Glossary
Call Transfer
The mechanism for moving a call from one destination to another — typically AI to human, or one team/queue to another. Best implemented as a "warm transfer" with context.
Call transfer is the operational mechanism by which AI voice agents hand off to human agents (or vice versa, or human-to-human). Implementations range from cold transfers (caller is dumped to a new queue with no context — "please hold while I transfer you") to warm transfers (the AI briefs the receiving human in real-time as the call connects). Warm transfers dramatically reduce average handle time on transferred calls (30–50% AHT reduction is typical) because the human starts already knowing what the conversation is about, the caller’s identity, and the recommended path forward.
Why it matters
- Cold transfers degrade CSAT and inflate AHT — they’re the worst CX pattern in any call flow.
- Warm transfers reduce average handle time on escalated calls by 30–50%.
- SIP-based transfer (vs phone-tree round-tripping) maintains call quality and context.
- Right-skill transfer (language, expertise, account tier) on first try eliminates frustrating transfer chains.
- Conferencing-style transfer keeps the AI on the line until the human has all context.