SAVOY Azabu-Juban Honten is a renowned Neapolitan pizzeria that opened in March 2023 after relocating from the former SAVOY Azabu-Juban location. Supported by a broad customer base centered around guests in their mid-30s, the restaurant has also seen a steady year-on-year increase in overseas visitors. However, the restaurant had been facing challenges: the operational burden of managing reservations by phone and paper reservation book, and reception errors stemming from mishearings and missed details. With Respo, the restaurant has halved its phone-based reservation handling and eliminated reception errors — establishing an environment where the team can focus on truly essential work such as welcoming guests, cooking, and service, while sustaining strong reservation volumes.

**Challenges Before Adopting Respo**

SAVOY Azabu-Juban Honten had been facing the following on-site challenges.

■ The operational burden of phone-based reservations and paper reservation book

- The manager took reservations by phone and managed them by hand in a paper reservation book

- Depending on the time of day, the manager was often unavailable, forcing less-experienced part-time staff to handle calls

- Reservation handling required a lot to remember, placing considerable psychological and practical burden on young staff

- Phones felt like they rang every 5 minutes, and during busy periods it was often difficult to respond adequately

■ Reception errors from mishearings and missed details

- Handling reservations by phone and by hand made it easy for details such as name kanji, party size, and reservation times to be misheard or missed

- When inquiries or confirmation requests arose, off-duty staff sometimes had to check photos of the paper reservation book via LINE

- Missed details on items like celebration plate messages sometimes led to problems

■ The burden of handling no-shows and last-minute cancellations

- With a high volume of reservations, a certain number of no-shows and last-minute cancellations always occurred

- Staff had to contact guests directly to request or follow up on cancellation fees, which placed a significant psychological burden on the restaurant

- The risk of lost revenue from cancellations remained a persistent challenge in day-to-day operations

**Key Features of Respo**

"Respo" is an all-in-one platform for restaurants provided by Hello Inc., with its core functions available free of charge in Japan. It brings reservation book, channel manager, POS, payment terminals, and mobile ordering together on a single platform, and can be flexibly combined to match each restaurant's scale and business format.

■ What Respo Offers

- Reservation book: Integrates with multiple reservation platforms, eliminating manual transcription from each platform

- Channel manager: Centrally manages inventory across the restaurant's own site and other reservation platforms

- POS / Payment terminals: Complete checkout and payment in a single device, streamlining store operations

- Mobile ordering: Enables guests to order from their smartphone or tablet, reducing wait times

- Guest information management: Accumulates visit history, preferences, allergy information, and more, supporting tailored service for returning guests

**Outcomes After Adopting Respo**

■ Outcome 1: Halving phone-based reservation handling while sustaining strong reservation volumes

Phones that had felt like they rang every 5 minutes have dropped to roughly half that frequency since adopting Respo. At the same time, reservation volumes have not declined — the restaurant's 19-seat reservation slots continue to fill without issue. The staff time and effort that had been consumed by taking reservations can now be redirected to truly essential work such as welcoming guests, cooking, and service.

■ Outcome 2: Elimination of reception errors caused by mishearings and missed details

Details previously confirmed over the phone — such as allergies, special occasions, and celebration plate messages — can now be gathered in advance through the reservation form. Guest inputs are preserved as records, making confirmation errors and miscommunication far less likely. Combined with required-field settings, reservation-related mistakes have dropped to nearly zero since adoption. All staff can now view the same information in real time, eliminating the need for off-duty staff to check photos of paper reservation books during breaks.

■ Outcome 3: Automated cancellation fee collection, reducing revenue loss risk

For restaurants with high reservation volumes, a certain number of no-shows and last-minute cancellations are inevitable. Previously, contacting guests directly to request or follow up on cancellation fees placed a significant psychological burden on the restaurant. With Respo's automated cancellation fee collection mechanism in place, the restaurant no longer needs to reach out to guests directly for collection, and the risk of lost revenue is now properly protected.

■ Outcome 4: Smooth adoption by young staff and positive evaluation from headquarters

The simple workflow of "checking notifications and approving reservations" was quickly embraced by young staff who are familiar with iPad and smartphone operations. It requires less onboarding than teaching phone-based reservation handling from scratch, and staff have expressed that "things have become easier since adoption." Headquarters, initially cautious, now takes a very positive view of Respo after confirming that online reservations are coming in steadily and the site is operating smoothly.

**Comments from Mr. Kikuchi, Store Manager of SAVOY Azabu-Juban Honten**

We received the following comments from store manager Mr. Kikuchi.

> "To be honest, at first I felt that 'we can't build real relationships with guests unless we speak with them directly by phone.' But once we actually started using the system, we found that by exchanging detailed information through the reservation form in advance, we could spend more time on more meaningful communication when guests arrived — conversation and welcoming them. Digitalization doesn't push the restaurant and guests further apart; if anything, it brings us closer together."
── Mr. Kikuchi, Store Manager, SAVOY Azabu-Juban Honten

> "The biggest reason we decided to adopt Respo was their stance of 'thinking together with us,' close to our own operations, rather than treating deployment as the finish line. Because their sales representative came to visit us multiple times to address our questions and concerns in person, the system took root smoothly on-site — with young staff naturally saying things like 'it's much easier than learning phone-based reservation handling' and 'we're glad we adopted it.'"
── Mr. Kikuchi, Store Manager, SAVOY Azabu-Juban Honten

**Comment from Yuki Hariguchi, Representative Director, Hello Inc.**

> "What impressed us most about SAVOY Azabu-Juban Honten was their commitment to building 'a system that upholds a certain standard of taste and quality as an organization,' rather than relying on any single artisan's skill. Their signature pizza requires staged training and a test administered personally by the president — an uncompromising approach to technique and quality expressed not through individuals but through systems. We are deeply moved by this stance.
In restaurant operations, reservation handling too tends to become something 'only certain people can do.' We hope that Respo, by functioning as 'an operational foundation anyone can use' that doesn't depend on individual skill or experience, can create more time for front-line staff to focus on the work that truly matters. As SAVOY Azabu-Juban Honten takes on new challenges as a group, we will walk alongside them so that Respo can serve as one of the foundations supporting their journey."

**About the Case Study Article**

The full story has been published on the official Respo website as an interview with store manager Mr. Kikuchi. We invite you to read it.

