As someone who has been waiting tables while attending school and taking care of a small child, I think there needs to be some serious reform in this area. Most of us get paid between $2.00-$5.00 an hour, which after being taxed results in a paycheck between 0-20 dollars, and we have to hope that people will reward us appropriately for services rendered.
In no other industry do people have to work with no guarantee of being paid. I don't know if perhaps a commission-based system could be established, or if we could leave it up to companies to pay a decent hourly wage, but there is no excuse for us to be worked half to death with no breaks, no time to eat, no time to sit, and hoping that table 25 understands that they should tip me 20% for the excellent service I have given them.