LOS ANGELES—Hospitality tech provider Kallpod has launched Kontactless, a solution that allows guests to place orders for food, beverages and merchandise. Using QR code technology, Kontactless is available at select Hyatt, Courtyard by Marriott and Hilton properties. All without an app, guests can also make payments, track progress and leave feedback on their mobile devices.
Gabriel Weisz, CEO/founder of Kallpod, began working on the solution in 2019 after noticing some mobile ordering and payment trends.
“Having launched Kallpod in 2014 and bringing our technology into thousands of hotels, resorts and entertainment brands across North America, we had a good sense for what customers were looking for, and how to make the traveling and dining out experience more efficient and enjoyable. Kontactless was, in a lot of ways, the culmination of that experience,” Weisz said.
To use Kontactless, guests scan a unique QR code at their table or from their room, which automatically brings them to a custom webpage where they can place orders, make payments, track progress and submit feedback.
Kontactless supplies all of its hospitality clients with the QR codes as well as instructions of where to place them in addition to designing them to reflect the brand’s logo and colors.
According to Weisz, the biggest benefits for operators include maximizing revenue per sq. ft., reducing costs and improving guest satisfaction.
“Kontactless provides immediate feedback in a controlled and nonintimidating manner,” he said. “It’s often difficult to solicit feedback after a guest has left, and most people do not want to offer negative feedback to their server in person. Kontactless removes those barriers, giving operators and owners immediate feedback from each transaction, providing data they can act upon.”
Although Kontactless wasn’t created as a direct response to COVID-19, it does provide a solution that complies with increased sanitation concerns from employees and guests as it reduces nonessential human contact, among other benefits.
“Operators and owners can operate efficiently with a smaller workforce, while at the same time reducing wait times for guests and improving their overall experience, effectively doing more while spending less,” he said.
The Kontactless solution was designed specifically for hotel and hospitality brands, Weisz said, and it integrates with many leading POS systems, including Micros.
“By the end of this year, we expect to have additional integrations with many leading PMS systems as well,” he said. “While our solution certainly can be used effectively across many different hospitality and entertainment concepts, hotel operators are uniquely designed to experience the biggest benefits.”
Weisz believes that the industry will continue to see a shift toward this type of technology, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened concerns surrounding cleanliness and safety.
“While basic QR code technology has existed for years, adoption was not as widespread,” Weisz said. “But given our current environment—which also includes increasing labor costs due to minimum wage laws—I think we’ll see a lot of brands invest in technology that allows them to do more with less.”
He added, “I think that QR code technology specifically will be an area of renewed interest. We are seeing a lot of app download fatigue, and this technology is much more efficient for customers and guests. It also offers more protections for privacy and security.”