▶ Case Study Article: "Sustaining Strong Reservations While Halving Phone-Based Handling: How SAVOY Azabu-Juban Honten Chose Respo to Create Breathing Room On-Site"
URL: [https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/cases/savoyazabujubanhonten](https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/cases/savoyazabujubanhonten)

[Respo Web](https://respo.autoreserve.com/)
[Respo iOS](https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/respo-by-autoreserve/id1521972781)
[Respo Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.autoreserve.forrestaurants&pcampaignid=web_share)

Respo

[Respo] Adopted by SAVOY Azabu-Juban Honten, a Renowned Neapolitan Pizzeria

Hello Inc. offers a new feature called "Terminal-less Payment" on "Respo," which allows customers to pay their bill using the credit card they registered at the time of their online reservation.

[https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp](https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=terminal-less-payment)

Simply by turning this feature on, restaurants can immediately switch to online credit card payment even in the event of an unexpected issue, such as a sudden malfunction of an in-store payment terminal or a stoppage of a payment service.

## Background

Following news reports about the bankruptcy of a credit card payment processing company, we have received a large number of inquiries from restaurants saying they want a system that lets them accept credit card payments right away.

Credit card payment has now become infrastructure directly tied to a restaurant's sales, and suddenly losing a payment method can seriously affect a store's cash flow and customer convenience. We want to help restaurants in this difficult situation, even in a small way, by providing an environment where they can start accepting credit card payments on the same day they apply.

## What Is "Terminal-less Payment"?

"Terminal-less Payment" is a feature that lets customers pay for their meal after visiting the restaurant using the credit card they registered when making an online reservation, such as through AutoReserve. This makes it possible to accept credit card payments even without a payment terminal in the store.

## Features

![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/bmi51vwo/production/0974f79d5aa986ebdc6131322a89de6600a75da2-1200x675.png)

- No terminal required: Online payment using the credit card registered at the time of reservation. No need to install or set up a payment terminal.

- Available as early as the same day: In the shortest case, restaurants can start accepting credit card payments the same day they apply.

- A backup payment method: With the feature turned on, restaurants can immediately switch to online payment in the event of a sudden terminal malfunction or service outage.

- Smoother checkout: Customers don't need to hand over their card at checkout, allowing for a smooth, quick departure.

## How to Use

1. Contact us via the link below.

1. After the contract is signed, turn on the "Terminal-less Payment" feature from the Respo admin dashboard.

1. Customers register their credit card using the designated method.

1. At checkout, payment is processed using the registered card.

[https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/contact](https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/contact?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=terminal-less-payment)

## For Restaurants Struggling with a Terminal Outage

If you currently need an in-store payment terminal, we can also introduce you to "RespoPay," our payment terminal service with some of the lowest fees in the industry (zero initial cost, zero terminal cost, zero monthly fee, and zero transfer fee).

Please feel free to contact us via the link below.

[https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/payment-terminal](https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/payment-terminal?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=terminal-less-payment)

## Comment from Yuki Hariguchi, CEO of Hello Inc.

"Payment methods are a lifeline that supports restaurants' daily sales. When that lifeline suddenly stops working, we believe it is our responsibility, as a company that owns its own payment infrastructure, to deliver a payment method to as many restaurants as possible, as quickly as possible — even by a single day or a single store. If you're a restaurant facing this kind of difficulty, please don't hesitate to reach out to us."

"Respo," an all-in-one restaurant platform, offers "Terminal-less Payment" to settle bills with the card used at booking

Hello Co., Ltd. announces that its payment terminal service for Respo, "RespoPay," has achieved industry-leading low payment processing rates.

The Small Business Plan — available to small and medium-sized businesses — offers rates starting at 1.88% for Visa / Mastercard / UnionPay, while the Standard Plan for general restaurant operators starts at 2.48%. Both plans achieve industry-leading low rates. Setup fees, terminal fees, monthly fees, and transfer fees are all ¥0.

[https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/payment-terminal](https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/payment-terminal?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=respopay)

### Related Announcement

**Announced Today: Hello Co., Ltd. Officially Launches Payment Processing Service "HelloPay"**

RespoPay is able to offer industry-leading low rates because Hello Co., Ltd. owns and operates its own payment processing infrastructure, "HelloPay." On the same day, HelloPay has been officially opened to all businesses and developers outside the Hello Group. RespoPay is the first proof of HelloPay's full potential.

▶ HelloPay details: [https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000071.000056009.html](https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000071.000056009.html?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=respopay)

### Background

As cashless payments continue to spread rapidly across the food service industry, restaurant operators have long struggled with two persistent challenges: high terminal costs and excessive payment processing fees.

In response, Hello Co., Ltd. has leveraged HelloPay — its proprietary payment processing infrastructure — to deliver industry-leading rates through RespoPay. Terminal hardware is also provided at no cost, directly addressing the challenge of upfront equipment expenses. At a time when payment processing fees are rising across the industry, we are committed to offering restaurants a better option — one that protects their bottom line.

### What Is RespoPay?

RespoPay is a cashless payment service fully integrated into "Respo," the all-in-one platform for restaurants. Reservations, POS, mobile ordering, billing, and payments can all be managed within Respo in one seamless workflow.

**Why HelloPay's infrastructure enables RespoPay's industry-leading rates**

HelloPay is a comprehensive payment processing service covering everything from online payments (API, Checkout, SDK) to offline in-store terminal payments. RespoPay brings all of HelloPay's capabilities to the restaurant floor, fully optimized for day-to-day restaurant operations. Because we own and operate our own payment infrastructure, we eliminate unnecessary intermediary margins — making industry-leading rates possible.

### Industry-Leading Payment Rates *(based on Company research)*

**▼ Small Business Plan** *(for SMBs; conditions apply, including annual cashless transaction volume under ¥30 million)*

- Visa / Mastercard / UnionPay: **1.88%~** (industry-leading)

- JCB / AMEX / DinersClub / DISCOVER: 2.50%~

- PayPay: 2.95%~

- UnionPay QR / WeChat Pay / Alipay: 2.20%~

**▼ Standard Plan** *(for general restaurant operators)*

- Visa / Mastercard / UnionPay: **2.48%~** (industry-leading)

- JCB / AMEX / DinersClub / DISCOVER: 3.15%~

- PayPay: 2.95%~

- UnionPay QR / WeChat Pay / Alipay: 2.20%~

**▼ Comparison with Competitors** *(based on Company research)*

- Visa / Mastercard / UnionPay — RespoPay: **1.88%~** / Company A: 2.28%~ / Company B: 2.50%~

- JCB / AMEX / DinersClub / DISCOVER — RespoPay: **2.50%~** / Company A: 2.38%~ / Company B: 2.50%~

### Pricing

Everything except the processing fee is free.

