Is Tipping Now Expected For Every Service in New York?

Has tipping gone too far in New York? Are we tipping too much?

For as long as I can remember, there has always been a heated debate when it comes to the tipping process. Most of us believe that there are specific jobs that, if they are done properly and with a smile, they should be rewarded with a tip. Right?

Do New Yorkers Tip?

If you go out to a restaurant to enjoy a meal, you'd leave a tip for your server, maybe throw a few bucks to the pizza delivery driver, or the person who cuts or styles your hair. But has tipping gone too far?

Now it seems like every payment screen asks for a tip. Buy a bottle of water? Tip. Pick up takeout? Tip. Self-checkout? Somehow there's probably a tip screen coming for that too. I'm curious where everyone stands on tipping these days because it feels like the rules have completely changed.

Tipping in New York

Tipping Fatigue is Real

A recent conversation with a friend turned into a full-blown debate about which professions deserve a tip and which ones don't. Most of us agreed on the obvious ones. Restaurant servers, bartenders, food delivery drivers, hair stylists, and hotel staff all traditionally receive tips.

SEE ALSO: Hudson Valley City Named One of the Best Places to Celebrate Father's Day in the U.S.

After that, things got a little murky.

Some people said they tip almost everyone, while a few said they're tired of being asked to leave an extra 20% for services that already have a set price.

Does Your Lawn Care Company Deserve a Tip?

The one profession that had us all talking was lawn care workers. If you're paying someone to mow your lawn every week, should you also be tipping them? Personally, the guy who does my lawn every week gets a $10 tip each time he mows. A few friends disagreed, saying it's a contracted service. They quote a price, I agree to the price, and the job gets done.

I'm not so sure.

Various Jobs

Do These Jobs Deserve a Tip?

Some of the professions that came up during our discussion included:

• Lawn care and landscaping crews
• Plumbers
• Electricians
• HVAC technicians
• Mechanics
• Movers
• Coffee shop employees
• Takeout workers
• Furniture delivery crews
• Dog groomers

The opinions were all over the place. Some people tip every one of these professions. Others don't tip any of them.

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What do you think? Let us know through our station app above. Maybe I'm getting old, but it feels like tipping culture has expanded dramatically over the last few years. I'm not against rewarding great service. In fact, I think people who go above and beyond absolutely deserve recognition.

But at some point, if every transaction includes a tip request, are we losing sight of what tipping was originally meant to be?