Now is the time to rethink this whole tipping culture and move in another direction. Servers need to get a living wage. They will never be able to live on tips when restaurants are at 50% or less capacity. Also people can’t afford more as they may have had salary reductions (I did) or even living on CERB.
Tipping should be done if the service is exceptional, it's quite foolish and frankly stupid to have an unspoken rule that expects guests to pay for someones salary.
It's beyond me why you would tip if the service was mediocre or just plain shit. If you already expect to tip a minimum, because it's deemed socially wrong to not leave a tip, wouldn't it make it easier to assume part of the cost from the start, that way there is never any confusion.
If guests expect a certain minimum level of service then the server should expect a certain minimum livable wage and not be able to be burned by people who don't tip.
If there is consistent shit service or complaints then maybe the employer should take action.
Tips should be an incentive to go well beyond what is expected, not an uncontrollable risk taken by an employee who is just doing their job.
Their wage should be a liability of the business owner, since they are the ones that reap the rewards of good business.
Why should an employee assume risk and not even be guaranteed a payout if their contributions generate significant profit for the company?
It's due to greed, tips are just an excuse to allow businesses to pay their employees less.
https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/tips-and-other-gratuities