- Setup fee: ¥0

- Terminal fee: ¥0

- Monthly fee: ¥0

- Transfer fee: ¥0

### Payment Terminal Features *(Go Cashless with a Single Device)*

![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/bmi51vwo/production/95020ebda5a026cd53fb82e11c1eb56fbf7eb92e-1200x675.webp)

- **Multi-payment support** — Accepts credit cards and QR code payments. One terminal covers all major brands.

- **Built-in printer** — Print receipts directly from the terminal, reducing checkout friction.

- **Pay anywhere** — 4G connectivity means no Wi-Fi needed — take the terminal right to the table. Long battery life included.

- **Intuitive touchscreen** — Large touchscreen display for smooth, stress-free operation.

### Pair with Respo POS for Even Greater Efficiency

When used with the Respo POS register, billing amounts are automatically synced to RespoPay — eliminating manual re-entry and reducing the risk of input errors. By handling reservations, orders, billing, and payments all within Respo, staff workloads are significantly reduced.

### Settlement Cycle

Settlements are processed 2–4 times per month for reliable cash flow management.

- 1st–15th of the month → Transferred by end of the same month

- 16th–end of the month → Transferred by the 15th of the following month

※ Weekly settlement cycles are also available upon request.

### Comment from Hello Co., Ltd. CEO Yuki Hariguchi

*"Restaurant owners shouldn't have to spend their time worrying about payment processing fees. That's the conviction behind RespoPay. Because we own HelloPay — our own payment infrastructure — we can deliver industry-leading rates directly to restaurants without relying on intermediaries. At a time when processing fees are rising across the industry, we have deliberately chosen to go in the opposite direction. Our mission is to create an environment where restaurant operators can keep more of their hard-earned revenue and focus entirely on what they do best: making great food."*

RespoPay Achieves Industry-Leading Low Payment Processing Rates

Hello Co., Ltd. hereby announces the official launch of "HelloPay," a payment processing service built on the same infrastructure the Company has relied on to handle over ¥100 billion in annual transactions.

Our lowest-priced plan offers a flat rate of 2.58% across all card brands (industry-leading). Setup fees and transaction fees are ¥0, with go-live possible in as little as 3–4 business days from application. We are also launching a payment terminal offering — bringing Hello Co., Ltd. fully online as a payment processor covering everything from online payments to in-store cashless payments.

[https://pay.hello.ai/](https://pay.hello.ai/?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hellopay-release)

### Related Announcement

**Announced Today: RespoPay Achieves Industry-Leading Low Payment Processing Rates**

What can HelloPay's infrastructure actually deliver? The answer is today's simultaneous announcement of RespoPay. By adapting HelloPay for restaurant operations and integrating it seamlessly with Respo, we have achieved an industry-leading rate of 1.88%+ for Visa / Mastercard. RespoPay is proof of HelloPay's power as infrastructure.

▶ RespoPay details: [https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000070.000056009.html](https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000070.000056009.html?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hellopay-release)

### Background

Hello Co., Ltd. is a technology company delivering new businesses built on proprietary AI and deep product development expertise. Through the operation of our own services, we have built and maintained a payment infrastructure entirely in-house — one that today processes over ¥100 billion in transactions annually across the Hello Group.

We are now opening this battle-tested infrastructure to all businesses and developers as "HelloPay." The quality comes from using it ourselves every day. The competitive rates come from eliminating unnecessary intermediary margins from our cost structure.

### About HelloFinancial

**HelloPay is the first product from "HelloFinancial," Hello Co., Ltd.'s financial services brand.**

HelloFinancial launches with the vision of delivering fair, low-cost financial infrastructure to every business. Starting with payment processing, we plan to roll out a series of financial services for businesses — combining transparent fee structures with genuine cost competitiveness, all built on infrastructure proven through real-world in-house use.

### About HelloPay

![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/bmi51vwo/production/20b21ff155e40eb4adba5e01e84dff15f6164919-1600x900.webp)

HelloPay is a payment processing service provided by Hello Co., Ltd. Built on an in-house infrastructure that processes over ¥100 billion in transactions per year, HelloPay supports a wide range of payment methods — including credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay — as well as both one-time and subscription-based payments, all managed from a single account. In addition to online payment methods via API, SDK, Checkout, and payment links, HelloPay also supports offline in-store payments via dedicated terminals, covering every payment scenario on one platform. Available at industry-leading rates with ¥0 setup cost.

HelloPay is also deployed within our own restaurant platform "Respo" as "RespoPay" — a specialized payment terminal service tailored specifically for restaurant operations.

[https://pay.hello.ai/](https://pay.hello.ai/?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hellopay-release)

### Three Strengths of HelloPay

**1. Affordable — Industry-Leading Rates**

Our lowest-priced plan offers a flat 2.58% across all brands: Visa, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners, and Discover. Compared to standard plans from competing providers, businesses processing ¥100 million per month could save approximately ¥11 million per year (based on Company estimates). Setup fees and transaction fees: ¥0.

**2. Reliable — Infrastructure Proven at ¥100 Billion Scale**

HelloPay runs on the same payment infrastructure that powers Hello Group's own services every day, processing over ¥100 billion in annual transactions. The platform is PCI DSS certified, meeting the international security standards of the credit card industry.

**3. Fast — Live in as Little as 3–4 Business Days**

Visa and Mastercard processing can go live in as few as 3–4 business days from application. A streamlined onboarding process minimizes paperwork, enabling rapid deployment for startups and enterprise-scale businesses alike.

### Features

- **Payment methods** — Visa / Mastercard / JCB / AMEX / Diners / Discover, Apple Pay / Google Pay

- **Integration options** — API, Checkout (embedded), Mobile SDK (iOS / Android), Payment links

- **Platform payments** — Supports multi-tenant payment integration for marketplaces, SaaS platforms, and more

- **Offline payments (terminal)** — Dedicated in-store cashless payment terminal; managed under the same account as online payments

- **Security** — PCI DSS certified; fraud detection, 3D Secure, Webhook notifications, tokenized payments

- **Management tools** — Dashboard for revenue, settlements, and billing; multi-account support

### Pricing Plans

Setup fees and transaction fees are ¥0 across all plans. Choose from three flexible plans based on your business scale.

