Glossary
Call transfer and warm transfer
In a warm transfer, a call is handed to a person who learns beforehand who is calling and why; in a cold transfer, the call is put through without that information.
An AI phone assistant should not see every conversation through to the end itself. For complaints, emergencies, complex cases or at the caller’s request, handing over to a person is the right move. In a cold transfer the target person’s phone simply rings, and the caller explains everything all over again.
In a warm transfer the target person first receives a short summary, spoken or as a message, and then takes over. If nobody is available, a plan B is needed: promise a callback, note the request, notify whoever is responsible. Good rules lay down when a call is handed over, to whom, and what happens when the handover fails.
In practice
A handover needs three decisions. First the triggers: the caller’s wish, certain subjects, audible annoyance, several unsuccessful follow-up questions. Second the destinations: which number at which time, with an order in case the first person does not answer. Third the content of the handover: name, request, what has already been clarified. Tell the caller before transferring what is about to happen and how long it may take. Someone who is put on hold without a word hangs up, or starts the next conversation annoyed.
An example
On a Friday afternoon a tenant reports to a property management company that water is dripping through the ceiling. The assistant recognises the emergency, asks for the address and the flat and transfers to the on-call service. The technician first hears two sentences: who is calling, which building, water at the ceiling on the second floor. He takes over and only asks about the main stopcock. With a cold transfer the tenant would have explained everything a second time while the water kept running.
A common misunderstanding
A transfer is sometimes seen as a sign that the assistant has failed. The reverse is true: a timely handover is part of a good process. The extremes are the problem. An assistant that never hands over keeps callers in cases it cannot solve. One that transfers at every uncertainty relieves nobody. The rules should therefore be checked against real conversations and sharpened.
At Call0
Call0 can transfer calls to your team and summarises every call.
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As of: 12 October 2026