It seems from the comments that people who work/ have worked in service agree with the article, and most of the rest don’t.

To the latter I say this; your bartender/waiter does not exist to serve you, and when you walk into a bar for the first time they don’t care about you.
Make them care, by showing you care about them.

Being “a regular” is actually good advice. If you go out more than once in a blue moon, it would be helpful to only patronize a couple places that you enjoy. Even if you only stop in for one drink after work or before dinner – the rapport that you build will make you look like a hero if you can get the bartender to respond to you and your friends before anyone else.

To me, this same thing applies to tipping. That person makes below minimum wage because their employers know they get tips. Their performance of their job is essentially a “pay for performance” model – it’s up to their customers to determine what they should be making. If you don’t tip them, they’re making below minimum wage. I tend to think of it like this – I’m paying the menu price for the food or drink ordered. I’m paying the waiter/bartender for the service they’re providing, which is generally responsiveness and attentiveness. If they give me no service or terrible service, I have the right to not tip – I’ve done that once in my life. If they give me exceptional service, I may tip them 50%. I generally consider a tip for a positive dining/drinking experience to be 20%. I frequently go above that for service beyond what’s expected, and rarely do I drop below 15%.

If you don’t believe waiters and waitresses deserve a tip, that’s your option. I think you have no business being on this site, and you ought to hang your head in shame. There’s nothing wrong with being smart and conservative with your money, but nobody likes a tightwad.