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Glossary

Customer communication glossary

The words behind modern customer conversations, defined plainly: messaging channels, AI agents, telephony, routing and the metrics teams run on. 44 terms, each with how it works in Lodgestory.

2

24-Hour Messaging WindowWhatsApp's rule limiting free-form replies to 24 hours after the last customer message.

A

AI Approval WorkflowGating specific actions of an AI agent behind a human decision: approve, edit, or reject.Agent HandoffTransferring a conversation from a bot or AI to a human agent.API KeyA unique identifier used to authenticate API requests.

B

Bounce RateThe percentage of messages that fail to reach recipients.Broadcast CampaignA mass messaging campaign sent to a large audience simultaneously.BSP (Business Solution Provider)An official Meta partner authorised to provide WhatsApp Business API access.

C

CDP (Customer Data Platform)A system that unifies customer data from multiple sources into a single profile.CES (Customer Effort Score)A metric measuring how easy it was for a customer to resolve an issue.Chat TransferMoving an active conversation from one agent or team to another.Click-to-CallA button that initiates a phone call directly from a website or app.Collision DetectionPreventing two agents from replying to the same conversation simultaneously.Conversation RoutingAutomatically directing incoming conversations to the right agent or team.CRM (Customer Relationship Management)Software for managing customer interactions, data, and relationships.CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score)A metric measuring customer satisfaction with a specific interaction.

D

DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology for SMS)A mandatory registration system for commercial SMS in India.

E

Escalation RulesAutomated triggers that escalate conversations when SLAs are at risk.

G

Green Tick VerificationThe official verification badge for WhatsApp Business accounts.

H

Human-in-the-Loop AI AgentAn AI agent that pauses for a person at defined moments — to ask a question or get a change approved — and then continues.HIPAAUS healthcare privacy regulation governing protected health information.

I

IVR (Interactive Voice Response)An automated phone system that routes callers using voice or keypad input.

K

Knowledge BaseA structured repository of information used by agents and AI bots.

L

LinkedIn CRMA CRM that reads and replies to LinkedIn conversations alongside its other records.LinkedIn Page InboxThe message inbox belonging to a LinkedIn company Page, separate from any personal inbox.

N

NPS (Net Promoter Score)A metric measuring customer loyalty based on likelihood to recommend.

O

OmnichannelA unified customer experience across all communication channels.Opt-InExplicit consent from a user to receive messages from a business.

P

Promotional SMSMarketing text messages sent to promote products or offers.PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network)The traditional circuit-switched telephone network.

R

REST APIAn architectural style for building web APIs using HTTP methods.Round-Robin RoutingDistributing conversations equally among available agents in rotation.

S

SDK (Software Development Kit)A collection of tools and libraries for building applications on a platform.Sender IDThe name or number displayed as the sender of an SMS message.SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)A signalling protocol for initiating and managing voice and video calls.SIP TrunkingA service that connects a business phone system to the PSTN via the internet.SLA (Service Level Agreement)A commitment defining response and resolution time targets for support.SOC 2A security compliance framework for service organisations.Social MonitoringTracking brand mentions across social media platforms.

T

Transactional SMSNon-promotional text messages triggered by user actions or system events.

U

Unified InboxA single workspace where conversations from every channel are managed together.

W

WebhookAn HTTP callback that sends real-time event notifications to your server.WebRTCA browser technology enabling real-time voice and video without plugins.WhatsApp Cloud APIMeta's hosted version of the WhatsApp Business API.WhatsApp Message TemplateA pre-approved message format required for initiating WhatsApp conversations.

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