How to transfer calls effectively in 5 steps

Transferring a call might sound simple, but in the moment, it can feel stressful — like when the caller’s issue is urgent or you’re worried about dropping the call. The truth is, the way you hand off a call shapes your customer’s experience just as much as the conversation itself. 

However, if you’re not sure how to transfer calls on different devices or are looking to provide smoother handoffs between teammates, we’ll walk you through the process step by step. We’ll also share call transfer etiquette tips to help you leave a good impression on your callers.

What’s the difference between call transfer and call forwarding?

Call transfer and call forwarding sound similar, but they work differently. 

With call forwarding, the incoming call is automatically sent to another number before anyone answers. For example, someone can set up call forwarding if they’re out of the office on vacation. This way, callers can still reach another member of your team instead of leaving a message or contacting a competitor. 

With call transfers, the call is answered first. The person who picks up decides if they need to connect the caller with someone else. They’ll press the transfer button, introduce the caller if needed, and then leave the conversation. 

The 2 types of call transfers

As you may know, call transfers can be warm or cold, depending on how the first rep hands off the call to the next.

When you introduce the caller and the person you’re transferring the call to, it’s a warm call transfer. If you directly transfer the call without an introduction, it’s a cold call transfer.

Let’s take a closer look at how they’re different.

1. Warm call transfers

In warm call transfers, you provide the person you’re transferring the call to with information about the caller and their question(s) before connecting them.

If you need to connect the caller with a teammate after getting details about their issue, you can put the caller on hold. Then, get in touch with the team member you’re transferring to and ask if they’re available to take the call.

If your team member is available, give them the information you’ve received from the caller and transfer the call. 

Warm transfers improve the customer experience because the caller won’t have to repeat their question multiple times. Since the recipient already has basic information about the caller, they can pick up where you left off. This means the caller is less likely to abandon the call out of frustration.

💡Looking to build out warm transferring with your team? Check out our warm transfer script samples guide.

2. Cold call transfers

A cold transfer, also called a blind transfer, happens when you transfer a call without briefing the recipient. 

Cold transfers can help with efficiency — you simply route callers to the appropriate number when you can’t provide the information they need. You can also use cold transfers when callers ask for a specific teammate they spoke with earlier. 

You can also use cold transfers when the caller’s question is straightforward and doesn’t require sharing much information before you transfer the call.

The problem with cold transfers is that they often require the caller to explain their question multiple times. There’s also the risk that the person you transfer the call to is unavailable to take calls, and the caller ends up in voicemail. Not a great experience. 

How to transfer a call on different devices

The exact process of transferring calls on different devices depends on your business phone system. But you can use the overall process illustrated below as a general guide.

We’ll use Quo to show you how to transfer calls, including cold and warm transfer features — with the option to include a note to your teammates when transferring.

How to warm transfer a call from a computer to a teammate

Warm transfers work the same way as a cold call transfer, except you’ll brief the person you’re transferring the call to. 

Here’s how you’d warm transfer a call:

1. Select the Hold button ⏸️ to put the caller on hold.

2. Select  … menu next to the Hold icon.

3. Choose the option Transfer call.

4. Choose how you’ll transfer the call: Enter the name of the teammate in your workspace or dial the phone number of the teammate
   
   Once they pick up, you can tell them the information they need to know before continuing the call. You also have the option to include a note if they’re in your Quo workspace.

5. Take the original caller off hold by clicking the pause button again.
6. Stay on the phone until both parties have connected so you can introduce them.

How to cold transfer a call from a computer to a teammate

Cold transferring a call with Quo is a simple process. You don’t need to memorize any extension numbers — you can transfer calls just by tapping a few buttons.

Here’s how you can cold transfer calls on Quo:

1. Click the Hold icon ⏸️ to place a caller on hold. We recommend always putting callers on hold before transferring them so they don’t hear background noise. 

2. Click on the … menu next to the Hold icon.

3. Select the option Transfer call.

4. Enter the name or dial the phone number of the person you want to transfer the call to. Click Transfer to continue. 

Then, you can leave the call. The line will connect to the person you’ve transferred the call to.

How to warm transfer a call from an iPhone 

When you transfer calls on an iOS device using Quo, you’ll see the status of the person you’re transferring to. Here’s the step-by-step process:

1. Tap the Hold icon ⏸️ to place your caller on hold. 
2. Swipe up and select Transfer call.
3. Type in the name or dial the phone number of the teammate in your workspace you want to add to the call. You can see their status and availability to ensure they can answer.
4. Catch them up on any information they need to know before continuing the call by sending a note.
5. Tap Transfer. 

6. Tap the Hold icon ⏸️ again to take the caller off hold. If you wish to provide a warm introduction, you can do so. Then press the red phone icon to hang up the call.

How to cold transfer a call from an iPhone

Cold transferring calls on an iPhone works pretty much the same way as warm transfers, except with a small change:

Here’s how you’d do a cold transfer from an iPhone:

1. Place the caller on hold by tapping the Hold icon ⏸️. ⏸️ You can customize the hold music for a more professional experience.
2. Swipe up and tap the Transfer call option.
3. Select a team member you want to transfer the call to based on their availability, choose a person from your contact list, or enter the recipient’s phone number.

When you transfer the call, it will disconnect from your end and connect the recipient to the new number. 

How to warm transfer a call from an Android

Here’s how you can warm transfer calls from an Android on the Quo mobile app:

1. Put the caller on hold by tapping the Hold icon ⏸️.
2. Swipe up and choose Transfer call.
3. Search for a teammate by name, select them from your contacts, or dial their number. Their status shows whether they’re free to take the call.
4. Fill them in on any details the caller should know, and send a note if needed.
5. Tap Transfer to connect them and hang up. 

