News Briefs

Harri, a Frontline Employee Experience platform serving over 55,000 restaurant and hotel locations and four million hospitality employees globally, today announced the availability of its latest product release featuring significant new features and updates across the Harri suite, keenly focused on powering exceptional frontline teams.

Hospitality organizations - including restaurants, resorts, and hotels - continue to struggle with talent and operational issues that diminish their ability to thrive in a highly regulated and competitive environment. These challenges shrink already razor-thin profit margins. 

Market conditions and compliance requirements are creating challenges for hospitality organizations. Our team is laser focused on the differentiating and valuable role people-first technology can play in helping teams rise above the chaos and succeed,” noted Harri CEO and Founder, Luke Fryer. “I am thrilled to see the Harri team deliver our boldest product release yet, loaded with 70 new features and updates and anchored in our vision to power hospitality profitability with innovation that drives business performance through team performance.”

With product updates issued seasonally, Harri’s Summer 2024 Release includes updates across Harri’s Talent Acquisition, Workforce Management, Core HR and Engagement solutions with highlights including:

• HALO Dashboards: At the intersection of business intelligence and ease of navigation lies our new HALO experience, starting with a stunning home base for leaders to understand critical metrics in real-time and accelerate the path from data to insight to action.
• Harri Engage: First announced in November 2023, this powerful communication & insight tool continues to deepen in capability with added flexibility for touchpoint delivery and sentiment reporting to help boost retention rapidly.
• Advanced Talent Pool: An exciting addition to Harri Talent Acquisition, this new way to tap into Talent Pools with automation intelligently groups candidates together then facilitates running recruiting campaigns for faster hiring.
• Multi-Unit Manager (MUM) Dashboard: A curated view for busy managers juggling multiple units, this landing page puts critical sales and labor information together in one simple visual spot, then makes it easy to launch quickly into action.

With this release, Harri continues to  deliver suite-wide innovation that  helps hospitality teams - from frontline workers to managers and owners - be their most productive with industry-centric technology that enables efficiency, engagement and the best employee experience possible.

Givex Corp. ("Givex"), a cloud-based global customer engagement and business insights platform, is excited to announce the launch of GivexEngageAI, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that enhances customer relationships through data-driven profiles and highly targeted engagement campaigns.

GivexEngageAI builds detailed, 360-degree customer profiles based on guests’ interactions with a business, such as loyalty accounts, average purchase amounts, transactional information, and more. The future of business interactions is personalized, and companies are looking for the next generation of tailored customer engagement. With EngageAI, business leaders will have streamlined access to data on every customer interaction within a company’s technology ecosystem, helping to support data-driven decision-making.

“The launch of GivexEngageAI marks a new chapter for Givex, providing unparalleled insights into vital customer data and a flexible solution that enables brands to scale as they grow," said Mo Chaar, Chief Commercial Officer of Givex. “We’re seeing a shift away from cookie-cutter marketing programs, and GivexEngageAI enables businesses to send relevant communications to each customer based on their profile and purchase history. Through a streamlined platform that eliminates the need to consolidate data from multiple sources, this solution will allow businesses to cultivate deeper customer relationships effortlessly, and increase customer conversion and retention."

Leveraging data from GivexPOS and its related products, such as online ordering, GivexEngageAI harnesses the power of AI to help businesses enhance engagement and drive revenue. With 360° Customer Profiles, companies can gain a complete understanding of the customer and turn previously anonymous visitors into repeat, valued guests. These detailed profiles lay the groundwork for intelligent, automated campaigns that manifest across multiple channels — from push notifications to texts — sending AI-driven recommendations based on purchase history and similar customer profiles. EngageAI also enables automated engagement, maximizing marketing potential and enabling businesses to predict, recommend, and effectively engage with customers. 

By channelling insightful data through each transaction, GivexEngageAI will enable businesses to immediately launch orchestrated omnichannel customer journeys through multiple built-in channels. To get started, businesses simply select the channels they need at any step of their journey, and add more as their needs expand.

Givex combines a real-time customer data platform (CDP), AI decisioning, omnichannel activation, gamification and customer intelligence, all in one unified solution. ​​With twelve global offices and a footprint of more than 132,000 active merchant locations, Givex sets the standard for how technology companies serve, communicate, and respond to customers. 

NCR Voyix, a global provider of digital commerce solutions, introduced Aloha Pay-At-Table, powered by sunday, to enhance the overall dining experience.

Atlanta-based sunday is redefining the dining experience for guests by empowering them to use their smartphones to scan a tabletop QR code to view their itemized bill, split the costs and leave a tip while paying in less than 10 seconds. This software launched in 2021 with 23 locations across Europe during COVID-19 by experimenting with customers using QR codes to enhance safety protocols. The initial test increased the number of restaurant guests and order size.

