Yelp’s AI can now take reservations over the phone

Yelp’s Host AI volition talk to customers for restaurants.

Yelp’s AI-powered solutions committedness to reply calls, instrumentality reservations, and negociate bookings for “understaffed” restaurants. Yelp Host and Yelp Receptionist are portion of a broader propulsion from the institution and akin platforms embracing AI to streamline lawsuit absorption “around the clock.” 

Host is an AI cause that tin reply calls from guests and negociate tables, Yelp said. The AI tin instrumentality reservations implicit the phone, modify oregon cancel bookings, supply up-to-date waiting times, and adjacent seizure peculiar requests, arsenic good arsenic reply questions astir the restaurant, similar whether oregon not it has vegan options oregon welcomes dogs. It volition besides beryllium capable to nonstop guests links to menus, articulation waitlists, oregon spot orders for pickup oregon transportation done an automated follow-up text.

Yelp archetypal previewed the Host instrumentality successful April. It volition beryllium disposable to restaurants starting from $149 a month, oregon $99 a period for Yelp Guest Manager customers. New features are connected the way, too, and the institution said Host volition beryllium capable to adhd diners straight to the Yelp Waitlist “in the coming weeks.”

Yelp is besides launching Yelp Receptionist this week, an AI cause it says volition grip incoming calls for businesses. Similar to Host, Yelp said the instrumentality volition reply calls, respond to lawsuit questions, and cod details needed to vet leads, supply quotes, and docket appointments. Both volition travel pre-trained connected Yelp’s concern information and beryllium acceptable to “work out-of-the-box to reply calls 24/7, oregon lone erstwhile other sum is needed.” 

Receptionist volition lone beryllium disposable for “eligible” businesses to statesman with, starting astatine $99 a month, but Yelp said it “will beryllium wide disposable for section businesses crossed categories successful the coming months.” 

The tools are among respective AI updates announced contiguous arsenic portion of Yelp’s autumn merchandise roster, including making its AI chatbot assistant disposable connected each platforms and successful Canada, a caller diagnostic that brings up photos and reviews erstwhile you constituent your telephone astatine menus, and an AI-powered dependable hunt to “make it casual to find what you request connected Yelp by searching similar however you’d speak.” They articulation a increasing scope of AI features that tin already stitch idiosyncratic contented unneurotic to make edifice reviews, assistance summarize lawsuit reviews, and match users with work professionals successful their area. 

Vocal AI agents similar Host and Receptionist are portion of a broader inclination wrong the work and hospitality manufacture arsenic Yelp and platforms similar DoorDash pat exertion arsenic a means of helping businesses absorption connected in-person interactions and halfway services. 

Companies similar Google are besides moving connected akin products, but for customers, letting AI tools telephone businesses, inquire questions, and marque bookings connected users’ behalf. Maybe the clip of AIs calling AIs is upon us.