How to Manage Tags in Avoca (ServiceTitan)

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How ServiceTitan Tags Work and How Avoca Determines Which Tags To Apply

In ServiceTitan, all tags exist in a single unified system. There is no technical difference between “customer tags” and “job tags” When Avoca books a job, it can automatically determine and apply tags based on:

1. Customer information pulled from ServiceTitan - If the customer has an active membership, Avoca can auto-apply a “Member” tag
2. The nature of the call - Emergency situations, equipment age mentioned by the customer
3. Custom guidance you provide - Descriptions you write explaining when specific tags should be used

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Configuring Tags in Your Avoca Dashboard

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Step 1: Sync Tags from ServiceTitan

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Step 3: Understanding the Tag Toggles

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Adding a Tag to a Job

Controls: Whether this tag can be automatically added to jobs when Avoca books an appointment

• Enabled (ON): Avoca can add this tag to jobs based on the call content and your guidance
• Disabled (OFF): Avoca will never add this tag to jobs, even if conditions match

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Checking for Customer Tags

Controls: Whether Avoca should automatically check if the tag already exists in ServiceTitan and apply it accordingly

• Enabled (ON): Before the call ends, Avoca checks if this tag is already present in ServiceTitan on the customer/location/equipment. If found, Avoca applies it to the job
• Disabled (OFF): Avoca will only apply the tag if the AI determines it should be added based on the call content and your guidance

When to enable:

• Membership tags - Auto-detect existing memberships and apply to jobs without asking
• Equipment tags - If equipment records show certain attributes, apply them automatically
• Customer preference tags - If already flagged in the system, carry forward to the job

When to disable:

• Tags that need to be determined fresh on every call
• Emergency tags that depend on the current situation, not historical data
• Tags where historical presence doesn’t mean it should apply to this specific job

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Example Configuration Scenarios

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Scenario 1: Membership Tag

Tag Name: “Member”

• Include in Job Tags: ✅ ON - Should be added to every job for members
• Include in Customer Tags: ✅ ON - Describes a customer attribute
• Auto-detect from ServiceTitan: ✅ ON - If customer has active membership in ST, automatically apply to job without asking

Why this works: Members get automatic benefits, so detecting and applying this tag prevents the AI from asking “Are you a member?” every time.

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Scenario 2: Emergency Tag

Tag Name: “No_Heat”

• Include in Job Tags: ✅ ON - Describes the nature of this specific job
• Include in Customer Tags: ❌ OFF - Not a permanent customer attribute
• Auto-detect from ServiceTitan: ❌ OFF - Past “No_Heat” jobs don’t mean this call is also for no heat

Why this works: Emergency tags describe the current situation, not the customer themselves, and shouldn’t carry forward from history.

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Scenario 3: VIP Customer

Tag Name: “VIP”

• Include in Job Tags: ⚠️ DEPENDS - Do you want every job for VIP customers tagged?
• Include in Customer Tags: ✅ ON - Describes customer status
• Auto-detect from ServiceTitan: ✅ ON - If customer is VIP in ST, carry that forward

Why this works: VIP status is a customer attribute that should be preserved and may need to be added to jobs for priority handling.

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Scenario 4: Internal Operational Tag

Tag Name: “Do Not Service”

• Include in Job Tags: ❌ OFF - Shouldn’t be added to new jobs
• Include in Customer Tags: ❌ OFF - Should only be manually added by your team
• Auto-detect from ServiceTitan: ✅ ON - If present, Avoca should be aware (may affect booking logic)

Why this works: This is an internal flag that shouldn’t be automatically applied but should be detected to inform booking decisions.

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Why Tag Descriptions Matter

Just like with Job Types and Business Units, tag descriptions are critical for AI accuracy. The AI uses your descriptions to determine when a tag should be applied.

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Without Descriptions

If you don’t provide descriptions, the AI must guess based solely on the tag name:

• “Member” could mean member of what? A club? A mailing list?
• “Commercial” could refer to commercial properties, commercial-grade equipment, or commercial rates
• “Water_Heater_Age:8+” is unclear without context

This leads to:

• ❌ Tags applied incorrectly
• ❌ Tags missed when they should be applied
• ❌ Confusion about which tags to use

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With Clear Descriptions

When you provide clear descriptions, the AI can accurately determine when to apply tags:

• ✅ Tags applied based on conversation context
• ✅ Consistent tagging across all calls
• ✅ Better downstream workflows and reporting

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Writing Effective Tag Descriptions

Format your descriptions as guidance for the AI: Good examples:

• ✅ “Apply when customer has an active membership or service plan in ServiceTitan”
• ✅ “Apply when customer reports no heating and temperature is uncomfortable/dangerous”
• ✅ “Apply when equipment mentioned is 10 years or older”
• ✅ “Apply when service address is a commercial business, not residential”

Poor examples:

• ❌ “Member tag” (doesn’t explain when to apply)
• ❌ “For emergencies” (too vague - what qualifies?)
• ❌ “Use this for old equipment” (how old?)