How to cold transfer a call from an Android

Here’s how you can cold transfer calls from an Android on the Quo mobile app:

1. Tap the Hold icon to place the caller on hold.
2. Swipe up and select Transfer call.
3. Select the team member you want to transfer the call to or enter a phone number.
4. Tap Transfer. 
5. Hang up the phone call.

How to set up call transfers with an AI agent

Here’s how to set up call transfers in Sona:

1. Open your call flow and add Sona as a step.
   
2. In the right panel under Jobs, click Add job.
   
3. Choose one of two options:
   
   • Use the Escalation template.
     
   • Create a new job from scratch.

4. If you use the Escalation template: the Transfer call action is already in Instructions. Edit the text if needed, then choose the destination.
   
5. If you create a new job: type / and select Transfer call, then choose the destination. The call can go to a specific teammate, a shared inbox in your workspace, or an external number.
   
6. Save the job.

Below you can see how an incoming transfer from a call with Sona looks. If no one answers, the call goes to voicemail.

After the call ends, you’ll see an AI summary in your call log showing that Sona handled the transfer and why the caller requested it.

How to decide between warm or cold transfers

Choosing between warm and cold transfers helps you offer a better experience to callers and leave a good impression. 

Here are four things you should keep in mind when transferring calls.

1. Cold transfer when no additional context is required

It may seem like giving your teammate a heads-up about a call transfer is always the right way to transfer calls. But in some cases, cold transfers work just as well as warm transfers. 

Suppose a caller directly tells you they have a question about billing. You don’t have enough context yourself, except that they have a billing question. In such cases, it makes sense to cold transfer those calls to a teammate who handles billing.

2. Warm transfer when you’ve already been given context

If you’ve already had a lengthy conversation with a caller, you should provide context to the teammate you’re transferring the call to.

Explaining the situation saves your teammate and the caller time. It also improves the customer’s experience since the caller won’t have to repeat their question or issue. Once the teammate is all caught up, you can then warm transfer the call to them. 

Keeping customers from repeating themselves goes a long way in building customer relationships. 

3. Check your teammates’ status

What if you cold transfer a call, but your teammate doesn’t answer? It’s a possibility, and you should let the caller know this.

You can always check a teammate’s availability on Quo before transferring a call. You can also directly message them to inform them about the call transfer. 

However, if a teammate is unavailable, let the caller know that they can leave a voicemail and someone will get back to them at their earliest convenience.

4. Note important details

Get the caller’s name if they’re not already saved as a contact, and make notes before you attempt to transfer the call. If the call drops while you’re transferring, you’ll have the information you need to help the caller when you call them back.

Quo’s contact notes and custom properties are good places to save information on customers so you and your teammates can easily reference them.

👉 Not sure when to use a warm transfer or cold transfer? Here’s a quick cheat sheet to help your team choose the right option for any situation:

Scenario	Best Method	Why
Caller has explained a complex issue	Warm transfer	Avoids repetition and provides a smooth handoff
Caller asks for a specific teammate	Cold transfer	Quick and direct, no introduction needed
Wrong department answered	Cold transfer	No background needed, just reroute
Caller has been on hold for a while	Warm transfer	Adds a personal touch and reduces frustration

What’s considered good business call transfer etiquette?

You know how to transfer calls, but you also want to leave a good impression on callers. The way you handle inbound call transfers reflects on your business. Here are a few ways to ensure you provide proper business phone etiquette when transferring calls. 

1. Understand the customer’s question

Take a minute to understand the caller’s question. If needed, repeat the issue back to the caller to confirm you’ve understood it. This will allow you to transfer their call to the right person. It can also help ensure the call doesn’t have to be transferred multiple times — or worse, back to you. 

You should also let the recipient of the call transfer know the name of the person they’ll be speaking with next.

2. Let the caller know you’re transferring their call

Don’t rush to transfer the call. Always ask the caller if it’s okay to transfer their call. You should also ask if you can place them on hold while you make the transfer. Given a chance, they may tell you they’d prefer to call back later or ask other questions that could give you useful context.

3. Share a direct number

If you’re transferring the call to a team with a publicly shared number, provide it to the caller before making the transfer. That way, if the call drops during the transfer or the customer wants to call back again later, they can call the specific team directly.

4. Don’t overpromise

When you’re transferring a caller to a teammate, don’t set the expectation that they’ll resolve the issue if you’re not entirely confident about it.

When you say your teammate will resolve the issue, but they need more time, it reflects poorly on the business. Instead, ask the caller if you can put them on hold while you look into the issue further — or check in with your teammate to confirm if they can help.

5. Make sure the caller doesn’t have to repeat themselves

Few things frustrate a caller more than having to repeat everything they’ve already explained. If the call drops or is transferred, starting from scratch can turn a quick handoff into a bad experience. Instead, make sure to give your teammate a quick rundown of what’s been shared so far. That way, the caller can pick up right where they left off instead of feeling like they’re back at square one.

6. Thank the caller

Always thank the caller before transferring them to a teammate. If you’ve had a lengthy conversation, ask them if there’s something else you can help with before transferring the call.

Call transfers are easy with Quo (formerly OpenPhone)

Call transfers can help callers get answers fast. Don’t let it turn into a frustrating experience for them. You can use either a cold or warm transfer, but following the best practices and the right etiquette leaves a great impression. 

Quo lets you transfer calls easily and professionally, with hold music anytime a caller needs to wait on hold. Our platform includes all the features you need to handle calls efficiently. You’ll have access to multi-level phone menus, shared phone numbers, and analytics to diagnose call avoidance. Plus, Quo’s AI voice agent, Sona, automatically answers calls, takes messages, responds to FAQs, and more.

If you’re a small business looking for a cost-effective VoIP phone service, start your free trial of Quo today.

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