Call Transfer Overview

Call transfer lets a user pass a call they are already on to another extension or phone number. It is an in-call action, so the transfer happens while the conversation is live. This page covers the two ways a call can be transferred and the options you can tune to control that behavior.

Transfer types

Users can move a call in one of two ways, depending on whether they want to speak to the destination first.

• Attended transfer: Also known as a consult or warm transfer. The person transferring the call (the transferor) reaches the destination (the recipient) and talks to them before completing the handoff. This is useful when someone needs to confirm the destination is ready before connecting the caller, such as an assistant checking that an executive is free to take the call.
• Blind transfer: Also known as a cold transfer. The call is sent straight to the destination without any advance conversation. Use it when no check is needed first, for example when routing a call to a ring group (a set of extensions that ring together).

Tip

Reach for an attended transfer when the caller should get a warm handoff, such as a support issue that needs context passed along. Reach for a blind transfer when a fast handoff matters more than an introduction, such as sending a caller to a queue or ring group.

Transfer options

The following settings determine how transfers are triggered and what happens when a destination does not pick up.

• Feature code: Extension users dial a feature code on their phone to start a transfer. The defaults are:
  • Attended transfer: *3
  • Blind transfer: *03
• Digit Timeout(s): How long a user has to key in the destination number after entering the feature code. Each digit must be entered within this window; if the gap between digits exceeds it, the entry times out.
• Attended Transfer Timeout(s): How long the destination is allowed to ring on an attended transfer. If the destination does not answer within this window, the call returns to the transferor.
• Transfer Bounce Back: Applies to blind and semi-attended transfers. When enabled, a call that the destination fails to answer is routed back to the user who started the transfer instead of being dropped.

Note

Feature codes are the star-and-digit sequences a user keys in on the phone while on a call. The keypresses travel as DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency) tones, the same touch-tone signals used for any dialed digits. The two transfer codes are separate: *3 begins an attended (consult) transfer and *03 begins a blind transfer.

Tip

*3 and *03 are the shipped defaults. If either clashes with another code in your dial plan, change it in the call transfer settings and tell users the new sequence so they do not keep dialing the old one.

Caution

The digit timeout measures the gap between individual key presses, not the total time spent dialing. If a user pauses too long between digits, the system stops collecting the number and the transfer attempt ends. Set the value high enough that users are not cut off partway through a number.

Note

A semi-attended transfer sits between the other two types: the user starts a consult transfer, then hangs up while the destination is still ringing and before it is answered. Because the destination may never pick up, it is covered by the bounce back setting alongside blind transfers.

Caution

Bounce back matters most on blind and semi-attended transfers, because the transferor has already dropped off the call. With bounce back disabled, an unanswered transfer has no one left on the line and the caller is dropped. Keep it enabled so unanswered transfers return to the user instead of ending the call.