I understand that position. My SO works a tipped job. There are good days and bad days.

But from the perspective of the customer, we're paying anyways, so the money is there. We'd prefer fewer shenanigans in the transaction and upfront honestly. I'm not their employer and deflecting responsibilities to the customer weakens any bargaining or leverage employees have for better conditions. After all, employers are only as valuable as the income and benefits they provide; offload responsibilities and you reduce the employer give-a-shit quotient.

I know this is a touchy subject with lots of finger-pointing; that's how progress gets stalled. I can't say you're wrong because you're not. But I would like to arrive at a solution where tipped workers are paid, at least, identical to what they currently earn without relying on the tipping culture.