Staffing for hospitality is the toughest. Even the best recruitment agencies have a tough time sourcing staff for events and gigs in the hospitality industry. The payments are relatively lower, and the retention ratio is quite low as well.
Qwick aims to change this rather unorganized industry and offer benefits for everyone involved in it. For instance, Qwick pays the staff almost instantly after finishing their shifts, compared to weekly or monthly payments. Recommended by my kind neighbor, I enrolled myself on Qwick last weekend and took up a job for a party, and I thought I should pen down some of my thoughts on it.
All to know about the Qwick app
If my phone flashes my neighbor’s name, I know he needs staff for his catering gigs. But lately, he hasn’t been calling me for that, and upon meeting him over dinner last week, he showed me a savior of an app called Qwick that he believes even I should give it a try.
So when I got the chance to try this app, I took it. I enrolled myself on Qwick and started receiving notifications about some really interesting gigs in my surroundings. Here are a few of my thoughts reflecting on the experience I had with Qwick.
Key Features
- Connects F&B Freelancers to job opportunity
- No mandatory work hours
- Instant payment option
- Front of house gigs
- Back of house gigs
- Events and catering gigs
How does it work?
Qwick aggregates entry-level as well as certified, qualified, and trained professionals in the hospitality division and offers them to businesses or individuals who want staff for their hotels, restaurants, events, and so on.
Let us understand how Qwick works in two parts.
Part 1: Onboarding
Here are the three stages for employment seekers:
- Sign up: Firstly, you sign up for the app and enter relevant details like your contact number, location, interests, skills, experience, etc.
- Vetting: After signing up, there is a vetting process from Qwick where they assess the candidates with their skills and authenticity before approving them.
- Search: Once you finish the vetting process, you either search for the jobs based on the type, location, or pay scale offered, or you find jobs through the map-based search. You also receive notifications about the job.
The standard prerequisites include being legally allowed to work in the USA, aged 18 or above and have a mobile phone with internet connectivity. You also must have at least 1 year of experience in a relevant field.
Part 2: The Gig
Once you find a job that matches your skills or interests, you have to “accept” it. It will then notify the creator of the gig with your credentials. Once the creator approves your request, you are given approval and details of the gig.
Read the instructions and guidelines carefully. It may include dress codes or other protocols for the event. Clock in on the Qwick app when you start the job and clock out when you finish the job. Both the gig creator and the staff rate each other after the work, and then the payments are made.
The payment reflects within 1-2 business days. If you want to get paid instantly, the platform charges a 3% commission, and you can get the money in about 30 minutes. You get all the details, notifications, guidelines, and last-minute updates through the app.
Safety & Security
The app is reasonably secured in terms of the transactions. Claims are settled appropriately, and on the contrary, swift payment is one of the key features of Qwick. You have to link your bank account to the app to receive quick payments.
In terms of data collection, the app collects personal data like your contact details and real-time location based on your job. Qwick suggests that they use this data to churn out better-suited job opportunities for employment seekers and better staffing for employers.
Qwick has a rather elaborate privacy policy which you can access on their website. They claim that the information gathered is shared with other Qwick users, business partners, and service providers.
User Reviews and Ratings
Qwick is rated 4.8 on the App Store and 4.1 on the Play Store, which is quite impressive. One area where a lot of users raised concerns is the push notification. The app does not automatically or aggressively notify you if there is a job that matches your skills or interests.
People also seem to be a bit concerned about the claims, cancellations, and shift management. Another area of concern is the listing of jobs. Bigger cities have bigger listings, and people from smaller centers have often complained about not having enough jobs on offer.
User Interface and Design
The user interface of Qwick will remind you of many cab booking and dating apps. The listing of jobs and the matching process is very fast. The graphics are standard. There is no use of bold typography. Primarily the app uses white as a backdrop (black in dark mode) and green in the foreground.
The user experience is pleasant and uncluttered. The transitions and animations in the map-based search are very smooth. Overall the whole process, from signing up to finding the job, is fast and clean.
Pricing vs Value
It proves to be of great value for job seekers as all the basic features of the app are completely free. On top of the free model, the app also offers instant payments where the workers get paid hours after their shift is over. The payouts are slightly more than minimum wages.
It gets a bit tricky at the other end of the table. The app charges those who want to recruit people for gigs. Their business suite is quite active through its support but still can’t guarantee real-time staffing. Some people may find real-time staffing better than others based on where they are located. So the real value for the money you pay to Qwick largely depends on where you live.
Qwick App Alternatives
Shiftgig is another very popular app in the hospitality sector. Gigs are a thing mostly for events, and Shiftgig has been one of the pioneers in real-time staffing. It is fast, effective, and has a large number of active users.
Staffy is also a great alternative. It has exactly the same business model and works more or less the same way. Flexjobs is also a good option for real-time staffing.
If you are looking for non-hospitality-related apps, read “Apps like Shiftsmart” to find your perfect gig partner.
Customer Support
You can reach out to the support team through chat or email. Usually, they are quick to respond. I had my query resolved within a day. In another instance, some of my queries were addressed accurately on the chatbot. But don’t expect a lot from the chatbot, as it will only help you with the policies and regulations.
The app is very responsive when it comes to cancellation or payment-related queries. Claims are settled positively. Overall the support team is quite responsive, but adding a hotline can make the experience really great.
Frequently Asked Questions
Qwick app is completely legal and safe to use. As long as you provide correct information and have the necessary permissions to work, the app helps you make money in a completely legitimate way.
If you have opted for “Instant Pay” the payment will reflect within 30 minutes of completing the shift. However, with “Standard Pay” it takes about 1-2 business days.
You can chat with the chatbot and write an email to the support team of the Qwick app. As things stand, these remain the only two options for support on the Qwick app.
The hourly wages on Qwick are much better than the minimum wages regulated by the authorities. However, the exact figure depends on the gig and the skills you have. But you can expect to make a minimum of $15 to $25 per hour on regular gigs from Qwick.
While Instawork is more of a general staffing platform, Qwick specializes in the hospitality sector. So if you are from the hospitality industry, then Qwick is better for you. Instawork has more active users than Qwick on the other hand.
Wrap Up!
Qwick does not try to become what it isn’t. There are many real-time staffing platforms out there, but very few emphasize just one industry. After all, hospitality struggles the most in terms of job retention and gig execution because of human resources. Qwick’s industry-specific approach and instant payment may make it a prominent name in the coming years.
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