What Is a Warm Transfer?
How your company answers calls is important in building your brand. Quality service shows you value your customers. A simple “Hello, how can I help you?” is a good opening, but the question should not have to be repeated every time a caller is transferred. That’s where cold transfers can hurt your business.
A blind transfer forces the caller, and the next agent, to start again from scratch. The receptionist who received the inbound call has simply dumped it and handed the matter over to another department. Nobody enjoys having to repeat themselves.
Transferring a caller does not have to be a bad thing. Great customer service complements the efforts you’ve put into advertising, building a digital presence, and growing your brand. A warm transfer shows you’re prepared to deal with the customer’s issues.
How Does a Warm Transfer Improve the Caller’s Experience?
During a warm transfer, the call is still transferred from one employee to another. However, instead of just passing along the call, relevant details are too. The first employee who answered the call introduces the caller to the next person and explains their situation. There’s no need for the caller to repeat themselves, which is a bonus.
Warm transfers, however, may require putting the customer on hold while the third party’s availability is verified and information is shared. Nonetheless, the process is much more organized and attentive to the customer’s needs.
Offering a Human Touch to Clients and Customers
By focusing on human relationships, you can provide a show of warmth and compassion toward your clients and customers. It helps your business stand out from the competition. Building trust puts your company at an advantage in a crowded industry.
Technology has made face-to-face communication less commonplace. This can create a divide between businesses and customers and leave a cold impression. Putting in extra effort to help customers feel more positively about your brand can improve reputation and success.
That being said, businesses miss far too many calls. When your organization can’t take a call, that person is likely to move on to a competitor. The professionalism and availability of a receptionist is key to improving the customer experience and client retention.
A virtual receptionist service with polite, knowledgeable secretaries avoids the pitfalls of automated voicemail. Efficient help over the phone can leave them with a better impression. Nevertheless, how you transfer conversations is a major factor.
Benefits of a Warm Transfer
No one wants to explain the same thing multiple times. It is frustrating, especially since purchases can be made with one click and high-speed internet access is widely available. Since emotion is a key driver of consumer perceptions and behavior, how your company interacts with them is very important.
A warm transfer avoids the caller having to re-explain why they’re calling. Imagine calling a roofing company and speaking to a representative regarding a quote for repairs. The first person you speak to may not have all the information they need, so they’ll ask you to wait while they put you through to someone with the relevant knowledge. Once they return, the agent informs you the next person is there to help and politely hands over the call.
The customer service representative should always explain why the call is being transferred. Callers always prefer to speak to one person, but, understandably, not everyone can answer every question.
For example, you can explain that another individual or department is more equipped to handle the situation. Also mention you are sharing their background information. Then the caller is more likely to respect the fact your organization is willing to fully address their concerns.
How to Execute a Warm Transfer
As the agent on the phone with a caller, you must first determine which person or department they are trying to reach. Once you know where you are going to transfer them, let the caller know that you are going to see if the other party is available and ask if you can place them on a brief hold. If the caller accepts, place them on hold and dial the number or extension of the other party.
When the other person answers, explain to them who you have on hold waiting to be transferred. Ask if they would like to speak with them and provide any pertinent information you initially gathered so the caller doesn’t need to have the same conversation all over again. Once ready, patch in the caller and introduce them to the party you are transferring them to. After the connection is made, you can disconnect and leave them to their business. You have now successfully executed a warm transfer.
Why to Use a Virtual Receptionist Service for Warm Transfers
A virtual receptionist service ensures a representative is always available to take a customer’s or client’s call. It can increase productivity while ensuring callers are greeted and helped by a friendly voice, whether they call during or after business hours.
Also, each in-house phone call interrupts team members from the tasks they are performing. In fact, each individual distraction can take over 23 minutes to recover from, according to research.1
At AnswerMTI, our virtual receptionists are trained to address callers in a professional and polite manner. We are 100% based in the U.S. and serve clients in every region of the country. Available via month-to-month pricing with no long-term contracts, our services provide the personal touch customers are looking for and include:
- 24-Hour Answering: Calls are instantly answered day or night, so callers can always reach a representative after dialing your phone number.
- Unlimited Scripting: Our team can assist customers with any request, thanks to ongoing training and our proprietary software.
- Appointment Setting: AnswerMTI’s agents can set appointments for callers and manage your calendar, so no important meetings are ever missed.
- Bilingual Answering: If your business serves Spanish-speaking clients, speaking their language greatly improves customer service.
- Business Answering: We have agents trained to handle calls for various types of businesses and industries, and who can represent your startup, small or medium-sized business, or corporation.
- Emergency Answering: AnswerMTI keeps an open line of communication for callers who may have urgent needs or when an unforeseen event prevents your staff from getting to the office.
- Inbound Call Center: Our team can assist with high call volume. We handle call overflow and maintain customer satisfaction, even if a warm transfer is needed to help a customer.
Contact AnswerMTI
Our live agents can handle anything from managing call overflow to setting appointments, processing sales orders, and patching through calls to the right person in your organization via a warm transfer. A personal touch is our top priority!
With AnswerMTI’s virtual answering services, your business can have a competitive edge and your staff can focus on doing their jobs. Calls are answered days, nights, weekends, and holidays. To set up your free trial or learn more about our affordable service plans, call 844-798-1027 today!
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