Warm call transfers: why they’re important

As the name suggests, call transfers are the process of transferring a call from one support team member to another.

Unlike a cold transfer, a warm call transfer involves the initial receptionist passing the caller’s information on to the next team member before they take over the call so that the customer doesn’t have to repeat themselves. As a result, this creates a far smoother and positive customer experience.

In this post, we explain more about warm call transfers and why they’re important.

Warm call transfers: a quick example

Here is a quick conversation example between a customer and a receptionist to clarify warm call transfers.

Receptionist: Good morning. You are through to [business name]. How can I help today?

Customer: Hi there, I placed an order with your company a week ago, and it still hasn’t arrived. I’m worried it has been lost in the post. Can you track it for me?

Receptionist: I’m sorry to hear you’re still waiting for your order. Please may I take your full name and order number? I’ll then attempt to transfer you to our Customer Service Team, who can look into this for you.

Customer: My name is Jane Smith, and my order number is 123456.

Receptionist: Thank you, Jane. And just to confirm, is ‘Jane’ spelt with or without a ‘y’? Your surname is spelt S-M-I-T-H, and your order number is 123456?

• See also: 8 reasons you should use a virtual receptionist
• See also: 9 tips on answering the telephone professionally
• See also: How we answer your calls explained

Customer: Jane without a ‘y’, and yes, both surname and order number are correct.

Receptionist: Thank you for confirming. I will now place you on a brief hold while I attempt to transfer you to a member of our Customer Service Team.

While the customer is placed on a brief hold, the receptionist contacts a Customer Service Team Member, who we’ll call James. Before transferring Jane, the receptionist explains that Jane Smith is on the line and wants to track her order 123456, as she’s been waiting longer than expected for it to arrive.

The receptionist then returns to Jane to explain she’s about to transfer the call. In the meantime, James can start investigating the order.

Receptionist: Thank you for holding, Jane. I have our Customer Service Expert, James, on the line, who can help track your order. I’ll connect you now.

James: Hi Jane, this is James speaking. X has given me all your details, so I’m just checking the status of your order for you now.

That completes the warm call transfer. As soon as Jane is transferred to James, he knows exactly who is calling and why, so there’s no need for her to repeat herself, and James is able to help her straight away.

If you don’t have a receptionist

Not all businesses have a receptionist to screen and transfer calls, but you can use warm call transfers with or without a front-of-house representative.

For instance, if a customer contacts the customer care team directly but the first agent who answers is unable to help, the team can then apply the warm call transfer procedure to pass the call on to an expert.

What makes a cold transfer cold?

We’ve established what a warm call transfer is, so how exactly does a cold one differ? With a cold call transfer, no call screening or introduction is involved.

Returning to the above conversation, Jane would be transferred to James after the receptionist said they would contact the team who could help. Jane would be unaware of who she was talking to now, and James would have no prior warning of who was calling and why, forcing Jane to explain to her again what she needed help with.

A warm call transfer is far more positive and personable. We will discuss its importance in detail next.

Why warm call transfers are important

Warm call transfers are the better option for a customer-facing business. Here are the key reasons why.

Create a great first impression

The first phone interaction with customers is crucial. This is when they decide whether or not to call again. By implementing warm call transfers, you can ensure that the first impression of your brand is spot on and fills the caller with trust and confidence.

Especially if they have an urgent or complex problem, a warm call transfer significantly reduces the steps they need to take to resolve the issue.

In contrast, cold call transfers symbolise a lack of attention and care for the customer. As a result, the caller is left even more frustrated, their problem unresolved, and their custom most likely lost.

Meanwhile, warm call transfers indicate that you value the customer, have actively listened to their concern or query, and have taken proactive steps to help them. They have two people proactively helping them, so they feel well supported with their issue or query.

Resolve queries efficiently

As you’ve seen from the example conversation, warm call transfers make transitions far smoother. This allows you to help the customer more efficiently and effectively, as it avoids the need for the caller to start from the beginning whenever they speak to someone new.

But that’s not the only reason why warm call transfers are efficient. During the call screening process, the receptionist is responsible for finding the most skilled person to help. Pairing callers with the best person for the job reduces the number of transfers needed and instantly connects customers with the right assistance.

Sometimes, you might need to transfer a call more than once. For instance, if the initial support agent learns more information along the way and needs to transfer the call further up the chain or to a specialist.

If that’s the case, always use warm call transfers to keep the process as efficient and effective as possible. It is paramount that colleagues communicate well with one another and relay all the necessary information to the next team member, which will facilitate a seamless transition—almost as if the transfer didn’t even take place.

Personalised experience

Cold call transfers are impersonal. Without an upfront introduction of who they’re about to be transferred to, customers can feel like a voice at the end of the line rather than a valued caller to whom you’re taking the time to listen. In the worst cases, a cold transfer could just transfer to a ringing line that never gets answered.

However, warm call transfers ensure that each caller is personally acknowledged and each interaction is built specifically around their individual needs. It’s as simple as addressing them by name and the team members introducing themselves when they pick up the phone.

Improved customer satisfaction

Customer satisfaction (CSAT) is everything for customer-facing companies. If they’re unhappy, business performance suffers. Warm call transfers, however, take little to implement but can have a huge impact on your CSAT.

They’re all about active listening, addressing the caller, and making them feel, well, warm! In other words, it’s about creating a positive experience and keeping the caller well-informed and reassured between transfers rather than simply patching them through to someone without any context or notice.

A little certainly goes a long way in customer support, and warm call transfers help make people feel more welcome, heard, and valued. This means they’re more likely to end the call happy, call again in the future, and recommend your excellent support team to others.

Choose Bizik to handle your warm call transfers

Let our Virtual PAs handle your warm call transfers regardless of your business size. Bizik has a growing team of cherry-picked, experienced professionals from all over the UK, ready to treat your customers as their own.

They’ll take the time to get to know your business and your business language so that when your customers get in touch, they’ll know exactly what to say and how. Forget cold, pre-written, multi-purpose scripts—all our conversations are genuine, human, and warm. And when they transfer a customer to a team member, you can rest assured that it’ll always be a warm call transfer.

To find out more, call our Sales Team on 020 3917 7444 or book your free trial online.