Yelp AI Assistant Now Calls Restaurants to Check Wait Times, Adds OpenTable Integration

Yelp AI Introduces Voice Agent to Handle Restaurant Calls

Yelp is deploying a new AI-powered feature called Check for Me that eliminates the need for users to personally call restaurants to check wait times1

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. The AI voice agent operates directly from restaurant pages within the Yelp app, where users enter their party size and phone number1

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. The agent then calls restaurants on your behalf, inquires about current wait times, and texts the results back within minutes2

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. This feature arrives as personal assistants like Instinct, Fo, and Muse have enabled similar capabilities for customer support and appointment booking1

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. The Check for Me feature will launch first for iPhone users in the United States, with Android availability to be announced later3

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OpenTable Integration Streamlines Restaurant Reservations

Yelp's new AI assistant now works with OpenTable integration, giving users access to tens of thousands of restaurants across the US2

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. Users can ask the AI assistant for recommendations on specific criteria like "dog-friendly coffee shops" and receive booking help without leaving the app2

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. The Yelp Waitlist feature also integrates with the assistant, allowing users to join restaurant waitlists remotely and receive status updates when tables become available2

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. This development represents another step in Yelp's transformation with agentic AI, as stated by Akhil Kuduvalli Ramesh, Yelp's chief product officer, who noted updates span "every category on Yelp, from booking a table at a restaurant to hiring a pro for a home project"2

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Personalized Recommendations Based on User Preferences

Yelp AI now remembers user preferences mentioned in previous chats and references Yelp review history to deliver more relevant suggestions1

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. Users can access chat history from the past 30 days in the app, with full history availability coming soon1

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. A new feature called Keep Me Posted lets users set custom reminders, such as receiving weekend date night ideas every Thursday or dog-friendly hikes once a month3

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. The assistant can also reference local weather forecasts when making reservations, preventing users from booking outdoor patios on nights with expected rain2

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. Starting next month, Yelp will show weekly personalized recommendations based on saved items and rankings1

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My Lists Feature Enables Custom Collections

Users can now build their own lists within the Yelp app, starting with two default collections: "Been Here" and "Want to Go"1

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. The My Lists feature allows users to save, rank, and promote favorite local businesses, then filter lists by location, category, and cuisine3

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. Users can reorder items, add notes, and share lists with others1

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. Yelp plans to convert existing collections to lists and introduce a redesigned lists tab later this year, along with a maps view1

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Smart Lead Reply Targets Local Businesses

Yelp is launching Smart Lead Reply, a paid product priced at $30 per month designed to help local businesses handle customer inquiries1

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. This AI agent replies to customers and engages with them to qualify leads, with business owners able to specify how the agent should handle conversations1

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. The feature will start rolling out next month and follows similar offerings from companies like Meta, which has been courting small businesses with AI solutions for inbound customer inquiries1

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. Last year, Yelp debuted its voice solution for restaurants and service providers, and with Check for Me, the platform now addresses consumer services from both sides1

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. However, this raises the possibility of agent-to-agent communication scenarios where a user's AI assistant might interact with a restaurant's AI agent, potentially creating conversation breakdowns1

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