So, you are out to a very nice dinner with someone, perhaps your significant other, and you are having a very enjoyable evening. The meal is a little more expensive than you had planned, but you just slap down the plastic card that is in your wallet (it is all fake money anyway, just a number in an account somewhere). But then the big decision comes; the waiter brings back the receipt and you have the obligation to write down a number on the ominous tip line. The thought process that ensues can only be compared to a terrible ACT question. "Well, 15 percent is normal, but our drinks were not refilled in a timely fashion. Our food was really good, but I had to ask for butter. We had to wait a while for a table and it took about 12 minutes for our waiter to bring the check." Logical conclusion — 13.7546 percent tip, right?

I am just as bad as the next guy in dealing with waitstaff and tipping them their due amount, but it is of absolute importance to realize that their livelihood might depend on the tips that they receive. Most people in the service industry are paid a salary that is far below minimum wage because the majority of their income depends on the tips they receive. This is a good way to control the quality of service, because if someone knows that their earnings depend on their work then they are much more likely to do a good job. But it also depends upon the generosity of the biased consumer, which is not always a safe bet.

The best solution to this issue might be to make tips included in the price of the service. This is how it is done in many other countries. Properly compensated, trained and motivated waitstaff should not need extra incentive to do their job. The way that it is currently done is a system of checks and balances, but it comes down to the fact that there are still people out there who do not think that they need to tip people who serve them.

And because I do not see a complete overhaul of the way tipping is handled in America anytime soon, all we can do is make sure that we take care of those who are in control of our nights out. Countless stories can be told of how a good waiter has made an evening that much more enjoyable or how a bad waiter has ruined a whole night.

Whether it is bartenders, housekeepers, porters, drivers or waitstaff, they are often not even afforded the respect that some of us give to our pets. While a tip should be representative of their effort, unless they kick you in the shins or insult your mother, there is no excuse for treating another person as poorly as I have seen some waiters or waitresses treated.

I have heard it said that how someone treats people in the service industry is a good representation of who they truly are. So, be mindful of that in yourself, but also watch out for those people who like to get power trips off of treating other people like they do not matter.

When in doubt, tip more and you will be pleasantly surprised at the service you receive. You do not want to be that guy (or girl) who everyone talks about as being the "one who doesn't tip," or maybe you do … some people like that I guess.

Randall Payleitner is a junior in LAS. His columns appear on Friday. He can be reached at opinions@dailyillini.com.