**Standard Plan** — For businesses with monthly revenue under ¥4 million (default plan upon registration)

- Rate (all brands): 3.20%

- Monthly fee: ¥0

- Setup fee: ¥0

- Transaction fee: ¥0

- Settlement cycle: Once per month

**Business Plan** — For businesses with monthly revenue between ¥4 million and ¥20 million (designed to scale with your growth)

- Rate (all brands): 2.70%

- Monthly fee: ¥15,000

- Setup fee: ¥0

- Transaction fee: ¥0

- Settlement cycle: Twice per month

**Enterprise Plan (Lowest Rate)** — For businesses with monthly revenue over ¥20 million (industry-leading rates)

- Rate (all brands): **2.58%**

- Monthly fee: ¥40,000

- Setup fee: ¥0

- Transaction fee: ¥0

- Settlement cycle: Twice per month

### Comment from Hello Co., Ltd. CEO Yuki Hiroguchi

*"Payment processing fees quietly but surely shape the cost structure of any business. We have spent years building a payment infrastructure that combines reliability with genuine competitiveness through the operation of our own services. That infrastructure is now available to businesses everywhere. At a time when processing rates are trending upward across the industry, we believe HelloPay has never had more to offer. Our mission is to create an environment where businesses can focus on what they do best — and keep more of what they earn."*

### Comment from Daisuke Morikawa, Head of HelloFinancial, Hello Co., Ltd.

*"HelloPay is the first time Hello has opened its in-house payment infrastructure — honed through running our own businesses — to the world outside our group. We use it ourselves, every day, which is why we stand behind its quality with full confidence. And we can deliver that quality at the most competitive price in the industry. That is HelloFinancial's starting line. HelloPay is just the beginning — we will continue to build out financial services that support businesses at every stage."*

HelloPay

Hello Co., Ltd. Officially Launches Payment Processing Service "HelloPay"

Sushi Kibatani is a sushi restaurant in Kanazawa where chef-owner Mitsuhiro Kibatani crafts sushi using fish from the Hokuriku region — primarily sourced from Toyama, Himi, and Shinminato — and the techniques of Edomae-style sushi. The restaurant welcomes a remarkably wide range of guests, from those in their 20s to their 80s, and in recent years, local, traveling, and overseas guests have come to visit in roughly equal proportions. At the same time, the restaurant had been facing on-site challenges: the operational burden of phone-based reservations during service, same-day and no-show cancellations, and information management with a paper reservation book. With Respo, reservation handling has been streamlined, cancellation prevention strengthened, and reservation and guest information centralized — establishing a foundation that creates the time the restaurant truly wants to dedicate to cooking and hospitality.

**Challenges Before Adopting Respo**

Sushi Kibatani had been facing the following on-site challenges.

■ The operational burden of phone-based reservations during service

- Each call required back-and-forth conversation — "That time is fully booked," "How about this time instead?" — and it often took considerable time to confirm a single reservation

- During service, the chef frequently had to stop preparation or guest service to answer the phone

- Managing reservations solely with a handwritten paper book added significant confirmation work and required constant attention to avoid mistakes

■ Lost opportunities from turning guests away, and same-day and no-show cancellations

- When the requested date was already full, guests sometimes had to be turned away on the spot. There was no guarantee that such guests would book again later, which represented lost opportunities for the restaurant

- Same-day and no-show cancellations were also a burden — with a limited number of seats, even a single cancellation had a significant impact on the restaurant

**Key Features of Respo**

"Respo" is an all-in-one platform for restaurants provided by Hello Inc. It brings reservation book, channel manager, POS, payment terminals, and mobile ordering together on a single platform, and can be flexibly combined to match each restaurant's scale and business format.

■ What Respo Offers

- Reservation book: Integrates with multiple reservation platforms, eliminating manual transcription from each platform

- Channel manager: Centrally manages inventory across the restaurant's own site and other reservation platforms

- POS / Payment terminals: Complete checkout and payment in a single device, streamlining store operations

- Mobile ordering: Enables guests to order from their smartphone or tablet, reducing wait times

- Guest information management: Accumulates visit history, preferences, allergy information, and more, supporting tailored service for returning guests

**Outcomes After Adopting Respo**

■ Outcome 1: Freed from phone-based reservation handling, creating time to focus on the work at hand

With reservation availability now visible to guests, they can confirm openings and complete their bookings on their own. This has greatly reduced the frequency of "scheduling adjustments over the phone" and "turning guests away when fully booked." During service, the chef is no longer pulled away by phone calls and can focus on preparation, guest service, and the work in front of him — easing the psychological burden as well.

■ Outcome 2: Suppressing cancellations and reliably collecting cancellation fees — eliminating lost revenue

With Respo's cancellation fee pre-authorization mechanism, no-show cancellations have decreased significantly. When cancellations do occur, the restaurant now has a system in place to reliably collect cancellation fees that previously went unrecovered, protecting revenue opportunities. For a sushi restaurant with limited seating, reducing per-reservation opportunity loss brings considerable peace of mind on the business side.

■ Outcome 3: Centralized reservation and guest information, enabling focus on cooking and hospitality

Reservation and guest information, once scattered across paper records, are now managed in one place — making pre-visit preparation significantly smoother. For the growing number of overseas guests in particular, organizing and sharing advance information has become much easier. Internal information sharing among staff has also improved, reducing mismatches and missed confirmations. Service for returning guests has become more attentive, and the time once consumed by information management is now dedicated to what truly matters: the cooking and hospitality the team wants to focus on.

**Comments from Mitsuhiro Kibatani, Chef-Owner of Sushi Kibatani**

We received the following comments from chef-owner Mitsuhiro Kibatani.

> "Reservations are now organized automatically, which has greatly eased my mental load. What I'm most grateful for is no longer having to tell guests 'I'm sorry, that time is fully booked' every time the phone rings, as we used to under the old phone-based system."

> 

> 

> ── Mitsuhiro Kibatani, Chef-Owner, Sushi Kibatani

> 

> "Building relationships with our guests is essential to this business. Reducing the burden of information management means we can devote more time to what we truly want to focus on — the cooking and hospitality. Whenever I share a request for improvement, the team genuinely listens, and I trust they will keep reflecting voices from the field to make the system even easier to use."

