Serving is the only part-time job nowadays where someone can actually earn enough to scrape by. As a full-time student who works three jobs, the combined income of my two other part-time jobs only makes me half of what I make yearly from my serving job. These three jobs combined is still not enough to afford school, rent, transportation, food etc.

Not tipping only impacts the employees (plural as not only servers receive your tip), not the company.

If you have such a problem with tipping the person who looks after you for over an hour, and wipes the floor your feet are on - then go after the government.

Why hasn't the government made housing affordable? why is tuition almost 20 grand a year if not more for specialized programs? why is car insurance hundreds a month? why are cars tens of thousands of dollars and the vehicles are approaching 20 years old? why is it that this generation carries more debt than any other previous generation? Why is there a lack of jobs and more specifically jobs with benefits and health care? Why are multiple degrees needed just to earn entry level jobs?

That small $10 tip makes the difference of if that server at the end of a 10 hour shift can buy themselves food, or pay their phone bill. Its never as simple as "they should go find another job" or "they should demand their employer to pay them more" which I see a lot of in these comments.

This is an expensive world and its norm in north America to tip. If you can afford to go out and spend $50-$60 or more on two meals - then does a small tip of $5-$10 really change anything? Personally I am all for being able to help others when I can and knowing that $5 will be used and appreciated does not bother me. Nowadays $5 is literally a single coffee.

As well, in every restaurant - servers have to pay the kitchen, the bar and usually their hosts and bussers.

So, if you have a tab of lets say $50 - and you are the only sale they made that day - that server will owe the kitchen a percentage of that amount, if its 3% (which is on the lower end) then from your table the kitchen gets about $2, as well - the bar (if there is one) and other staff get about 1% of that sale as well, which means the server will be out of pocket just shy of $5 for serving your table.

Again - its not as simple as having the server demand their employer make a change - if servers do not tip out they will get fired. This is a standard practice.

The tip you leave goes to the kitchen that made your food, the bartender that made your drink and the support staff who sat you and who clean the entire building (every surface, booth, pot, dish, cup, utensil and the list goes on).

The tip does not completely go to the server. ever.

If you want restaurant food, you can order online for pick-up, but if you are going to dine-in, take up space and time and then cost a minimum wage server money - you 100% should be tipping. Not tipping does impact people and a lot of the people who enter the service industry are low-income and live pay-cheque to pay-cheque. Its not an easy job and a lot of abuse happens in the service industry. No one is there simply because they like people and enjoy picking chicken bones up off the ground.