A question for you Liebling.
Hypothecially, (since I know you wont, as you say you never would) you went to an expensive restaurant in Germany. The restaurant's menu says that a service charge is added to the bill, and will be 15 percent.
Your bill comes to about €200, for example. 15% of €200 was the service charge, which is €30 for the service charge. In effect, you paid more than just your food, but to the restaurant, to the waiter, etc.. Right?
I fully understand that a service charge is "different," but my point is that some of that service charge still goes to the waiter in addition to the Trinkgeld. Some of that service charge might pay for the waiter's higher salary.
According to this link, in Utah, the minimum wage for a waiter receiving tips is $2.13 an hour.
Utah Human Resources State Council - Article Feature