AI Customer Service Glossary

Terms that come up when choosing AI customer service and WhatsApp automation for your business — explained plainly, honestly, and without jargon that obscures costs.

AI Customer Service

An AI system that automatically replies to customer chats (WhatsApp, Instagram, and other channels) 24/7 in your business’s brand voice — answering questions, processing orders, and handing off to a human agent when needed. Unlike rigid menu-based chatbots, AI Customer Service understands conversational context.

Per-conversation pricing

Meta’s / WhatsApp Business API billing model: you are charged per 24-hour conversation window, not per message. Each time a new conversation opens within 24 hours, a single fee applies. At high volumes, this model makes billing difficult to predict.

MAU (Monthly Active Users)

The number of unique customers who interact in a given month. Some platforms charge per-MAU — meaning every contact who chats, even if only once, adds to your bill. Customer growth directly increases costs.

MAC (Monthly Active Contacts)

A variant of MAU used by some multi-channel platforms. Same principle: costs rise with the number of active contacts, not with the value you get from those conversations.

Per-reply model

Spicelab’s billing model: you pay a monthly plan with a quota of AI replies, and the number of customer contacts is never limited. Costs only increase when AI replies exceed the quota — not every time a new customer says hello.

Spark

Spicelab’s top-up replies at Rp 500 per reply, used when your plan quota runs out before the end of the month. You add capacity as you need it without being forced to upgrade. As the quota approaches its limit, the AI keeps serving customers via Economy Mode — it does not go offline.

Economy Mode

Spicelab’s graceful-degradation mechanism when the reply quota approaches its limit. Instead of stopping replies entirely, the AI adjusts how it responds so customers remain served until you top up via Spark or the next billing period begins.

Brand voice

The distinct tone, language style, and personality a brand uses when communicating. In AI Customer Service, brand voice is calibrated (e.g. formal or casual, greetings, sign-offs) so that AI replies sound like your own team rather than a generic bot.

WhatsApp Business API

Meta’s official channel for businesses to send and receive WhatsApp messages at scale through third-party systems. Unlike the regular WhatsApp Business app, the API enables automation and official integration, so the risk of being blocked is zero when using a verified partner.

BSP (Business Solution Provider)

A Meta-verified partner authorized to provide access to the WhatsApp Business API. Registering through a verified BSP is required for an official business number and green tick, and it keeps your account safe from block risk.

Handover (escalation)

The moment the AI transfers a conversation to a human agent — for example when a customer requests a refund, raises a serious complaint, or touches a topic outside the AI’s scope. Clear handover rules keep the customer experience safe in sensitive cases.