> 

> 

> ── Mitsuhiro Kibatani, Chef-Owner, Sushi Kibatani

> 

**Comment from Yuki Hariguchi, Representative Director, Hello Inc.**

> "Sushi Kibatani is one of the restaurants we hold in the deepest respect — a place where each fish from Toyama, Himi, and Shinminato is treated with the utmost care, from the application of salt to the aging process, with the aim of delivering it to guests in its finest form. As Mitsuhiro Kibatani has said, 'It's the small accumulations that ultimately shape the impression of a single piece of sushi.' Craftsmanship like his is honed only when there is time to focus on each detail, one by one.

> 

> 

> We believe that Respo should be more than a tool for efficiency — it should be a foundation that protects the time restaurants truly cherish. We will continue to evolve our product by learning from voices on the ground, so that the time Sushi Kibatani devotes to cooking and hospitality can become ever more meaningful."

> 

**About the Case Study Article**

The full story has been published on the official Respo website as an interview with Sushi Kibatani. We invite you to read it.

▶ Case Study Article: "Protecting the Time to Focus on Craftsmanship: How Sushi Kibatani in Kanazawa Uses Respo"

URL：[https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/cases/sushikibatani](https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/cases/sushikibatani?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=respo-interview-sushikibatani)

[Respo] Adopted by Sushi Kibatani in Kanazawa

Yamazaki is a Japanese restaurant centered around a white-wood L-shaped counter, where guests can savor seasonal ingredients and the artistry of its chefs through all five senses. Within just three months of opening in August 2018, the restaurant earned a star in the MICHELIN Guide Tokyo 2019 and has continued to draw attention from diners in Japan and abroad. Operating with a small team, the restaurant places the highest priority on the time spent face-to-face with each guest — yet it had long faced operational challenges, including the dual management of phone and online reservations and the after-hours back-office work this required. With the implementation of Respo, the restaurant has achieved unified reservation management and improved operational efficiency, while building a foundation that supports the meticulous, attentive hospitality that only counter-style dining can deliver.

**Challenges Before Implementing Respo**

Yamazaki faced the following on-the-ground challenges:

**■After-hours administrative burden caused by dual management of phone and online reservations**

- Phone and online reservations were managed in separate systems, making confirmation and information sharing time-consuming

- With a counter-only, small-team operation focused on attentive service for each guest, staff were frequently left handling administrative work after closing hours

- Entering and cross-checking reservation data was a burden on the floor, cutting into time that should have been spent on cooking and preparing for the next day

**■Resistance to "complex systems" that did not fit the floor's intuition**

- There was concern that overly feature-rich management tools would be hard to put to work on the floor, and could ultimately add to operational burden

- The restaurant had long been searching for a system simple enough for a small team to manage comfortably

**Key Features of Respo**

"Respo" is an all-in-one platform for restaurants provided by Hello, Inc., with its core features offered free of charge in Japan. It brings together a reservation ledger, channel manager, POS, payment terminal, and mobile ordering on a single platform, allowing restaurants to flexibly combine the tools they need according to their size and business model.

**■What you can do with Respo**

- Reservation Ledger: Connects to multiple booking channels, eliminating the need for manual transcription across platforms

- Channel Manager: Centrally manages inventory across your own website and various reservation channels

- POS / Payment Terminal: Completes accounting and payment on a single device, streamlining store operations

- Mobile Ordering: Allows guests to order from their own smartphones or tablets, reducing dwell time

- Customer Information Management: Accumulates visit history, preferences, and allergy information for use in serving returning guests

**Effects of Implementing Respo**

**■Effect 1: Reduced administrative work and more time for cooking and preparation, through centralized reservation management**

Because Respo enables both online and phone reservations to be managed in a single ledger, the burden of confirming and entering data across multiple channels has been significantly reduced. As a result, after-hours administrative work has been cut considerably, securing time for chefs to focus on cooking and on preparing for the next day. Integration with the payment terminal has also made accounting smoother, shortening the time guests spend waiting.

**■Effect 2: The "layered" customer knowledge that only counter-style dining can leverage**

Yamazaki has made full use of Respo's customer information features, making it a consistent practice to record not only visit history but also what was discussed, what was served, and beverage preferences for each guest. Allergies, dietary restrictions, and celebration plans are noted at the time of reservation. With guests right across the counter, having this information instantly accessible enables the kind of attentive, personalized hospitality tailored to each individual.

**■Effect 3: Not just efficiency, but elevating brand value by refining "what makes Yamazaki uniquely Yamazaki"**

With the stress of reservation and accounting workflows reduced, chefs and staff can now spend more time in conversation with guests at the counter, and on serving each dish at its peak moment. This newfound margin supports the restaurant's vision — "we want our guests to enjoy not only the food, but also the space and the time" — and ultimately translates into greater brand value for the restaurant as a whole.

**A Message from Shiro Yamazaki, Chef-Owner of Yamazaki**

The following comments were shared by Chef-Owner Shiro Yamazaki:

> "The biggest reason we chose Respo was that it is 'simple and easy to use.' Systems with too many features can be difficult to put to work on the floor, and often end up adding to operational load. Respo is intuitive, and felt most aligned with the way our floor actually works."

> 

> "Beyond pure efficiency, the most significant change has been our ability to further refine what makes 'Yamazaki' uniquely 'Yamazaki.' With less stress around reservation and accounting, I can now focus on conversation with guests at the counter, and on serving each dish at the very best moment. I would truly love other restaurant professionals to experience this value for themselves — that 'as management becomes easier, the time you can devote to the floor grows.'"

> 

**A Message from Yuki Hariguchi, CEO of Hello, Inc.**

> "Yamazaki earned its Michelin star within just three months of opening and continues to attract attention from diners in Japan and abroad. We deeply resonate with the restaurant's commitment to valuing — above all else — the time spent face-to-face with each guest, made possible by its small-scale counter-style format. That Respo is being recognized 'not as a tool merely for efficiency, but as a system for refining what makes Yamazaki uniquely Yamazaki,' and that it is supporting the floor's renewed margin and returning that time to hospitality and craft, brings us genuine joy. As Yamazaki looks ahead to international expansion, we will continue to strengthen the multilingual capabilities of our services — including AutoReserve — so that Yamazaki's worldview can resonate across borders, and we will walk this path together."

> 

**Case Study Article**

The full story is featured in an interview article with Yamazaki, published on the official Respo website. Please take a look.

