Transferring business calls sounds easy, but it can go wrong fast. Maybe you sent the caller to the wrong person. Maybe the line goes dead. Or maybe the customer ends up stuck on voicemail or forced to rely on filing a support ticket that can only be answered hours later.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to transfer calls the right way on any device. This way, you can help every customer get to the right contact without any confusion.
What’s the Difference Between Call Transfer & Call Forwarding?
Call transfer and call forwarding might sound the same, but they work in different ways. Both let you move a current call to someone else, but how and when you do it is not the same.
What is Call Transfer?
Call transfer is used while you are on the phone with someone. For example, if a customer calls your business phone number with a question and you are not the right person to help, you can click transfer and send the call to a teammate who can help.
You can consult with the teammate first or transfer the call right away. The caller does not need to hang up or call again. This makes the process quick and easy.
What is Call Forwarding?
Call forwarding works a bit differently. It does not happen during a current call. Instead, it sends calls to someone else when you are not able to answer.
You can forward calls to your mobile, another team member, or even to voicemail. This way, the customer always reaches someone who can respond, even if you are not free.
Keep customers on the line, not stuck on hold. Check out Talkroute’s live call transfer in action.
Two Main Types of Call Transfer
You’ve probably heard the terms cold transfer and warm transfer—two common ways to pass a call to someone else. Here’s the difference between the two:
Cold Transfer
A cold transfer, also known as a blind transfer, happens when you send a caller to someone else without saying anything to the next person.
You don’t give them a heads-up or share any details about the caller. The person taking the call has no idea who is on the line or what the call is about.
For example, if a customer calls about a billing problem, and you transfer the call right away to the billing department without talking to them first, that’s a cold transfer.
Warm Transfer
A warm transfer, also known as an attended transfer, is more thoughtful. Before you send the call to someone else, you speak to that person first. You tell them who the caller is and what they need help with. Then you connect the call.
Let’s say a customer calls about a billing issue. You talk to the billing team first and explain the problem. By the time you connect the call, they’re already up to speed.
So when the billing person picks up, they’re ready to help right away. The point is, sharing the issue ahead of time makes the whole call smoother for everyone.
Transfer Calls In Your Business Without the Hassle with Talkroute
Want your team to send a live call to the right person? Talkroute makes it easy.
Talkroute is a phone system that works on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. You can make and transfer live calls, send texts, check voicemail, and even join video meetings, all from one app.
With live call transfer, you don’t have to hang up and call again. You just press a button and pass the call to someone else. It’s that simple. Your caller doesn’t wait long, and your team stays connected.
This works whether your team is using a computer, smartphone, or tablet. Everyone can transfer calls smoothly, no matter where they are.
Maybe your support team wants to send a customer to IT support to help them create their account. Or someone in sales wants to hand off a call to a manager. With Talkroute, they can do that in seconds.
No back-and-forth. No hold time. Just clear, smooth hand-offs.
Start using Talkroute and give your callers the right help, right away. Sign up today!
How to Do a Cold Transfer with Talkroute
Talkroute allows you to do live transfers on any device. All you need is the Talkroute app. It runs on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and web browsers. You can switch between devices anytime and still stay on the same call or message thread.
Here’s how you can transfer a live call to another party using Talkroute without needing to speak to them first.
Step 1: Start typing the # key twice while you’re on the call. You’ll hear a prompt that tells you the system is ready to transfer the call.
Step 2: Once you hear the dial tone, type in the 4-digit transfer code for the person or place you want to send the call to.
Step 3: After you enter the code, you’ll hear a message that says “Transfer complete, you may hang up.” Once you hang up, the caller will be sent to the number you picked.
If you decide not to complete the transfer, press the * key. This will cancel the transfer and keep the call on your line.
Keep in mind, if you’re transferring to a forwarding number and no one picks up, the call will come back to you. If voicemail or an automated system answers, the call will stay there and not return.
How to Do a Warm Transfer with Talkroute
Want to do a warm transfer instead? Check out the following steps on how to do it with Talkroute.
Step 1: While you’re on a live call, press the # key twice on your phone. This will start the transfer process. You’ll hear a voice prompt letting you know it’s active.
Step 2: Next, when you hear the dial tone, enter the 4-digit transfer code for the person you want to talk to.
Step 3: After you enter the code, you’ll hear a message that says “Transfer complete, you may hang up.” Don’t hang up.
Stay on the line and you’ll be connected to the person you’re transferring the call to. Once you finish talking to them, you can hang up. The caller will then be connected to that person.
Please note that if you want to stop the transfer and keep the call with you, press the * key before it connects.
If you forward an inbound call to another number and no one answers, the call will come back to you. But if that number has voicemail or an automated greeting, the call will stay there and won’t return to you.
For testing, make sure you’re calling your Talkroute number from a phone that isn’t listed as a forwarding number.
If you make an outbound call from a forwarding number, the call might drop or trigger outbound dialing, depending on your settings. We encourage you to always check your settings page before making calls.
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FAQs About How to Transfer Calls
How do I transfer a call to another phone?
To transfer a call to another phone, wait for an active call, then press the transfer button or select transfer on your screen.
You can either do a cold transfer by dialing the number and hitting transfer right away, or you can first speak to the recipient before completing the transfer. This works on most office phone and cell phone systems that support call transfer features.
What is *72 used for?
72 is used to activate call forwarding on your phone. When you dial 72 followed by a number, incoming calls to your current line will be sent to the number you entered.
It’s a helpful feature if you want to forward calls to another line, especially when you’re away or need someone else on your team to answer.
How do I transfer a phone call to another extension?
During an active call on your office phone, press the transfer button, dial the extension, and then either speak to the person or hit transfer to complete the call transfer.
You can do a blind transfer if you don’t need to introduce the caller. This keeps the conversation smooth and helps the caller reach the right person quickly.
How do I transfer my call list to another phone?
To transfer your call list to another phone, make sure both devices are compatible and signed in with the same account or cloud backup service.
Go to settings, search for call logs or history, and follow the steps to sync or move data. This way, you won’t lose track of your calls when switching to a new device.
Stephanie
Stephanie is the Marketing Director at Talkroute and has been featured in Forbes, Inc, and Entrepreneur as a leading authority on business and telecommunications.
Stephanie is also the chief editor and contributing author for the Talkroute blog helping more than 200k entrepreneurs to start, run, and grow their businesses.
