It doesn't matter. People will _still_ tip. While the vast majority of us _hate_ tipping, there are some out there who absolutely live by it emotionally (I'm talking about the tippers here), and maintain a healthy amount of guilt if they don't tip.
Case in point: One of the biggest wins of Uber was to remove the tip concept from getting a ride. It made the whole experience effortless and seamless. Portland being Portland, however, has drivers who post placards in their cars suggesting tipping (against what I thought was company policy), and riders buy into it, as you can't possibly exist in Portland without constantly trying to be the nicest person on the planet.
Mark my words: if this happens, restaurants will charge 15-30% more and we will simply start tipping on _top_ of that.
Hell, even during my last trip to Germany, I noticed an expectation for tips.
Case in point: One of the biggest wins of Uber was to remove the tip concept from getting a ride. It made the whole experience effortless and seamless. Portland being Portland, however, has drivers who post placards in their cars suggesting tipping (against what I thought was company policy), and riders buy into it, as you can't possibly exist in Portland without constantly trying to be the nicest person on the planet.
Mark my words: if this happens, restaurants will charge 15-30% more and we will simply start tipping on _top_ of that.
Hell, even during my last trip to Germany, I noticed an expectation for tips.