That’s the way it is in most of the world. In the U.S. tipping has become a status symbol, a way to show you’re a high roller. Witness the number of guys on here bragging about how much they tip. The restaurants and servers play it up because they they want the money. The rest of the world thinks we’re a bunch of obnoxious braggarts trying to flaunt wealth.
I tend to tip well because I don’t want to be “that guy”, but tipping is out of control and stupid in the U.S., everybody’s got their hand out.
It may have started out that way but today “servers” can be paid a much lower wage than the standard minimum wage due to their tips-earning potential. When I was in college I worked as a waiter & bartender and was paid $2.52/hr by the restaurant at a time when fed min wage was $5-ish (IIRC), relying heavily upon my tips.
Remembering what that was like, I tip generously if well served. Having been in the industry and having high standards, I am less generous if the job isn’t done well. Even so, I’m paying them for a service as many have pointed out so I don’t stiff people.
Cultural differences evolving as they do, a custom developed for a particular reason can morph into something altogether different over time. I don’t know about your historic assertions made above, but as far as today’s world goes I’ve laid forth the reasons as they exist now
