #205: But you see, I think here's the point you are and some others are missing [View All]

[Rabrrrrrr]

You said: But, I've dined out with enough grumps to know that most of the time it is the bad attitude about the tipping system itself, that accounts for a lot of low, or no tippers. A lot of the excuses used were things that weren't the wait person's fault at all. What's wrong with giving the benefit of the doubt, unless the service was truly awful?

I should think those of us who are saying a tip is not a right, are not saying they should never ever be tipped. We're saying, as you just did, if the service is truly awful, they don't deserve a tip. That's the only point I'm making, and I think it's the point the others are making. Of course, we all have differing definitions of "truly awful", but as I posted somewhere else in this thread, I've encountered poor service very rarely. I've had indifferent and not-so-stellar, but rarely had truly anger-producing piss-poor service.

I, too, can't stand the grumps who refuse to tip "on principle" or because they're cheapskates. That annoys the boy-o-boy out of me.