Yelp is expanding its artificial intelligence capabilities with a new feature called Check for Me. The tool allows users to have an AI voice agent call a restaurant to inquire about current wait times. This move follows a recent trend where personal assistant applications have begun handling customer support and appointment booking tasks on behalf of users.
How the Check for Me feature works
The new functionality appears directly on restaurant pages within the Yelp mobile application. Users can input their party size and phone number to initiate the process. The AI agent then places a call to the establishment to verify availability and wait times. Once the information is gathered, the system sends a text message to the user with the results. This allows diners to decide whether to proceed to the restaurant without making the call themselves.
This consumer-facing tool complements the voice solutions Yelp introduced last year for restaurants and service providers. While the previous release focused on helping businesses manage inbound calls, this update addresses the discovery side of the equation. There is a possibility that the user’s agent may interact with a restaurant’s own AI system. Such agent-to-agent communication could potentially lead to misunderstandings if the systems are not fully compatible.
Enhanced AI assistant and OpenTable integration
Alongside the voice agent, Yelp is updating its general AI assistant to improve user experience. The platform has integrated OpenTable, allowing users to book tables directly within the app. This removes the need to switch to a different service for reservations.
The assistant now retains preferences mentioned in previous conversations. Users can access their chat history from the past 30 days within the app, with full historical access planned for a future release. The company is also introducing custom reminders. For example, users can ask the bot to send suggestions for weekend activities every Friday.
Yelp is also overhauling its list management features. Users can now create custom lists, starting with two default categories: Been Here and Want to Go. These lists can be filtered by location, category, and cuisine. Users can reorder items, add notes, and share their lists with others. Next month, the platform will begin displaying weekly personalized recommendations based on saved items and rankings.
Further updates later this year will include a redesign of the lists tab and a new maps view. The company is also working on converting existing collections into the new list format.
Smart Lead Reply for businesses
In addition to consumer features, Yelp is releasing a paid product for business owners called Smart Lead Reply. This tool uses AI to reply to customer inquiries and engage with potential clients to qualify leads. Business owners can specify how the agent should handle conversations.
The service costs $30 per month. This development aligns with broader industry efforts by companies like Meta to provide small businesses with AI tools for handling inbound customer service. The release marks a significant step in Yelp’s strategy to integrate AI across both consumer discovery and business management platforms.
Source: TechCrunch
