Yelp’s AI can now take reservations over the phone

Yelp has introduced two new AI-powered solutions to help restaurants and businesses manage customer interactions more efficiently. Yelp Host is an AI agent that can answer calls, take reservations, modify or cancel bookings, and provide information about restaurants, such as their menus and policies. Yelp Receptionist is an AI agent that can handle incoming calls for businesses, respond to customer queries, and collect details needed for lead vetting, quoting, and appointment scheduling. These tools are part of Yelp's broader push to embrace AI technology and streamline customer management for "understaffed" businesses, offering 24/7 coverage or additional support as needed. The features are currently available for a monthly fee, with plans to expand their availability in the coming months. Yelp's AI updates also include an improved chatbot assistant, AI-powered voice search, and features that integrate user-generated content and visual information to enhance the customer experience.