Kastle

What do you like best about Kastle?

The people at Kastle are very easy to work with. The call center is always extremely helpful, and on top of every situation, and the customer service center is the best I've worked with. The techs that come out to resove problems are very experienced in the systems they are working on. We are currently working with them to install a Safetrust moble platform for one of my tenents, and it is going smoothly. We also use the Kastle Insites to gauge the number of people returning to work. This system is very user friendly and I am on either the camera monitor site or checking the occupancy of the building a few time a month.

What do you dislike about Kastle?

I have not found any down side in working with Kastle. They are local, and fast to respond to problems, no complaints.

What problems is Kastle solving and how is that benefiting you?

We have no problems at this time.

What do you like best about Kastle?

Kastle's technology-forward approach is its greatest strength. Compared to its competitors, Kastle always seems to have the latest features available, and those features are branded and packaged in a way that is digestible to commercial property owners and operators. Kastle Presence is a great example of this. Just as tenants began clamoring for the option of Bluetooth functionality for building access, Kastle started rolling out Kastle Presence, and later (I believe) AppleWallet functionliaty as well. When it comes to leasing and tenant retention, particularly in the Class A and Trophy office market, being able to showcase the latest technology all over the property and across the tenant experience is essential. Access control and security is a vital and highly visible piece of that technology-forward effort, and Kastle has proved to be a reliable, high-value partner in this area.

What do you dislike about Kastle?

MyKastle can be challenging to use, even for an experienced end-user. Regardless of device or connection, MyKastle is often sluggish or slow to respond. It can make even simple tasks such as programming a new card difficult and slightly frustrating, particularly when a tenant is standing in front of you waiting for that new card. In the event of an emergency where, for example, a quick building lockdown is required, MyKastle could very easily become a bottleneck. Second, I've noticed that Kastle can be lacking when it comes to mainting tight records of devices and equipment. In my case, I manage a property that has a "base building" Kastle account that is controlled by my office, along with many tenant accounts where tenants also use Kastle devices in their own space. Despite several attempts and in-person walk-throughs with Kastle, I've struggled to get 100% clarity on which devices are billed to tenants and which devices are billable to me. It seems that Kastle could have better processes in place when it comes to labeling devices, relabeling them when changes are made (i.e. tenant move-ins or move-outs), and keeping the billable items clear on each Kastle account. Lastly, Kastle is expensive compared to competitors. In my experience, competitors always have lower bids for identical scopes of services. Even if the manager and tenants prefer Kastle's product, the higher costs can be difficult to justify to ownership or to other financial decisionmakers.

What problems is Kastle solving and how is that benefiting you?

The property I manage is in a busy, high-profile, downtown location, so Kastle assists us greatly with managing physical security and access. All of our perimeter doors are Kastle-controlled, so we can manage locking/unlocking schedules, along with individual access for our tenants, building staff, and routine vendors. Additionally, we have Kastle video surveillance in many locations across the property. KastleVideo helps us monitor the property on a routine basis, and also collect footage in the event of incidents that may occur. KastleVideo can be helpful in documenting incidents such as property damage or accidental injuries.

What do you like best about Kastle?

Brian Walts. He is the best part about Kastle. When I have a problem. He is ALWAYS part of the solution. I understand that there are many people that make up an organization-and that Kastle is large as an organization. But at the end of the day-when I am in need of assistance, there is one person that stands out from the rest and that is Brian. He takes customer service and positive relations to entirely new level. You are lucky to have him as an employee.

What do you dislike about Kastle?

My issues stem more from the type of door I have onsite, then the Kastle access itself. I occasionally have issues getting back online after our property loses power in storms, but I always have a contact to call to assist in getting me back online.

What problems is Kastle solving and how is that benefiting you?

Resident Access only to clubhouse and Video surveillance of our clubhouse area.

What do you like best about Kastle?

I love that it has an app that allows you to use your phone to gain access to the facility.

What do you dislike about Kastle?

Using the app on the phone depending on your settings can also trigger/activate the alarm in passing on accident.

What problems is Kastle solving and how is that benefiting you?

With our old system we used keys to access the building and the lock used to get striped alot due to pulling on the key instead of turning the handle. I was having to call a locksmith pretty frequently and now with Kastle that is no longer an issue. It also provides great security.

What do you like best about Kastle?

Their solutions combine the best technological and an intuitive, user friendly interface that set them apart from their competitors.

What do you dislike about Kastle?

I would not charaterize anything about Kastle as a "dislike". There are some functions that I wish I could do myself such as create my own access profiles so I could assign them to contractors or temporary employees.

What problems is Kastle solving and how is that benefiting you?

Creating new access profiles and resolving issues when we lose connection.