Yelp Launches AI Voice Agents for Restaurants and Local Service Providers

Image Credit: Techcrunch

On Tuesday, Yelp launches AI voice agents for restaurants and service providers designed to help restaurants and local service providers handle incoming phone calls, answer routine questions, and perform tasks like adding customers to waitlists.

This new feature aims to streamline customer interactions while saving time for busy business owners, especially in service industries where answering every call isn’t always possible.

What Yelp’s AI Voice Agents Can Do

Yelp’s AI agents are built to do more than just answer phones. Here’s what they can handle:

Answer FAQs – Hours, location, menu details, services offered, and more
Add customers to restaurant waitlists
Integrate with management systems to send reservation confirmations
Auto-forward calls or handle spam filtering
Provide call transcripts, summaries, and recordings post-call
Seamlessly hand off complex queries to human staff

Businesses don’t need to fuss with complex setups. Yelp says its voice agents work without API integrations, instead relying on metadata, business-specific information, pronunciation guides, and customized voice greetings.

Yelp Assistant Book Massage Conversational AI 2416x1207 1 — Image Credit: Yelp

Powered by OpenAI, Backed by Yelp’s Knowledge Graph

Yelp is leveraging OpenAI’s Realtime API to power end-to-end conversations. The AI agents are capable of real-time, natural back-and-forth interactions, using Yelp’s proprietary knowledge graph to provide accurate and relevant responses.

“We wanted to build a product that helps convert the leads that might otherwise be missed,” said Craig Saldanha, Yelp’s Chief Product Officer, in an interview with TechCrunch.

Why It Matters for Local Businesses

For small business owners, every missed call can mean a lost customer. Yelp’s AI voice agents promise to reduce friction, capture leads, and improve customer service, especially during busy hours or after hours.

As voice technology becomes more commoditized, Saldanha notes that the true competitive edge lies in the underlying data and how AI understands and handles customer intent. And that’s where Yelp believes it has a strong advantage.

The Future of Voice Tech in Local Services

Yelp’s move signals a broader trend: voice AI is becoming essential for customer experience in local commerce. With tools that talk like humans and think like Yelp, businesses can be more responsive, without lifting a finger.

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