To say the hospitality sector has had a rough 2020 would be an understatement. Hotels remain at least half empty, and restaurants have struggled for months – many have closed permanently. If you’ve stayed at a hotel during the pandemic, there’s a good chance you had to go elsewhere for food, as many of them weren’t serving food, though at least have had limited room service available.
Even as activity inches ever so slowly back towards the next normal – whatever that may eventually mean – restaurants are faced with a variety of new safety protocols to ensure safety of both guests and staff. Contactless solutions are among the ways restaurants are trying to overcome the pandemic by giving guests a safer dining experience, whether they are dining in or ordering take-out.
Kontactless, the latest innovation from Kallpod, makes the process seamless and simple.
How does it work? It’s actually very simple. There’s no app to download or website to type carefully to avoid mistakes. Guests scan a QR code at their location and are brought to a web app that asks for their location (i.e., room, table, seat, parking spot number), and then loads the menu for ordering. Frankly, QR codes can be placed anywhere in or around restaurants, bars, hotels, malls, parking areas, or other venues – anywhere guests may want to place orders.
In many cases, it can be even simpler with location-specific QR codes that automatically populate location, like in hotel rooms or even restaurants with table-specific codes.
Guests enter their orders, including any add-ons or special instructions, add their tip and payment method, and their order is submitted. They can then track progress on the web app, and provide feedback on the menu or overall experience.
Want to check it out for yourself? Try out a demo order by scanning the QR code.
While Kontactless wasn’t developed for COVID-19, the solution is an ideal way to reduce physical interaction between guests and staff to minimize risk of exposure. It allows restaurants to provide a safer experience for guests, helping them increase revenue at a time when many people are reluctant to go out to eat.
“We began work on Kontactless in 2019 to meet growing guest preferences for a more efficient experience when dining out and attending events. Having built a significant footprint in the hospitality industry over the last decade, we were well-positioned to address customer concerns while at the same time increasing efficiency and productivity for operators.”
Gabriel Weisz, CEO and founder, Kontactless
Launched in 2014, parent company Kallpod has been helping improve the dining experience with its Kallpod solutions to facilitate more efficient guest-to-staff and staff-to-staff communication, along with a dashboard to provide real-time reporting for better facility and staff management.
With Kontactless, the company delivers a digital dining experience that saves time for guests as well as staff. Kontactless has now been integrated into the dining experience at some Hyatt, Courtyard by Marriott, and Hilton locations.
“Kontactless represents an amazing step forward for the hospitality industry, and we are proud to work with such exceptional brands to bring this solution to the marketplace.”
Gabriel Weisz
Kontactless can be integrated into existing kitchen and POS system – though it’s not required, as the solution can include a platform to both display and process orders. Managers can easily adjust menus or pricing, segment tables or sections, and activate new service areas through an intuitive web interface, allowing them to adjust rapidly to changing situations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has given a boost to many technologies that were already emerging, but hadn’t really made it to the mainstream world yet. The need for increased safety and more efficient operations, though, has driven widespread adoption of many of these solutions, including the use of QR codes to reduce physical touchpoints, while leveraging the devices people are attached to already.
The need for enhanced safety isn’t going away any time soon, but slowly, more and more activities will resume. As that happens, and people start attending more events, for instance, contactless mobile ordering will be a perfect solution to avoiding congestion at sports venues, theaters, and other large gatherings. Just look for those QR codes!
