Warm Transfer
A warm transfer is the process of connecting a customer to another agent or department while the original agent stays on the line to introduce the customer and provide context before disconnecting.
In Depth
Warm transfers are the gold standard for customer handoffs because they preserve context and create a seamless transition. The original agent briefs the receiving agent on the customer's issue, what has already been tried, and any relevant account details — all while the customer listens, ensuring accuracy and eliminating the need to repeat their story. In contrast to cold transfers (where the customer is simply forwarded without introduction), warm transfers demonstrate care and respect for the customer's time.
AI enables warm transfers at scale by automatically generating transfer summaries that capture the full conversation context, pre-populating the receiving agent's screen with relevant customer data, and in AI-to-human handoffs, providing the human agent with a complete briefing document including issue classification, attempted solutions, customer sentiment, and recommended next steps.
Related Terms
Cold Transfer
A cold transfer is the process of redirecting a customer to another agent or department without prior introduction or context sharing, requiring the customer to explain their issue again.
Escalation
Escalation is the process of transferring a customer support interaction from one level of support to a higher level — from AI to human, or from junior to senior agent — when the current handler cannot resolve the issue.
Agent Assist
Agent assist is AI technology that provides real-time suggestions, relevant knowledge articles, and automated actions to human support agents during customer interactions, improving speed and accuracy.
Learn More
