“Appreciate simple things in life, for kindness is contagious”, says Suprej Venkat, co-founder of Hugz, a kindness app.

Venkat says the idea of developing such an app was born when he was working at Hubfly, a US-based software firm.

Words of encouragement

“We have had instances of employees going that extra mile like taking customer calls late in the night or working during weekends to complete a tight deadline. A word of ‘thanks’ or ‘job well done’ has helped motivate the employee, but we decided to treat the employee, not by giving some gift voucher (as it is not a personalised offering) or recognition awards (which comes much later), but with instant treats such as a movie ticket or ice-cream, to make them feel special.”

Hugz has tied-up with over 75 outlets such as ice-cream parlours, wellness centres, kids play areas, PVR cinemas (the largest cinema chain in India) in Coimbatore alone.

Redeeming the treat

The recipient of the treat can redeem the hug from the nearest partner outlet, show the message and claim the treat, explains Venkat, adding “we are in talks with national chains like Café Coffee Day, McDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut to fast forward our national presence.” The app has, since its formal launch a fortnight back on-boarded 1,500 users.

“In the B2B space, we have approached the HR/Administration department of few companies so they can schedule gifts to their employees. The employee, on receipt of the hug (via an SMS or email) would be able to redeem the treat.”

Venkat is planning to unveil this app in Bangalore within the next month before taking it to other metros by mid-2020.

“While the user of food-delivery apps like Zomato, Swiggy and Uber Eats among others is compelled to choose from a defined menu, Hugz not only helps bring back footfalls at outlets but also offers choices aplenty for availing the treat (hug)” he said.

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