Voice Agent

The same Vanio AI that handles your text messages also answers your property phone numbers, 24/7. When a guest calls, the AI already knows who they are, why they're probably calling, and the full context of what's happening with their reservation — including things your team has been discussing internally about it.

This is not a chatbot reading from an FAQ. It's the same brain that runs the rest of your operation, on the phone.

The scenario that shows what this really means

Booking.com cancels 10 of your reservations because of a verification issue on their side. Your operations team opens each affected reservation and writes internal notes: what happened, who's at fault, what the refund timeline looks like, who to escalate to.

An hour later, the affected guests start calling. Angry. Confused.

The AI picks up. It already knows:

• Their booking was cancelled
• It was a Booking.com platform issue, not your fault
• What your team is doing about it (because it reads the internal notes)
• What to tell the guest — refund timing, alternative dates, who to escalate to if they push

No FAQ lookup. No "let me transfer you." The AI handles a complex, evolving situation in real time because it sees exactly what your team sees.

What the AI knows during a call

• Who's calling. It matches the incoming phone number to the guest's reservation automatically. If they have multiple stays — past, current, upcoming — it politely asks which one, using the city or street so the guest recognizes it. When the system doesn't immediately recognize the caller, it smoothly asks for their name or confirmation code to look up their reservation.
• The full reservation. Dates, party size, special requests, what they paid, whether they finished verification, what upsells they bought.
• Your team's internal discussion. Notes and internal messages your team posted on this reservation. Whatever your team has diagnosed about an issue is already in the AI's head.
• The property. Address, WiFi, door codes, parking, house rules, amenities — the entire knowledge base.
• Live operational state. Is the cleaning done? What's the cleaner's ETA? Is the smart lock online and is the code programmed? What's the noise sensor reading right now?
• Past conversations. Every text, email, and previous call this guest has had with you, going back to their very first message.

What the AI can actually do on the call

Not just answer questions — take real action:

• Generate a door code and read it out, or text it mid-call so the guest has it on screen.
• Approve an early check-in after checking the cleaner's status.
• Process a refund within the rules you've set — but only for direct bookings made through your website.
• Create a maintenance task ("the AC is broken") and notify the right person on your team.
• Send a follow-up text during the call with directions, links, or codes.
• Look up another reservation if the guest mentions a friend or a previous stay.
• Check the calendar for an extension and quote a real price on the spot.
• Transfer to you when something genuinely needs a human — and now the transfer actually works, connecting the guest to your team instead of dropping the call.

More real examples

• A guest calls confused about a charge. The AI checks the payment history and explains exactly what was charged, when, and why.
• A guest calls saying "my friend in unit 503 had this problem last week." The AI looks up unit 503's history and references it.
• A guest calls with a noise complaint at 2am. The AI checks the noise sensor reading, decides whether the offending unit really is too loud, and sends a polite warning.
• A guest calls saying their door code isn't working. The AI checks if the lock is online, if the code is programmed, and if the timing window is right — then either fixes it remotely or escalates.

Setting it up

1. Go to Settings → AI → Voice.
2. Buy a phone number through Vanio in a few clicks, or attach a number you already own.
3. Pick which property the number belongs to, or leave it global.
4. Update your listings to use the new number.
5. That's it — the AI starts answering immediately.

You can add as many numbers as you need: one per property, or one shared number for everything.

Reliable call handling

The voice system has been enhanced to handle all types of callers smoothly. Whether the system immediately recognizes who's calling or needs to ask for guest information, calls now flow naturally without technical interruptions. When caller information isn't immediately available, the AI politely requests a name, email, or confirmation code to look up the reservation — no more system errors that could drop calls or create frustrating experiences for your guests.

OTA booking cancellations

When guests call to cancel reservations made through Airbnb, Booking.com, or VRBO, the AI now handles these properly by directing guests to cancel through the original platform. This ensures:

• Refunds process correctly — only the booking platform can issue refunds through their cancellation policies
• No confusing promises — the AI won't quote refund timelines that only the platform can determine
• Clear next steps — guests get specific instructions like "Open the Airbnb app, go to Trips, find this booking, and tap Cancel"

For direct bookings made through your website, the AI can still process cancellations and refunds directly according to your cancellation policy.

Escalation and transfers

When guests request to speak with someone or when the AI encounters a situation that needs human attention, the transfer system now works reliably end-to-end. The AI will:

• Connect the guest to your team using smart escalation rules you've set up
• Create a timeline entry with the full context of what happened
• Send notifications to the right team members via Slack or text
• Continue the call seamlessly — no more dropped connections

The AI also follows strict safety rules: it won't make promises it can't keep, like telling guests "I'll call you back" when it can't actually do that.

After the call

The full transcript and a short summary appear in the dashboard timeline for that reservation, right alongside texts and emails. You'll see:

• What the guest asked
• What the AI said
• Any actions the AI took during the call
• The outcome — resolved, escalated to you, or missed
• Full escalation tracking if the call was transferred to your team

If you have call recording enabled, you can listen back to the audio.

System health and support

Vanio's voice system includes built-in diagnostic capabilities that help our support team quickly resolve any calling issues you might experience. When you report a problem, our team can instantly verify:

• What version of the voice system is running
• Whether all calling services are properly configured
• System health and uptime status

This means faster troubleshooting and resolution when you need help — no more back-and-forth trying to diagnose basic connectivity issues.

Pricing

Voice calls are billed per minute. See the pricing page for current rates.

Common questions

Will guests know it's an AI? Most can't tell. The voice is natural. The AI doesn't pretend to be human, but it also doesn't announce itself.

What languages does it speak? Whatever the guest speaks. The AI detects the language and replies in the same one.

Can it escalate to me? Yes. For emergencies, complaints, or anything outside its rules, the AI transfers to you or texts you immediately. The transfer system now works reliably — guests actually get connected to your team instead of being dropped.

What about random callers who aren't guests? It politely directs them or takes a message.

What if the AI doesn't recognize who's calling? The system smoothly asks for a name, confirmation code, or email to look up their reservation. This happens seamlessly without any technical errors or dropped calls.

Can the AI cancel any type of booking? The AI can only cancel direct bookings made through your website. For Airbnb, Booking.com, or VRBO reservations, it will guide guests to cancel through those platforms to ensure refunds process correctly.

What if there are calling issues? Our support team can quickly diagnose and resolve problems using built-in system health checks — just contact us through the usual support channels.