Posted 8 hours ago8 hr comment_12351 Yelp announced 15 new features and updates to make it faster and easier for users to hire service professionals and for restaurants to manage their front-of-house operations. Many of these upgrades are powered by AI. Details. Yelp Assistant, launched in 2024, now uses AI-powered photo recognition to identify project needs. Users can simply upload a photo (e.g., a leaking pipe, car damage) and Yelp will quickly match them with the right service pro. Alongside smarter matching, Yelp is debuting AI-driven “response quality badges” to spotlight service providers who give clear, helpful replies. Businesses are rated based on whether they quote pricing, acknowledge project details, and offer thoughtful follow-up, instead of vague responses. To help national service brands manage leads more efficiently, Yelp is integrating its Leads API with Zapier. This no-code solution lets businesses sync Yelp leads into more than 800 CRM tools, cutting down manual work and speeding up customer responses. For restaurants. Yelp’s Guest Manager is getting a major upgrade. Yelp is introducing automated Guest Experience Surveys to gather feedback on food, service, and overall experience. Restaurants can spot trends through a new dashboard, with AI-driven insights coming soon. Reservation management is also getting smarter. Restaurants can now offer guaranteed seating areas – like patios or bars – directly through Yelp. Diners will see real-time updates about their waitlist status on their iPhone lock screens. Enhanced tools for shift scheduling, waitlist automation, and traffic tracking aim to give restaurants more control over their front-of-house flow. Why we care. These updates make it easier to capture and convert high-quality leads. With AI-powered photo recognition and response quality badges, businesses can connect faster with customers who have clearer, more detailed project needs. Plus, new integrations like the Zapier connection streamline lead management, helping advertisers respond quicker, track performance better, and ultimately close more deals with less manual effort. On the restaurant side, new Guest Experience Surveys, smarter reservation tools, and real-time waitlist tracking help businesses deliver a better guest experience and capture more reservations directly from Yelp and social media. Together, these upgrades mean businesses can build stronger customer relationships, operate more efficiently, and drive more revenue from Yelp’s platform. What’s next. Yelp plans to roll out Android and desktop support for AI photo recognition later this year. Nationwide availability for AI-powered response badges is coming soon. AI analytics for Guest Experience Surveys will launch in the coming months. View the full article
