warm transfer
Updated September 2026
A warm transfer hands a call to a human with the context already delivered: who is calling, what they need, and what has been tried. The definition and how Sky does it.
What is a warm transfer?
A warm transfer hands a phone call to a human with the context already delivered: who is calling, what they need, and what has been tried, so the caller never repeats themselves.
The cold version is the blind transfer: the caller repeats everything to the next person. The warm version moves the call and the story together. It is the difference between an AI that escalates and an AI that gives up.
How does it work?
Before the handoff, the agent summarizes: the caller, the verified identity, the request, and what has been tried. The person who picks up gets that as a ready-to-act note, and the caller hears a name, not a hold queue.
- The caller's details, verified per your policy
- The request in the caller's own words
- What the agent already tried or confirmed
How does Sky do it?
When a request needs a person under your policies, Sky transfers with full context and a ready-to-act note. Urgent calls follow your escalation rules to the right number, and the whole exchange lands on the audit trail.
The full product page for this term: AI receptionist. Read next: call deflection and human-in-the-loop.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a warm and a cold transfer?
A cold transfer moves the call with nothing attached, so the caller starts over. A warm transfer moves the call with the full context: who is calling, what they need, and what has been tried.
Does the caller have to repeat themselves after a warm transfer?
No. That is the point: the person who picks up already has the caller's details and the request, so the conversation continues instead of restarting.
When does Sky transfer a call?
When your policies say a human should decide, or when the caller asks for a person. The handoff includes everything Sky knows so far.
See the term in production.
Tell the team what your phone line should do, and we will show you Sky doing it, usually within one business day.
We usually reply within one business day.