▼ Case Study Article

"Reclaiming Time to Focus on Cooking and Hospitality — How the Renowned Japanese Restaurant Yamazaki Chose a Simpler Approach to Reservation Management"

URL：[https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/cases/yamazaki](https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/cases/yamazaki?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=respo-interview-yamazaki)

[Respo] Adopted by Japanese Restaurant Yamazaki

"Installation Table ENSO L'asymetrie du calme" is a restaurant that delivers a "memorable dining experience" through its dedication to Hokuriku ingredients and the aesthetic of a space renovated from a former sewing school. The restaurant is supported by a wide customer base centered on guests in their 40s and 50s, with overseas reservations — particularly from Europe — rising sharply in recent years. At the same time, the restaurant had been facing on-site challenges, including the collection of cancellation fees and the difficulty of managing seating across multiple reservation platforms. With Respo, the restaurant has strengthened its cancellation prevention measures and centralized its reservation management, while leveraging Respo as a "customizable reservation management foundation" that reflects each restaurant's unique operational rules.

### Challenges Before Adopting Respo

ENSO had been facing the following on-site challenges.

■ The burden of handling cancellations

- The previously used reservation platforms often had no built-in mechanism for collecting cancellation fees, or were designed in ways that allowed guests to cancel too easily

- When cancellations did occur, there were many cases where the restaurant could not reach the guest, or the call was hung up on

- As a result, it had become routine for cancellation fees that should have been collected to go unrecovered

■ Inefficient reservation management caused by using multiple platforms

- The restaurant used multiple reservation platforms in parallel, and had no choice but to manage seating by allocating seat counts to each platform

- As a result, the restaurant's overall seating allocation was inefficient, and reservations that could otherwise have been accepted sometimes had to be declined

- Switching between the admin consoles of each platform also created significant overhead and added to the burden on the floor

### Key Features of Respo

"Respo" is an all-in-one platform for restaurants provided by Hello Inc. It brings reservation book, channel manager, POS, payment terminals, and mobile ordering together on a single platform, and can be flexibly combined to match each restaurant's scale and business format.

■ What Respo Offers

- Reservation book: Integrates with multiple reservation platforms, eliminating manual transcription from each platform

- Channel manager: Centrally manages inventory across the restaurant's own site and other reservation platforms

- POS / Payment terminals: Complete checkout and payment in a single device, streamlining store operations

- Mobile ordering: Enables guests to order from their smartphone or tablet, reducing wait times

- Guest information management: Accumulates visit history, preferences, allergy information and more, supporting tailored service for returning guests

### Outcomes After Adopting Respo

■ Outcome 1: Reducing cancellations and eliminating lost opportunities through centralized reservation management

Thanks to Respo's cancellation fee pre-authorization mechanism, guests now have a greater sense of responsibility for their reservations, and no-show cancellations — where guests book but never visit — have decreased significantly. When cancellations do occur, the restaurant now has a system in place to reliably collect cancellation fees that previously went unrecovered, protecting revenue opportunities.

In addition, by managing inventory and seating across multiple reservation platforms in one place, the constraints created by allocating maximum reservation counts to each platform have been removed, creating an environment in which the restaurant can maximize the reservations it is able to accept.

■ Outcome 2: A "customizable reservation management" system that adapts to the restaurant's unique operations

![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/bmi51vwo/production/c231558aa2acbd8d789c36ee8864f7771a98678d-1672x941.webp)

ENSO uses a unique operational style that combines its own paper reservation book — which the restaurant wants to keep — with Respo's web-based reservation book. Because Respo allows reservation statuses to be customized on the restaurant's side, ENSO has been able to set up its own rules — for example, marking reservations awaiting answers to critical questions such as allergies as "Awaiting Confirmation" — and color-codes them accordingly. This has created an operation in which the status of every reservation is instantly visible to all staff.

■ Outcome 3: Deep use of guest information to support the "memorable dining experience"

ENSO offers a daily omakase course, and to deliver a different experience to returning guests with every visit, the restaurant makes extensive use of guest information notes. By recording everything from past course content, conversations, drinks, and pairing wines — and attaching photos — ENSO is able to provide hospitality grounded in each individual guest's previous experiences. The cancellation fee pre-authorization function has also contributed to building the perception of ENSO as "a restaurant worth visiting even with a reservation fee."

### Comments from Installation Table ENSO L'asymetrie du calme

We received the following comments from the representative at the restaurant.

"We feel that, through our reservation system, we have been able to design the 'value of visiting.' With the cancellation fee pre-authorization in place, especially for our overseas guests, I sense it has led to the perception that we are 'a restaurant worth visiting even with a reservation fee.' The number of guests who book and never show up has also decreased considerably."

"Respo always responds properly, which gives us peace of mind. We are grateful that they address our requests, even step by step, and the level of support is excellent — that is a point we would happily recommend to others in the industry."

### Comment from Yuki Hariguchi, Representative Director, Hello Inc.

"Installation Table ENSO L'asymetrie du calme is a wonderful restaurant pursuing a one-of-a-kind world view in Kanazawa, drawing on Hokuriku ingredients and a building rich in history. ENSO's words — 'through our reservation system, we have been able to design the value of visiting' — felt symbolic of the future of restaurant operations. We hope that Respo will be more than just a tool for efficiency, and will instead grow alongside each restaurant's world view as time goes on. In addition, by strengthening multilingual support across our Dining business, we will continue to help ensure that ENSO's appeal reaches guests across borders."

### About the Case Study Article

### 

The full story has been published on the official Respo website as an interview with Installation Table ENSO L'asymetrie du calme. We invite you to read it.

▶ Case Study Article: "Reservation Management That Supports a 'Memorable Dining Experience': Why ENSO Chose Respo"

URL:[https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/cases/enso](https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/cases/enso?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=respo-interview-enso)

[Respo] Adopted by Installation Table ENSO L'asymetrie du calme

Hello, Inc. is pleased to announce that AutoReserve now supports four additional languages: French, Italian, Spanish, and German.

Building on our existing language lineup, the addition of these four European languages will significantly enhance the user experience for both inbound visitors to Japan and local users across Europe, further strengthening our delivery of a globally accessible dining experience.

## ◆ Background

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the number of foreign visitors to Japan reached approximately 3.69 million in April 2026, the highest monthly figure recorded so far in 2026. Among European markets in particular, France posted an all-time single-month high of 59,200 visitors, underscoring a sustained, long-term upward trend in inbound demand from the four European countries (France, Italy, Spain, and Germany).

(Source: [https://www.jnto.go.jp/statistics/data/_files/20260520_1615-1.pdf](https://www.jnto.go.jp/statistics/data/_files/20260520_1615-1.pdf?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=european-4-languages))

At AutoReserve, the number of new user registrations from these four European countries has grown approximately 2.8 times year-over-year, making Europe a key growth region for our Dining business.

