Yelp can now call on your behalf to check wait times at a restaurant
techcrunch ·
Yelp has introduced a new feature called 'Check for Me' that allows users to have an AI voice agent call restaurants to inquire about wait times on their behalf. Users can input their party size and phone number in the app, after which the agent contacts the establishment and texts back the results. This move follows a recent trend where personal assistants like Instinct and Fo enable automated calls for customer support and bookings. In addition to this consumer-facing tool, Yelp is updating its AI assistant with OpenTable integration for seamless restaurant reservations within the app. The platform is also enhancing personalization by remembering user preferences from previous chats and allowing access to chat history. Furthermore, users can now create custom lists of places they have visited or wish to visit, with weekly personalized recommendations coming next month. On the business side, Yelp is launching 'Smart Lead Reply,' a $30 monthly paid product that uses AI to handle customer inquiries and qualify leads for business owners.
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