I never understood why servers need an extra incentive to do their job well. It's their job - shouldn't they have some sort of entitlement to do perform well, even without the extra cash? There are so many other professions in the service industry, where the tip culture is nonexistent, yet there never seems to be an outstanding issue.

The cashiers at Safeway, McDonald's drive-thru, flight attendants, and anyone in the workforce for that matter, don't whine about tips. They do their job, and they get paid for what their services are worth from their employers.

I'm not opposing giving tips if you received amazing service and you truly feel like giving one. I just hate the fact that the 18% tip is almost taken for granted nowadays, and you become the cheap one if you tip less. The tip system, if at all it should exist, should work so that the extra money customers pay actually reflect the service they received - not be socially forced down their throats.