Best practices:

1. Be specific - Include clear criteria for when the tag applies
2. Use customer language - “No heat”, “won’t start”, “leaking” vs. technical jargon
3. Define thresholds - “10+ years old”, “urgent/emergency”, “same day need”
4. Mention auto-detection - “Automatically applied if customer has active membership in ServiceTitan”

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Adding Tag Descriptions

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Common Tag Types & Recommendations

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Membership Tags

Examples: “Member”, “Club Member”, “Service Agreement” Recommended Configuration:

• Include in Job Tags: ✅ ON
• Include in Customer Tags: ✅ ON
• Auto-detect from ServiceTitan: ✅ ON

Description Template:

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Emergency Tags

Examples: “No_Heat”, “No_Cool”, “No_Power”, “Water_Leak” Recommended Configuration:

• Include in Job Tags: ✅ ON
• Include in Customer Tags: ❌ OFF
• Auto-detect from ServiceTitan: ❌ OFF

Description Template:

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Equipment Age Tags

Examples: “HVAC_Age:10+”, “Water_Heater_Age:8+”, “Old_Equipment” Recommended Configuration:

• Include in Job Tags: ✅ ON
• Include in Customer Tags: ❌ OFF
• Auto-detect from ServiceTitan: ✅ ON (if equipment records are maintained)

Description Template:

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Customer Type Tags

Examples: “Commercial”, “Residential”, “Rental_Property”, “HOA” Recommended Configuration:

• Include in Job Tags: ⚠️ OPTIONAL
• Include in Customer Tags: ✅ ON
• Auto-detect from ServiceTitan: ✅ ON

Description Template:

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Operational Tags

Examples: “VIP”, “Do Not Service”, “Payment_Plan”, “Warranty” Recommended Configuration:

• Include in Job Tags: ⚠️ VARIES
• Include in Customer Tags: ⚠️ VARIES
• Auto-detect from ServiceTitan: ✅ ON

Description Template:

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Advanced: Tag Guidance Field

For customers with backend access or through your CSM, you can provide a comprehensive job_tag_guidance field that gives the AI overarching instructions for all tags. Example tag guidance: This provides context across all tags and helps the AI make better decisions when multiple tags could apply.

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Testing Your Tag Configuration

After configuring tags, test with realistic scenarios:

1. Make test calls covering different situations (members, emergencies, equipment ages)
2. Check ServiceTitan to verify tags were applied correctly
3. Review call transcripts in Avoca Dashboard to see what the AI detected
4. Adjust descriptions if tags are being missed or misapplied
5. Monitor for a few days and iterate based on real usage

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Troubleshooting

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Issue: Tags not being applied at all

Check:

• Is include_job_tags enabled in your Responder Webhook Configurations?
• Are the appropriate toggles turned ON for the tags you expect?
• Do your tag descriptions provide clear guidance on when to apply?

Solution: Contact your CSM or support@avoca.ai to verify backend configuration and review your tag descriptions.

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Issue: Wrong tags being applied

Check:

• Are multiple tags too similar in name or description?
• Is “Auto-detect from ServiceTitan” enabled when it shouldn’t be?
• Are tag descriptions clear and specific enough?

Solution: Refine descriptions to be more specific and ensure toggles match your intended behavior.

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Issue: Tags applied to wrong entity (job vs. customer)

Check:

• Are both “Include in Job Tags” and “Include in Customer Tags” enabled when only one should be?
• Does your description clarify which entity type this applies to?

Solution: Disable the toggle for the entity type that shouldn’t receive this tag and clarify in the description.

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Issue: Membership tags require asking “Are you a member?”

Check:

• Is “Auto-detect from ServiceTitan” enabled for your membership tag?
• Does the customer have the membership properly set up in ServiceTitan?

Solution: Enable auto-detection and verify ServiceTitan membership records are accurate.

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Best Practices Summary

✅ Enable tag assignment through your Avoca CSM before configuring individual tags ✅ Write clear descriptions that tell the AI exactly when to apply each tag ✅ Configure toggles carefully based on whether tags describe jobs, customers, or should be auto-detected ✅ Start with high-impact tags (membership, emergency, equipment age) before expanding ✅ Test thoroughly with realistic scenarios before going live ✅ Monitor and iterate based on actual call data and outcomes ✅ Keep tag lists manageable - too many tags increases the chance of errors ✅ Use consistent naming - Follow patterns like “Equipment_Type_Age:X+” for clarity ❌ Don’t enable both job and customer toggles unless the tag genuinely applies to both contexts ❌ Don’t rely solely on auto-detection for tags that need fresh evaluation each call ❌ Don’t use vague descriptions - be specific about when and how tags should be applied

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Additional Resources

• ServiceTitan Tag Documentation - Your ServiceTitan help center for tag best practices
• Avoca Capacity Planning - How tags integrate with Adaptive Capacity rules
• Business Unit & Job Type Guide - Related configuration for optimal AI booking

Need Help? Contact your Avoca Customer Success Manager or email support@avoca.ai with specific examples of tag behaviors you want to configure.