Yelp App Updated With Short Video Reviews

[MacRumors]

Yelp today updated its iPhone app with the ability to shoot and upload 3 - 12 second videos, allowing users to show off their restaurant and local business experiences in yet another way.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, well now on iPhone you can take 3-12 second videos of your experiences at your favorite local businesses. So that's worth like... 30 frames per second multiplied by video length... (pulls out calculator)... between 90 and 360 thousand words! Whoa.

Previously, users could write reviews, post tips for potential customers and upload photos for users to get a better visual sense of food, location and more. With video, users can now show off a restaurant's customer service, live food reactions, noteworthy moments from city attractions and more.

Yelp for iOS is available in the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Yelp App Updated With Short Video Reviews

 

[RobertMartens]

This is revolutionary.

Seriously, who was going to write 90,000 words about a cheeseburger. We ain't all Hemingways you know.

 

[saintforlife]

Apple should just go ahead and acquire Yelp. It is already nicely integrated with Apple Maps.

 

[PocketSand11]

Judging by the poor quality of the reviews, I don't know what to expect when opening a Yelp video.

 

[SimonTheSoundMa]

Elites have had this feature for a while, good to see it has gone to all users now.

 

[macduke]

So you're telling me the obnoxious people at the table across from me aren't only going to be Instagramming their food, but doing live video reviews now?

Dammit. This wouldn't be acceptable in a movie theatre—so why is it acceptable in a restaurant?

 

[mediababy]

No Thanks

I consider yelp an extortion racket. I hate that my favorite company in the world Apple partnered with such a criminal acting outfit. My customers have never been able to leave a positive review that stuck after yelp sales reps offered to "manage my reviews" for a fee of course. When I refused all positive reviews were buried & negatives all popped up in a matter of days commenting about things that don't even apply to our business. No thanks I have read too many of the same horror stories about them extorting other small businesses.

 

[oliversl]

Yelp does not work worldwide, I mean worldwide in every country of the world. Sad choice for Apple.

 

[MacGeek1987]

Never really found yelp useful. Hate to admit it, but I actually prefer Google reviews since when I'm looking for a business, I tend to Google it. I don't see adding video changing that.

 

[C DM]

Never really found yelp useful. Hate to admit it, but I actually prefer Google reviews since when I'm looking for a business, I tend to Google it. I don't see adding video changing that.

Does Google have enough people actually reviewing to make it useful? Yahoo! had that for some time, but even that wasn't as much as Yelp.

 

[petsounds]

This is revolutionary.

Seriously, who was going to write 90,000 words about a cheeseburger. We ain't all Hemingways you know.

"It was an honest burger and the bun had pride and the fries looked like the men I saw fall in the war. And I ate and drank with gusto and then made love to my Elizabeth and with that cheeseburger in my stomach I felt alive."

 

[reden]

So you're telling me the obnoxious people at the table across from me aren't only going to be Instagramming their food, but doing live video reviews now?

Dammit. This wouldn't be acceptable in a movie theatre—so why is it acceptable in a restaurant?

In all honesty, no one's forcing you to watch these videos.

 

[macduke]

In all honesty, no one's forcing you to watch these videos.

You missed the point completely. I'm going to have to listen to people obnoxiously reviewing their food—live in the restaurant not the app—no doubt using a louder than normal announcer voice. What's next, boom mics and soft boxes? (Joke) But seriously, a restaurant is for eating, not personal video production at the expense of other guests.

 

[MacGeek1987]

Does Google have enough people actually reviewing to make it useful? Yahoo! had that for some time, but even that wasn't as much as Yelp.

I guess that would depend on your location and what your looking for. I haven't had any issues.

 

[lordofthereef]

You missed the point completely. I'm going to have to listen to people obnoxiously reviewing their food—live in the restaurant not the app—no doubt using a louder than normal announcer voice. What's next, boom mics and soft boxes? (Joke) But seriously, a restaurant is for eating, not personal video production at the expense of other guests.

The videos are limited to a maximum of twelve seconds, definitely not enough time for a (worthwhile) review. The point is to get a quick view of the interior and ambiance of the place.

I don't necessarily disagree with your views in restaurants being for eating but it's sort of what smartphones in every pocket has done.

I read an interesting article on a restaurant that started getting bad reviews on the time it takes to. Get food to the table and that food often arrived cold. Because they had been around for over two decades they decided to look into it reviewing camera footage. Turned out people spend so much time in their phones before, during, and after ordering and even after good arrived, the conclusion was that service was slower due to servers having to come to the table repeatedly and food was cold because people were spending too much time photographing and posting it rather than eating it when it was served.

----------

Does Google have enough people actually reviewing to make it useful? Yahoo! had that for some time, but even that wasn't as much as Yelp.

It really depends. I've actually found google reviewers to be less picky (give higher ratings). There are also fewer ratings overall, generally speaking. I would think Boston and her surrounding cities would be a better than average reciew rate.

