Glossary
Warm transfer
In short
A warm transfer passes a call to another person together with its context, such as who is calling and why, so the caller does not have to explain everything again.
In a cold transfer the call is simply put through, and whoever picks up starts from zero. In a warm transfer the first person (or AI agent) briefs the next one first, either by speaking to them or by sending a short summary as the call connects.
For an AI receptionist, the warm transfer is the safety valve. When a caller is upset, asks for a human or has a problem outside the agent's rules, the call goes to your team with the caller's name, the reason and what has been said so far.
Good handovers are a big part of whether callers trust an automated phone system at all.
A worked example
A caller tells an AI receptionist their boiler is leaking. That is outside what the agent may handle alone, so it says it is putting them through to an engineer and, as the engineer's phone rings, sends a text: "Leaking boiler, Mrs Patel, 14 Elm Street, water near the electrics." The engineer picks up already knowing the job.
When it matters, and when it doesn't
It matters for any call where the caller has already explained something important or is upset. A cold transfer is fine for a simple "put me through to accounts".
Common questions
What is the difference between a warm and a cold transfer?
A cold transfer just connects the call; a warm transfer passes on who is calling and why first.
What happens if nobody picks up?
A good setup takes a message with the same summary and tells the caller when to expect a callback.
Can an AI do a warm transfer?
Yes. It can read out a short briefing or send a written summary as the call connects.