Vale Dry Dock
Vale is a property Voice AI agent designed to find and open property pages from a caller's spoken request. In this call, she heard Barrydale as Barridale and could not open the right property. I found where the name first went wrong, changed the two settings that could affect it, and tested the full call again.
One wrong place name can send a customer to the wrong result.
This Vale Dry Dock page lets you hear the failed call, see what I changed, and compare it with a later test. It also explains what this single comparison cannot prove. The operating rule is simple: find the first clear mistake, make the narrowest change, then test the customer's full task again.
Before
I asked Vale for a property in Barrydale. The written call record showed Barridale instead, and Vale did not open the property I wanted. This page starts with that one failed call.
Stage proof
I asked Vale for a property in Barrydale. The written call record showed Barridale instead, and Vale did not open the property I wanted. This page starts with that one failed call.
Before
Hear me ask for Barrydale and Vale fail to reach the right property. If you cannot play the recording, the written result is included below.
First call, 17 August 2026, 24 seconds
What I checked
A name can go wrong at four points. Hear: Did Vale receive the right name? Understand: Did it connect the name to the right request? Format: Did it write the name correctly? Speak: Did it say the name correctly? The first clear mistake appeared in the written call record. I removed incorrect place-name versions Vale had been told to expect, kept Barrydale, and added a spelling rule that changes Barridale to Barrydale before Vale replies.
Step 1
Hear
Step 2
Understand
Step 3
Format
Step 4
Speak
The four checks above help locate the mistake. These three settings affect different parts of the call, so each one needs to be considered separately.
Four places to check
The video shows the written call record, the two settings I changed, and the later test. The notes below explain the same steps if you do not watch the video.
Process evidence
I trace where Barrydale first became Barridale, change the place names Vale should expect and the spelling rule used before speech, then review the later call.
Fallback path
If the embed is blocked or skipped, use the written notes below or open the video directly on YouTube.
Open on YouTubeTranscript notes
YouTube evidenceNote 1
The first written call record saved Barrydale as Barridale, and Vale did not open the right property.
Note 2
I check hearing, understanding, writing, and speaking separately so I can start where the first clear error appears.
Note 3
I remove incorrect place-name versions Vale had been told to expect and keep Barrydale. This may help Vale hear the name correctly, but cannot guarantee it.
Note 4
I add a spelling rule that changes Barridale to Barrydale before Vale replies. It does not change the original written record of what the caller said.
Note 5
The later test finds 7 Karoo Lane, opens the property page, says Barrydale correctly in my assessment, and saves the right spelling.
Note 6
The video also explains pronunciation dictionaries, which control how a word is spoken. I did not change one in this test.
After
Vale recognised Barrydale, found the property at 7 Karoo Lane, and opened its page. Vale said the place name correctly in my assessment, and the written call record saved Barrydale with the correct spelling.
Stage proof
Vale recognised Barrydale, found the property at 7 Karoo Lane, and opened its page. Vale said the place name correctly in my assessment, and the written call record saved Barrydale with the correct spelling.
After
Hear Vale find the Barrydale property and continue the call using the correct place name. The written result is included below if you cannot play the recording.
Later test, 25 August 2026, 34 seconds
What this shows
Changing every speech setting would make it harder to know what solved the problem. The first clear mistake gives you a better place to start.
Signal 01
It showed that Barrydale had become Barridale. That gave me a clear place to start instead of changing every speech setting.
Signal 02
I changed the place names Vale should expect and added a spelling correction before Vale replies. I did not change every speech setting.
Signal 03
The later call had to do more than sound right. Vale had to find 7 Karoo Lane, open the property page, say Barrydale correctly in my assessment, and save the right spelling.
When this happened
This is when I reviewed the failed call, changed the two settings, and ran the later test.
2026-08-25
Issue
The first call saved Barrydale as Barridale and did not open the right property.
Process applied
I checked where the name first went wrong, removed incorrect place-name versions Vale had been told to expect, kept Barrydale, and added a spelling correction before speech.
Outcome
The later test recognised Barrydale, found and opened 7 Karoo Lane, said the name correctly in my assessment, and saved the correct spelling. This remains one observed example.
Next step
Start with the call where it failed, not a guess about the cause.
I review what the customer said, what the agent wrote, what it did next, and what it said aloud. Then I change only the setting linked to the first clear error and test the whole task again. You get the recordings, the result, and the limits of what that test proves.
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