When should you tip a waiter or waitress?

[Renton]

well isn't the minimum wage like 16 dollars an hour in soviet new zealand?

[kiwiMark]

well isn't the minimum wage like 16 dollars an hour in soviet new zealand?

Works out to like $10.50US before tax.

I thought the choice we're talking about is a low wage+tips vs a higher wage though, if we're talking a low wage+tips vs that same wage and no tips then that's something different.

I don't feel like I noticed huge differences in service in New Zealand and Germany (although I disagree that the latter doesn't have a tipping culture, coming from somewhere where I never ever tip) and the US, although I've only spent a very very short amount of time in the US as a tourist.
In Holland I found service to be exceptional in Amsterdam and on average shittier than I'm familiar with in Rotterdam, although to be fair I guess I was forcing them to speak English since I can't speak Dutch and I know that that understandably makes some people uncomfortable or embarrassed and for some people irritability is then the go-to response/emotion.

There were maybe one or two exceptions to this in the US where the waiter would be over the top plastic friendly - friendly's not even right, but enthusiastic (loud?) I guess - but for me, while it's clearly better than him being shitty with me or rude, I don't really rate obvious artificialness/pandering like that above more genuine but more neutral politeness - maybe that's just me though, but it doesn't make my experience in the restaurant nicer or more comfortable, and in fact leans towards the opposite direction.