Hello, Inc. has been accelerating its European expansion, including the establishment of its UK subsidiary, "Hello AI Limited," in London in 2024. Against this backdrop, creating an environment in which users from each country can comfortably book and use our services in their native language has become a top priority. This update is intended to further strengthen user acquisition across the European market.

## ◆ Update Details

This update introduces the following enhancements:

**■ Four new languages now available on AutoReserve and Respo**

French, Italian, Spanish, and German have been added as selectable UI languages on AutoReserve and Respo. Users can now switch to their native language directly from the in-app language selector.

![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/bmi51vwo/production/a775ed8c05463d40e430684f02afb023ee2959e5-1204x821.webp)

The AutoReserve pages for each language are available at the following URLs:

- French：[https://autoreserve.com/fr](https://autoreserve.com/fr?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=european-4-languages)

- Italian：[https://autoreserve.com/it](https://autoreserve.com/it?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=european-4-languages)

- Spanish：[https://autoreserve.com/es](https://autoreserve.com/es?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=european-4-languages)

- German：[https://autoreserve.com/de](https://autoreserve.com/de?utm_source=prtimes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=european-4-languages)

**■ The four new languages added to multilingual settings forms**

In forms that allow multilingual registration—such as restaurant names and product (menu) names—the four new languages are now configurable. This enables partner restaurants to communicate brand names, menu items, and descriptions in detail across multiple languages, including for users from the four European countries.

![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/bmi51vwo/production/8267f1d4e8092265a8ef5ed1c1673f3ea47761a2-1003x1020.jpg)

**■ Native-speaker translation**

The texts across our services were translated by native speakers of each language. From day one, users can enjoy natural, high-quality copy in every supported language.

## ◆ Looking Ahead

Hello, Inc. will continue to accelerate its global expansion, further expanding its language support and refining features to suit the culture and business practices of each market. With the vision of a world where users everywhere can access any dining experience in their native language, we will keep evolving every service in our Dining business.

[AutoReserve Web版](https://autoreserve.com/)
[AutoReserve iOS版](https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/autoreserve/id1409552387)
[AutoReserve Android版](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.autoreservenative)

AutoReserve

AutoReserve, an AI-Driven Restaurant Reservation Service, Adds Support for French, Italian, Spanish, and German

Kyoto Yamagishi Group is a multi-format restaurant group operating eight locations across Kyoto and Tokyo, including Japanese cuisine, hot-pot kaiseki, izakaya, and yakiniku. As the group grew across multiple stores and formats, on-site challenges began to surface — most notably the lack of integration between reservation platforms and the reservation book, and limited sharing of guest information across the group. With Respo, the group has rolled out a "full-suite deployment" that combines mobile ordering and payment terminals tailored to each store, while using Respo as the operational foundation for maintaining "the Yamagishi standard" across every location.

## Challenges Before Adopting Respo

As Kyoto Yamagishi Group expanded into more stores and formats, the team faced the following on-site challenges.

■ __Lack of integration between reservation platforms and the reservation book__

The group used multiple reservation platforms in parallel, requiring staff to log in to each platform's admin console and manually transcribe reservations into the reservation book

Differences in specifications between platforms created an ongoing risk of input errors and double bookings

When staff covered shifts at other stores, the need to share that store's platform login credentials and re-log in created a significant operational burden

■ __Limited sharing of guest information across the group__

Reservation books were managed store by store, leaving guest information siloed across the group

In situations such as "a regular of Tominokoji Yamagishi visiting Nominokoji Yamagishi," details like guest preferences, allergies, and special occasions could not be shared between stores

As a result, there was a risk of inconsistent service quality across different locations

## Key Features of Respo

"Respo" is an all-in-one platform for restaurants provided by Hello Inc. It brings reservation book, channel manager, POS, payment terminals, and mobile ordering together on a single platform, and can be flexibly combined to match each restaurant's scale and business format.

■ __What Respo Offers__

- Reservation book: Integrates with multiple reservation platforms, eliminating manual transcription from each platform

- Channel manager: Centrally manages inventory across the restaurant's own site and other reservation platforms

- POS / Payment terminals: Complete checkout and payment in a single device, streamlining store operations

- Mobile ordering: Enables guests to order from their smartphone or tablet, reducing wait times

- Guest information management: Share and use guest information across the entire group, beyond individual stores

## Outcomes After Adopting Respo

■ __Outcome 1: No more platform logins — streamlined cross-store coverage__

Because Respo integrates reservation platforms with the reservation book, staff no longer need to log in to each platform's admin console individually. When staff cover shifts at another store, there is no longer any need to share that store's platform credentials and re-log in. Even at the store they are covering, staff can check and manage reservations with the same ease as at their home store.

■ __Outcome 2: A "full-suite deployment" optimized for each store__

Yamagishi Group has combined Respo's product suite to match the business format of each location. At the izakaya-format "Nominokoji Yamagishi," the full suite — reservation book, channel manager, POS, payment terminals, and mobile ordering — has been deployed to reduce idle time during ordering and checkout. This has created an environment in which staff can focus on what truly matters: delivering a comfortable dining experience and spending time in conversation with guests.

■ __Outcome 3: Original practices such as "color-coded management" deliver consistent quality across every store__

Using Respo's guest information features, the group has established a shared rule across all stores: key details such as birthdays, anniversaries, allergies, and VIP handling are managed by "color." This has built a system that upholds Yamagishi Group's philosophy of "hospitality tailored to each individual guest," regardless of which store the guest visits.

## Comments from Kyoto Yamagishi Group

We received the following comments from the representative at Kyoto Yamagishi Group who led the Respo rollout.

__"For us, Respo is a tool we use, not a tool that uses us. We hope it will continue to be a partner that listens to voices from the field and grows with us into an even better service."__

── Representative, Kyoto Yamagishi Group

__"Technology shouldn't disrupt the traditions of Kyoto cuisine or the unique world each restaurant has built. It should be the foundation that supports them from below. We hope Respo will continue to provide that 'underlying support' for us going forward."__

── Representative, Kyoto Yamagishi Group

## Comment from Yuki Hariguchi, Representative Director, Hello Inc.

"Kyoto Yamagishi Group is one of the restaurant groups we hold in the deepest respect — a group that cherishes the traditions of Kyoto cuisine and the hospitality of caring for each guest as an individual. We believe technology should not alter that world, but rather serve as the 'underlying support' that reduces the burden on the floor and gives staff more time to be present with guests. We are committed to evolving Respo by learning from voices on the ground, so that it can be one of the foundations supporting the next chapter of Kyoto Yamagishi Group's journey."

