Call routing, menus and hours · For 3CTel customers
How do I transfer a call (blind vs warm transfer)?
A blind transfer sends the caller to another extension or number immediately; you drop off and the other phone rings. A warm, or attended, transfer puts the caller on hold while you speak to the colleague, then joins them. Use blind transfers for simple handoffs to a group or voicemail, and warm transfers when the colleague needs context or you are not sure they are available.
Step by step.
Tell the caller what you are doing
"I am going to transfer you to Sam in billing." Callers tolerate a transfer far better when they know who they will reach and why.
Press Transfer
On a desk phone, press the Transfer key. On the desktop or mobile app, use the transfer button in the active call screen. The caller is placed on hold.
Choose the destination
Enter the extension, pick a contact from the directory, or type an external number such as a cell phone.
Blind: complete now
Press Transfer again (or Blind Transfer in the app). The caller is sent and you are released.
Warm: talk first, then complete
Wait for the colleague to answer, explain who is calling, then press Transfer to join them. If the colleague cannot take it, press Cancel to return to the caller.
When to use each
- Blind: routing to a department queue, a ring group, or straight to someone's voicemail.
- Warm: escalations, upset callers, anything where the next person needs the story so the caller does not repeat it.
- Warm: when the colleague may be busy and you would rather keep the caller than send them to voicemail.
- Blind to voicemail: when the caller asks to leave a message for a specific person who is away.
Transfers between devices and locations
Transfers work the same across desk phones, the desktop app and the mobile app, and across offices on the same system. A receptionist in one city can warm-transfer to a colleague working from home in another. Transfers to external numbers, such as a cell phone or a supplier, are also possible; the call then uses an outbound leg like any other call.
If a colleague is on the phone, their presence indicator shows busy before you try. Checking presence first avoids a transfer that bounces back.
Feature keys on desk phones can be labelled with common destinations so a transfer is one press. A 3CTel specialist can set these up for you.
Related questions.
Can I transfer directly to someone's voicemail?
Yes. Most systems use a prefix before the extension, or a directory option labelled voicemail, to skip ringing and drop the caller into the mailbox. It is useful when the caller only wants to leave a message.
What happens if the transfer destination does not answer?
On a blind transfer, the call follows the destination's own rules, usually voicemail. On a warm transfer, you are still on the line with the caller on hold, so you can cancel and offer to take a message instead.
Can the AI receptionist transfer calls?
Yes. The AI receptionist can transfer to a person, group or number based on rules you set, and can announce the caller and their reason before connecting, which behaves like a warm transfer.
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