Virtual tip jars benefit service industry
Resource lets the public provide tips to their favorite servers, bartenders, stylists
WEST CHESTER The Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce has launched a “virtual tip jar” — an online tool designed to collect tips for workers in the local service industry, including bartenders, servers, aestheticians, stylists, barbers, retailers and others.
The virtual tip jar lets people send a tip directly to their favorite server, bartender or stylist — to help them maintain their income during the outbreak.
“Normally at this time, many of us would be patronizing shops, restaurants, salons and other businesses regularly, and those that live off tips are really feeling the impact of the coronavirus,” said Mark Yoder, president and CEO of the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce.
Employees in the service industry were among the first to lose hours or their jobs when restaurants were closed except for takeout and delivery and bars and other “non-essential” businesses were forced to close.
The virtual tip jar is an idea Yoder learned about through his membership with a national chamber group — the Association of
Chamber of Commerce Executives.
“Someone put the idea out there. We did some research, put it together and it was a go,” Yoder said in a telephone interview.
The chamber’s staff of four took the idea and ran with it, Yoder said. What started as a listing of about 37 last weekend when the chamber went “live” with the listing, had grown by mid-week, he added. By Thursday morning, 334 service industry employees had been added.
“It has just blossomed since Monday,” he said.
The way the virtual tip jar works is simple, Yoder said.
Employees in the service industry can add their names to the list, where they work and their Venmo or Paypal information. Employees
not currently on the list are encouraged to add their names, Yoder said. They can do that by visiting https://greaterwestchester.com/ virtual-tip-jar/, click on the “get on the list” link and complete the attached form.
To access the virtual tip jar, the public can visit https://greaterwestchester.com/virtual-tip-jar/, click the “send a tip” link, then look through the listing for a specific person’s name. Once they find the person they would like to tip, click the Venmo name or Paypal URL provided in the worksheet.
Yoder said the public wants to support people in the service industry.
“They are saying, ‘hey, it will make a difference for these people.’ That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Because of the spread of the coronavirus, virtual tip jars have been showing up online around the country, along with links to websites on how to create a virtual tip jar.
For more information about the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce’s virtual tip jar, to donate or submit a name visit: https://greaterwestchester.com/virtual-tip-jar/. For more information about the chamber visit https:// greaterwestchester.com