## About the Case Study Article

The full story has been published as an interview with Kyoto Yamagishi Group on the official Respo website. The article offers an in-depth look at how Respo is used in multi-store, multi-format group operations, along with the group's original operational practices.

▼ Case Study Article

"Inside the Respo Rollout at a Multi-Store Group Home to Kyoto's One-Michelin-Starred 'Tominokoji Yamagishi'"

URL:https://respo.autoreserve.com/ja-jp/cases/yamagish

[Respo] Adopted by Kyoto Yamagishi Group, Home of the One-Michelin-Star "Tominokoji Yamagishi"

Hello Inc. is pleased to announce that, with the goal of raising the average annual salary in its engineering organization to ¥15 million by the end of 2027, it will roll out a new compensation system and expand its AI utilization support program starting June 2026.

Hello's current engineering average annual salary is ¥11.5 million. AI is already used daily across the entire engineering organization as a "standard part of the company's toolkit." Building on that foundation, this round of institutional renewal positions Hello as a lean, elite engineering organization targeting industry-leading compensation levels. Regardless of whether engineers are new graduates or mid-career hires, compensation will be determined based on role, skill, and performance — not tenure or career history. Together with the continuation and expansion of AI tool subsidies and the integration of AI utilization into performance evaluation, Hello will further accelerate AI adoption across the entire organization.

## Background and Objectives

With the rapid advancement of generative AI, engineering productivity and the skill sets it demands are changing at a pace unlike anything in recent years. Hello regards this shift as a growth opportunity for both the organization and the individual, and has crystallized the following three principles as management policy:

- Company-wide rollout of development and operational processes built on the premise of AI

- Returning the added value generated through AI utilization to individuals via the compensation and grading systems

- Fair evaluation based on role, skill, and results — not tenure or career history

In line with these principles, Hello is renewing the compensation system for its engineering organization and expanding its AI utilization support program.

## Hello's Position: A "Lean, Elite" Organization Built on Selective Hiring

Hello's commitment to maintaining hiring standards and operating as a "lean, elite" team is not for the sake of achieving high compensation. The primary reason is to avoid a situation in which hires who fall short of the required bar increase the burden on other engineers and drag down the output of the organization as a whole.

By continuing to rigorously evaluate each individual's technical capability and problem-solving ability at the hiring stage, we have preserved an environment where every member can focus on the high-difficulty problems they should be tackling. As a result, the value generated per engineer remains stable at a high level, and the structural foundation for offering commensurate compensation is in place.

- __We do not lower the hiring bar.__ For the roles we need to fill, we prioritize the quality of the match — even if it takes time.

- __We keep individual autonomy and scope of impact broad.__ We have built an environment in which high-level engineers stimulate one another daily and accelerate each other's technical growth.

- __We redirect AI-freed capacity to high-difficulty problems.__ Time created by automation and efficiency gains is reinvested into new business, platform improvement, and R&D.

This compensation increase is the natural outcome of that lean-and-elite approach, and it is a statement of Hello's intent to become the first company that comes to mind for top engineers — both in working environment and in compensation.

## Overview of the New Compensation System

For engineering roles, Hello will introduce a new compensation system built on the following two pillars:

| Item    | Details     |

| ---------- | ---------- |

| Salary Range       | The current average annual salary across all engineering roles is approximately ¥11.5 million. The goal is to raise the average to ¥15 million by the end of 2027. Regardless of whether engineers are new graduates or mid-career hires, salary is determined at the time of joining based on skill, experience, and role within the defined range. For Senior / Principal Engineer-level positions, offers exceeding ¥20 million annually are already available.       |

| Grade and Evaluation       | A job-specific grading system has been introduced. Evaluation is based on three axes: "technical scope of impact," "business impact," and "productivity enabled by AI and automation." Promotions and raises are determined by role and results at each grade — not by tenure or length of service. As a tracked result, an average raise of 9.2% has been achieved after six months.       |

## Overview of the AI Utilization Support Program

To standardize AI utilization across the organization — rather than leaving it to individuals — as a precondition for productivity, Hello operates the following systems and culture. What sets it apart is not merely supplying tools, but designing work on the premise that the organization "uses AI to the fullest," and operating it as a culture in which engineers actively give each other feedback.

(1) Tool Provision

- __AI Tool Subsidies__: For all engineers, the monthly subscription fees for business-use generative AI and coding-assistance AI — including Claude Code and Codex — are fully covered by the company.

(2) Organization-Level AI Utilization Tracking

- __Continuous Usage Tracking__: Using the AI usage aggregation service "supateam," the organization's overall token usage is shared on Slack on a weekly basis. The team continuously monitors whether AI adoption is progressing as an organization.

- __Usage Targets__: As an organization, target values are set for AI token usage. Work is designed on the premise of "using AI to the fullest."

(3) Feedback and Knowledge Sharing

- __Support from AI-Proficient Engineers__: Engineers who are highly skilled in AI utilization support other members in adopting effective usage patterns. Improvement suggestions are made daily from the perspective of, "Could this work be made more efficient with AI?"

- __Slack Sharing of AI Use Cases__: AI use cases, prompts, and workflows that emerge in day-to-day work are shared on Slack as they happen.

- __Immediate Knowledge Sharing__: A culture is firmly in place in which engineers routinely gather and share information on new AI services, new features, and relevant research.

(4) Incorporation into Evaluation

- __AI Utilization in Grade Evaluation__: "How much productivity was improved through AI utilization" is explicitly defined as one component of grade evaluation. Engineers are encouraged to redirect the surplus time created by AI toward higher-difficulty work.

## Comment from Hello Inc. CTO, Kazato Sugimoto

"Rather than simply 'writing code with AI,' Hello fairly evaluates and rewards — with top-tier compensation — engineers who 'engineer AI itself to tackle higher-value problems.' We are excited to work with people who are serious about engineering, in a team where a small, elite group of humans leverages a multitude of AIs to deliver results."

## In Closing

In conjunction with this announcement, we have prepared the following touchpoints for engineer recruitment:

- Casual Interviews: Year-round, via our recruitment site (https://open.talentio.com/r/1/c/hello/pages/80664). We're happy to answer your questions 1-on-1 about our tech stack, working style, and compensation.

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