Volunteer Guide Thanks for volunteering to sign up TapIt Partners! TapIt Partners are the most important part of TapIt. Without them the TapIt network would not exist. At TapIt, we believe we have a special responsibility to our partners. They give us access to their water for free and as individual business owners they allow themselves to be bound together in an informal collective that benefits their community. In return we give them business listings in our website database and our iPhone application so that our users can find them easily. Some get recognition through our blog and all are given the option to place a TapIt sticker in their window, identifying them as a TapIt Partner, and a green, community oriented business. By signing up TapIt Partners you help reduce plastic bottle waste, support preservation of local water sources, make water accessible, raise awareness about water issues, and help your city meet its sustainability goals. We appreciate your effort in expanding the network of TapIt Partners to build a greener nation. Legal Notice TapIt cannot assume liability for volunteers. TapIt volunteers are individuals who do their best to adhere to TapIt’s stated purpose, and TapIt takes no responsibility for words or actions beyond the suggestions within this guide. Expectations of Volunteers We expect those who volunteer to sign up TapIt Partners in their community to be courteous and respectful when entering café’s and eateries they hope to sign up. We ask that you adhere to the information about TapIt that can be found on our website. The two most important documents for café owners will be the TapIt Factsheet and Partner FAQ. If you are not sure how to answer a question by a potential partner, please email us and we will answer your question so that you can go back and tell the potential partner the correct answer. Please don’t make something up on the spot. Before signing up partners, study TapIt’s website thoroughly and have accurate and up-to-date information top of mind so that you can communicate quickly and answer questions accurately. How to Sign up TapIt Partners 1) Visit cafes and explain TapIt to the owner/manager in a courteous manner. Use the document ‘Tips of Signing up TapIt Partners’ to determine which cafes and eateries to visit. 2) If the owner agrees to become part of the program, ask for a business card, as that will have all the information you need to complete the ‘become a partner’ form on our website. If the owner doesn’t agree immediately, follow up in a few days. 3) Once back home, visit TapIt’s website and click on ‘become a partner’ – fill out the form with all the information from the business card and click SUBMIT. 4) We’ll do the rest! Including validating the business and sending them a sticker.
Tips For Signing Up Partners Quickly explain what TapIt is: TapIt is a water bottle refilling network. Cafes and eateries sign up as partners to provide water to people who carry a reusable bottle. The public can find these locations using TapIt’s website or by downloading TapIt’s iPhone application. People can also find a refilling location by looking for TapIt stickers on the windows of their favorite cafés. Search for cafes and businesses that are already environmentally friendly. Greenopia has a great listing online. Other indicators are places that serve organic, free-trade, or vegetarian food and drinks—and of course places that already have a pitcher of water out or a self-service soda machine that dispenses water! These places often signup on the spot. Of course, don’t limit yourself to these places. Sign up informal cafes and eateries. Look at the café/eatery and see if you would feel comfortable walking through the seating area to ask for water. If you would, then approach the owner/manager. Don’t sign up formal/sit down restaurants. Most formal restaurants don’t want people walking through their seating area asking for water. Use your judgment and decide whether the location makes sense as a TapIt Partner. Find out when the owner will be in, and return at that time. Drop off a Tap It Fact Sheet or Partner FAQ if the owner or manager isn’t in, and point out the web address and email address at the bottom of the factsheet if they would like to contact TapIt directly. TapIt Partners do not need to stop selling bottled water. Some owners get confused and think we are also asking them to stop selling bottled water. It’s great if they don’t, but its not a requirement to become a TapIt Partner. Return for a follow up visit. Most owners need to talk to co-owners or think it over. Return to cafes in a couple of days if you have time. Think not about what the businesses can do for TapIt, but what TapIt can do for businesses. Sell it this way… 1) They get to be involved in an environmental initiative. 2) They get a free business listing on TapIt’s web site and iPhone application. 3) You sign them up so they don’t have to do any extra work. 4) It’s FREE! Smile and be courteous. If someone isn’t interested at all, time is probably better spent with someone who is. Start out in a neighborhood that you are familiar and comfortable with. Take photos and/or get something with a logo on it after a place signs up– if you email them to us, we can post these to our blog and the business will get a little PR. Always a bonus!