I guess it depends whether the number of reviews matters to you or not. Yelp also incentivizes really good reviewers (so people are encourage to review more) while google does not (to my knowledge)

 

[ILikeAllOS]

So you're telling me the obnoxious people at the table across from me aren't only going to be Instagramming their food, but doing live video reviews now?

Dammit. This wouldn't be acceptable in a movie theatre—so why is it acceptable in a restaurant?

Only saving grace is that at least it seems to be limited to 3-12 seconds, but still...

 

[jhtrico1850]

I still haven't signed up for Yelp because they don't have Facebook signup like Tripadvisor lol.

 

[mongobongo]

I read an interesting article on a restaurant that started getting bad reviews on the time it takes to. Get food to the table and that food often arrived cold. Because they had been around for over two decades they decided to look into it reviewing camera footage. Turned out people spend so much time in their phones before, during, and after ordering and even after good arrived, the conclusion was that service was slower due to servers having to come to the table repeatedly and food was cold because people were spending too much time photographing and posting it rather than eating it when it was served.

http://www.quickmeme.com/p/3vy90w

 

[macduke]

I read an interesting article on a restaurant that started getting bad reviews on the time it takes to. Get food to the table and that food often arrived cold. Because they had been around for over two decades they decided to look into it reviewing camera footage. Turned out people spend so much time in their phones before, during, and after ordering and even after good arrived, the conclusion was that service was slower due to servers having to come to the table repeatedly and food was cold because people were spending too much time photographing and posting it rather than eating it when it was served.

My wife sent me that same article recently! That's partially why this whole thing pisses me off. These poor servers, which are usually college students who are already under a pile of debt, have to deal with this ridiculous new generation of customers who expect instant gratification but will now spend a bunch of time reviewing the place and complaining about everything. The whole cycle is ridiculous and is turning our society into a bunch of whiny-pants have-it-alls. Everybody suddenly thinks their a "foodie" because they watch Top Chef, or a photographer because they have a camera app that applies stupid filters. And they have to whine about it incessantly. I've sent food back maybe twice ever, and it was for pretty major offenses. All I ask for is a nice, peaceful dinner with my wife on the town twice per month. She enjoys it and I usually like the food. The rest of the time I couldn't care less—would rather be chilling out in the woods somewhere or at home grilling/smoking with my Kamado.

 

[lordofthereef]

My wife sent me that same article recently! That's partially why this whole thing pisses me off. These poor servers, which are usually college students who are already under a pile of debt, have to deal with this ridiculous new generation of customers who expect instant gratification but will now spend a bunch of time reviewing the place and complaining about everything. The whole cycle is ridiculous and is turning our society into a bunch of whiny-pants have-it-alls. Everybody suddenly thinks their a "foodie" because they watch Top Chef, or a photographer because they have a camera app that applies stupid filters. And they have to whine about it incessantly. I've sent food back maybe twice ever, and it was for pretty major offenses. All I ask for is a nice, peaceful dinner with my wife on the town twice per month. She enjoys it and I usually like the food. The rest of the time I couldn't care less—would rather be chilling out in the woods somewhere or at home grilling/smoking with my Kamado.

Unfortunately it sort of is what it is. There isn't any changing it. Sure a restaurant can set policies in place, but unless they are a higher end establishment I am betting their business would severely decline if they were slapping you on the wrist, or worse, every time you pulled your phone out.

For me the pictures and reviewers have replaced the annoying party with too many drinks and the tables with screaming kids. It's just as annoying. Just a different annoyance. Until I have the means to pay a private chef (read: never) it's just something I know I have to live with.

 

[milo]

Ugh. How about adding a feature that's actually useful, like "ignore" for obviously idiotic reviewers I never want to read again?

And what the hell is with the option to tag a review as "funny"? I want the review to tell me if the restaurant is good or not, the last thing they should be doing is trying to encourage reviewers to try and be funny.

 

[WinstonRumfoord]

I consider yelp an extortion racket. I hate that my favorite company in the world Apple partnered with such a criminal acting outfit. My customers have never been able to leave a positive review that stuck after yelp sales reps offered to "manage my reviews" for a fee of course. When I refused all positive reviews were buried & negatives all popped up in a matter of days commenting about things that don't even apply to our business. No thanks I have read too many of the same horror stories about them extorting other small businesses.

This times 1000000000000

Yelp is sooooo terrible, I cannot stand it and lend it absolutely NO credence whatsoever.

It's two hairs away from an extortion racket and I wouldn't be surprised if it got slammed out of existence with a class action someday, *fingers crossed*

Hearing them piss and moan about google brings a tear of joy to my eye...

 

[Glassed Silver]

So you're telling me the obnoxious people at the table across from me aren't only going to be Instagramming their food, but doing live video reviews now?

Dammit. This wouldn't be acceptable in a movie theatre—so why is it acceptable in a restaurant?

Because you don't listen to your food's dialogues.


Glassed Silver:mac