first off, 'spare the rod, spoil the child' is not in the bible - that phrase first appeared in a fifteenth century poem.

second, the bible does make other vaguely similar statements (like 'he who spares the rod loathes his son') ... however, the most common types of 'rods' referred to in the bible are 1) a short, spiked club used to beat or kill wolves attacking livestock, or 2) a long slender staff that effectively lengthened the reach of a shepherd thereby helping him guide his flock if they began to drift.

SenorMysterioso - "A tip is never mandatory."

on this i think you may be wrong - if it states the policy clearly on the menu, then it becomes a charge - just like the charge listed for any menu item - so refusing to pay the charge would amount to walking without paying the balance of the bill

OhYes - no not seriously - it's called an exaggeration.

But i don't think it's all that 'audacious' to offer up PLAUSIBLE reasons beyond the server's control that could adversely effect service.

And as for the food prep issue - i'm just being honest - i'd be willing to bet my house that you've eaten something that's been dropped on a nasty kitchen floor - and if you've ever sent anything back at a high-end restaurant (essentially insulting an executive chef_, well, like i said, i'm just telling it how it is - not condoning it, not defending - just being honest - be respectful of 'those people' who prepare your food behind closed doors

oh and throughout most of Europe, the 'gratuity' is factored into your bill to start with - so claiming that americans are 'self-entitled' is errant.

well tavataar, if that is the case, you are a saint among asshats.

and luxor - when a server makes less than $3 per hour before tips, it has nothing to do with 'Effin self entitled Americans' as you put it - it has to do with making an honest wage.

and martin, if i make less than $3 an hour and i have two tables - one who routinely tips 20% and one who will never tip more than 15%, who do you think is going to get the better service? It's not being rude, it's economics.

and another thing ... folks who say they won't tip when service is lousy - do you double your tip when the service is fantastic?

that's why i think the 15% should be an absolute minimum regardless of overall quality - after all, you don;t have to come back - but if you do, and you stiffed the server last time, don't expect your service to be anything except worse from that point forward.

and never forget that you are trusting these folks with the preparation of your food - just sayin'

i will tip 15% even if it was the worst service ever ... having worked in the service industry after college, i know that there are myriad reasons why the service might suck - kitchen issues, a server short during weeds hours, your dog died, etc ... none of which the server can control.

however, i make damn sure the manager knows my dissatisfaction and that i will likely not be returning.

sausage mill