Currently, the platform helps more than 2,000 restaurants worldwide, impacting 50 million guests annually. Given its seamless integration with Aloha POS by NCR Voyix, Aloha Pay-At-Table decreases time spent waiting and paying for the check while increasing efficiencies for guests, staff and restaurant owners.

“In an industry known for its razor-thin margins, our Aloha Pay-At-Table by NCR Voyix technology enables restaurants to operate more efficiently. By serving guests faster, encouraging higher spending and turning tables swiftly, it’s a game-changer for business-minded operators,” said Benny Tadele, executive vice president and president of Restaurants at NCR Voyix.

Additional benefits:

• Higher gratuities: Servers receive 10% higher tips thanks to automatic, precalculated tip suggestions.
• Efficiency: Eliminating back-and-forth trips by the server for payments saves an average of 15 minutes per table.
• Improved guest experience: Guests are prompted to review food, service, ambiance, and value for money on Google after paying.

“We are providing a better overall experience for everyone involved whether it’s a restaurant guest, server or restaurant operator,” said Christine de Wendel, sunday co-founder and U.S. CEO. “Guests can pay and leave at their convenience, waitstaff have more time to spend for personalized service, and managers or owners gain valuable data insights, such as which servers perform best and what experiences are stellar or need improving.”

Learn more about Aloha-Pay-At-Table by NCR Voyix.

Sabre Hospitality, a division of Sabre Corporation, a software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, and Uplift, the leading Buy Now Pay Later solution for the world's travel brands, announced today a strategic partnership that leverages Sabre’s SynXis to offer payment flexibility to hotels and guests alike.

Under this agreement, Sabre Hospitality will integrate the Uplift dynamic pay monthly option into the Sabre SynXis platform, enabling properties across all market tiers to seamlessly adopt a versatile payment model that resonates with guests at every price point. This collaboration underscores Sabre's commitment to revolutionizing the guest experience by harnessing innovative solutions that enhance payment options and drive customer satisfaction.

"At Sabre Hospitality, we pride ourselves on staying at the forefront of technology trends and meeting the dynamic needs of our partners and their customers in an ever-evolving industry," said Scott Wilson President, Sabre Hospitality. "Our collaboration with Uplift underscores our unwavering commitment to innovation and responsiveness to market demands. By embracing Uplift's cutting-edge technology, we surpass expectations, providing our clients and their guests with unparalleled convenience and flexibility.”

Uplift partners with over 350 of the world's leading airlines, cruise lines, resorts, and other major travel providers to help more consumers make meaningful purchases and experience the travel they deserve.

"We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Sabre Hospitality, a true leader in the hospitality B2B technology space. The travel landscape is constantly evolving, and consumers increasingly seek flexibility in payment options," said Tom Botts, Chief Commercial Officer, Uplift." Our partnership with Sabre Hospitality is a testament to our shared vision of addressing these evolving needs. By integrating Uplift into the SynXis platform, we empower hotels to provide their guests with a seamless and convenient payment experience, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty."

This partnership enables Sabre to expand payment flexibility options for their extensive network of hotel partners, enabling them to offer flexible payment choices to their hotel guests.

SageNet, a Tulsa-based managed digital experience and network services provider, will demonstrate a suite of innovations that are transforming the in-restaurant digital experience at the 2024 National Restaurant Show in Chicago, May 18-21. 

Visitors to SageNet’s NRA booth 10122 can learn about SageNet’s RFID order tracking solution, as well as see demos on dynamic menu boards, POS-integrated order confirmation, outdoor drive-thru boards, and other cutting-edge restaurant technology solutions to enhance the customer experience both in-restaurant and at the drive-thru.

SageNet’s RFID order tracking solution, designed to transform carryout order management in restaurants, utilizes RFID tags attached to orders, enabling real-time tracking through various checkpoints like the kitchen, packaging area and pickup station. As orders move, RFID readers update their status automatically in the management system, providing customers and staff with instant visibility.
 
When the order is ready for pickup, the system updates the status to "ready for pickup" and a notification is displayed on the in-store order pick-up screen. Integrated video analytics provide additional confirmation and security data. 

According to IV Dickson, SageNet’s Chief Innovation Officer, SageNet solutions are transforming the customer journey.   

“We’ve ‘ordered-up’ a suite of technologies designed to bridge the physical and digital realms, enhancing the overall 'phygital' experience for the end customer," said Dickson. "By integrating solutions like Drive-thru Order Confirmation and RFID Order Tracking, we're not only streamlining operations—we're enhancing every customer interaction. This approach ensures a seamless, efficient, and highly personalized journey, whether ordering online, at the drive-thru, or at the counter.”