i posted this as a reply to that tipping post, and realized it's got 5k comments and nobody is gonna see it, so here are some thoughts from someone who knows what they are talking about.
here's the deal with jobs who depend on tips
i am a good server, i average 20 an hour on a bad day. this is a fast casual type restaurant, not a fancy place by any means. and this also takes into account the (rather many) scumbag tables who don't tip for whatever reason.
they pay me just over 2.00 an hour. that all goes to taxes, i get $0.00 paychecks.
if they moved service to a paid wage position, and eliminated tips, your 20.00 plate would be closer to 30 or 45 bucks a plate, that is, if they wanted to pay me what i make now. the guys in the kitchen are making between 12 and 15 an hour. to sweat. and do real work. i wouldn't get out of bed for 12 an hour.
if they paid minimum wage to anything less than 20, i'd find another job and you'd be stuck with people who have no motivation to get your order correct or make sure your drinks are full or anything else. you'd get minimum effort people doing minimum effort work. you wouldn't have servers who genuinely care that you are enjoying your meal, you wouldn't have servers who care to remember your name and your fave entreees and how your kids like their drinks.
also, you'd have to just order off the menu and take what's offered instead of having a liason to the kitchen. example “you guys have hotwings and you guys have bleu cheese and you guys have a chicken sandwich, can you ask the kitchen to make me a buffalo ck sandwich, i don't see it on the menu?” this is especially where good servers thrive.
also, don't be afraid to send things back, if your appetizer comes out soggy, you DO NOT have to pay for it. if you tell me what's wrong, i'll have it fixed or taken off the bill. restaurants have a lot of leeway when it comes to cost vs price and can often negotiate to keep customers happy. why do they have this leeway? because they legit DO NOT pay half of the staff.
a good server is there to get shit right and make shit happen and sell product for the boss and keep you, the customer happy.
try actually USING your server, go nuts, order something wild that's not on the menu. the kitchen loves making special plates for people who know how to use their server. give it a shot sometime.
waiting tables is a cheat code if you've got the personality for it. tipping is awesome. paying people 20 an hour at a chili's or an applebees? not feasible