Partner FAQ Commitment You can leave the TapIt network at any time if partnering doesn't work for you. We only ask that you send us an email first so that we can remove you from TapIt's maps and web site. Civic Pride TapIt partners save people money, help clean up neighborhoods, keep bottles out of landfills, and reduce our carbon footprint. Containers TapIt partners don't have to provide water containers. Members of the public fill containers of their own. Courtesy TapIt members are expected to be courteous and to use the TapIt water stations as intended—one person filling one single-size bottle at a time. Filtering Many people prefer filtered water because they believe it's healthier or they prefer its taste or odor, but unfiltered New York tap water is clean and safe. You can provide water that's filtered or unfiltered, as convenient. Hours Most TapIt partners make water available to the during their normal business hours. You can, however, specify that you will provide water only at particular times. Partnership Fees You don’t have to pay to join the TapIt network. The benefits of TapIt partnership are FREE! Bottled Water Sales TapIt was created for people who’ve already decided that they won’t buy bottled water anywhere. Customers who currently buy bottled water from you will continue to buy it when you’re our partner, we believe. Public Relations TapIt partnership is a ‘green’ credential that can work to your advantage through marketing and promotional materials. Publicity Your name and location will show on TapIt search maps and TapIt Mobile GPS smartphone maps. Purchase Requirements
We prefer that you fill bottles without requiring purchases because we believe TapIt members will return the favor. Your sales should grow as TapIt members increase your foot traffic and join your customer base. Service Fees You can promote awareness that water and service cost money by placing a ‘tips for tap water’ jar on your counter. Alternatively, you can charge a nominal fee for drinking water or for filling bottles. It’s up to you. Soda Machines Many soda machines dispense filtered, chilled water. Giving TapIt members access to your machine’s water dispenser is a great way to take part. Staff Support Every member of your staff should know that your organization belongs to the TapIt network. Staff members should make water available to the public just as they do other products or services that you offer. Water Quality U.S. tap water is some of the cleanest in the world so it’s safe to drink right from the tap. Water Temperature You don’t have to provide chilled water. Many people like to drink their water at room temperature.
TapIt Fact Sheet What is TapIt? TapIt is a network of café’s and eateries that let you fill your reusable bottle with great tasting tap water. You can find their locations by using TapIt’s website, mobile website (same url on a Smartphone) or iPhone application – called TapIt Water. If you have limited access to technology, you can download and print one of our city maps or simply look for our sticker on the windows of your favorite cafes.
Why was TapIt created? TapIt was created to give on-the-go urbanites a real alternative to bottled drinks. You may already know how bulk water extraction and bottling can affect our communities. Overflowing landfills, expensive recycling programs, and looming water shortages are just some of the hidden costs of bottled water and sugary beverages. Environmentalists and public health advocates have spread the word, and many people would now prefer to drink tap water. The practical problem is that water can be hard to find when away from home, office or hotel. TapIt gives you clean drinking water without bulk water extraction and without asking you to buy plastic bottles which are carbon-costly and hard to recycle. Problem solved.
What is TapIt’s goal? TapIt’s primary goal is to build a comprehensive network of cafes and eateries across the U.S. so that all of our neighbors and visitors can fill their reusable bottle whenever they want. TapIt wants to help decrease waste by reducing reliance on bottled drinks and clean up communities by keeping plastic bottles out of landfills and streets. Our blog aims to start a discussion about water and sustainability issues and create a community of citizens who are making conscious decisions for a sustainable future.
When was TapIt founded? TapIt was founded in 2008 in New York City.
How can I learn more? Visit TapIt’s website and blog. For more information, email info@tapitwater.com. For press enquires email pr@tapitwater.com
TapIt | 195 Hudson St., suite 2D, New York, NY 10013 | www.tapitwater.com | kylie.harper@tapitwater.com