> Are they savvy enough to figure out you wouldn't give them a large enough mass raise, but would raise the suggested tip levels and pass the issue on to the customers?They're likely savvy enough to know that if I can cashflow what would have been the tip, it works in my favour. There is good reason the workers (and, quite often, customers!) prefer to keep it a separate transaction. Sucks for me, but what can you do? You don't have a business without staff (and customers). They hold all the power.
> Are they savvy enough to rig things to get a higher tip, even though the overall effect is worse for the restaurant?
No doubt to the extent that it is to their favour. They most certainly aren't there for my benefit.
> Are they savvy enough to avoid getting a "worthless, over priced college degree", as richrichie suggests is the fundamental issue?
Perhaps, but pursuant of a degree is always done for the feel good emotions, not rational decision making. Not even the savviest person alive is able to keep all emotions at bay. Sometimes you just gotta spend money to get laid.
> Is this request for higher suggested tip rates because they "now are "highly educated" with expectations"?
Well, if we look to the historical record it does not appear that servers always had savvy, but that the rise of savvy people taking serving positions has raised the bar (although that could be the result of not having good data rather than some actual change).
What we do know is that colleges flat out won't allow anyone without savvy into their halls, going to great lengths to banish anyone who might try, so as a result there is a strong correlation between having savvy and having college debt. Did savvy people start taking serving jobs because they had to in order to service the debt? It is quite possible.
> That is, everything you say can be true, but not at all support richrichie's (deservedly, IMO) downvoted comment.
Okay....? That's fine. I couldn't care less about what richrichie had to say, and I care even less about someone pressing an arbitrary button that does nothing.
> Your response also sounds like I am correct
Let's hope. As long as it isn't me that's correct. I can think of nothing more defeating than spending all that time writing comments, and then not being able to learn anything from it because I was already correct.