Call transfer moves an active conversation from one destination to another, typically from an AI agent to a human representative or between departments. Transfers maintain the call connection while changing who handles it.
What are the types of call transfer?
Cold transfers, also called blind transfers, connect the caller to the new destination immediately without an introduction. Warm transfers allow the current handler to brief the receiving party before connecting the caller. Each type suits different situations and urgency levels.
Why does call transfer matter?
Not every call can be fully resolved by an AI agent. Effective transfers ensure callers reach appropriate help when needed while preserving context from the conversation so far. Poor transfer experiences, where callers repeat information or get disconnected, damage satisfaction and trust.
Call transfer in practice
When an AI agent determines a caller needs human assistance, it performs a warm transfer: placing the caller on brief hold, connecting to an available agent, providing a summary of the conversation and caller details, then bridging the caller in. The human agent starts the conversation with full context.