Glossary
Key terms in voice AI, telecommunications, and home service business.
AI Receptionist
A voice AI system that answers business phone calls, qualifies callers, books appointments, and handles customer inquiries — all without human intervention. Van Tech provides AI receptionists purpose-built for home service businesses.
Voice AI
Artificial intelligence technology that understands and generates human speech. In the context of business phone systems, voice AI combines speech-to-text (STT), large language models (LLM), and text-to-speech (TTS) to hold natural conversations with callers.
A2P 10DLC
Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code. A US carrier requirement for businesses sending text messages from standard phone numbers. Registration is required to avoid carrier filtering and ensure SMS deliverability.
STIR/SHAKEN
Secure Telephone Identity Revisited / Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs. A framework that authenticates caller ID to combat robocalls and spoofing. Calls with STIR/SHAKEN attestation are less likely to be marked as spam.
Toll-Free Number
A phone number (800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, 833 prefix) where the receiving party pays for the call instead of the caller. Van Tech provisions a dedicated toll-free number for each client.
Call Deflection
Redirecting phone calls to automated systems (AI, IVR, chatbot) instead of human agents. Van Tech deflects calls to AI while maintaining a natural conversation experience.
Speech-to-Text (STT)
Technology that converts spoken audio into written text in real-time. Van Tech uses Retell AI for STT, processing caller speech with sub-second latency.
Text-to-Speech (TTS)
Technology that converts written text into natural-sounding spoken audio. Van Tech uses Retell AI for TTS, producing human-like voice responses.
Lead Conversion Rate
The percentage of incoming leads (calls, inquiries) that convert to booked jobs. The average home service business converts 20-30% of calls. AI receptionists can improve this by answering every call and booking immediately.
After-Hours Answering
Answering business phone calls outside of normal business hours (evenings, weekends, holidays). Critical for home service businesses since 35%+ of calls happen after hours.
Field Service Management (FSM)
Software for managing field service operations including dispatching, scheduling, invoicing, and fleet tracking. Examples: ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jobber. Van Tech complements FSM tools by handling the call-answering layer.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
The total revenue a business expects from a single customer over the entire relationship. For home services, CLV includes repeat service calls, maintenance agreements, and referrals. A plumbing customer may have a CLV of $2,000-$5,000+.
TCPA Compliance
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act regulates telemarketing calls, auto-dialed calls, and text messages. Businesses must obtain consent before sending marketing texts. Van Tech SMS messages include opt-out instructions and respect do-not-call preferences.
Barge-In (Interruption)
When a caller speaks while the AI is talking, and the AI stops speaking to listen. Proper barge-in handling makes AI conversations feel natural. Van Tech supports instant barge-in detection.
Endpointing
Detecting when a speaker has finished their turn in a conversation. Accurate endpointing prevents the AI from cutting off the caller or waiting too long to respond. Van Tech uses Retell AI endpointing tuned for natural conversation flow.