Warm and blind transfers in Salesforce Voice (SFV)

Salesforce Voice (SFV) supports both warm transfers and blind transfers, enabling agents to route calls to other agents or supervisors based on customer needs. This guide outlines the behavior, flows, and limitations of each transfer type in SFV, and clarifies the difference between warm transfers and call conferencing.

Warm transfer in SFV

A warm transfer allows the current agent to speak with another agent or supervisor before or during the handoff, offering context and helping ensure a smooth customer experience.

Key characteristics

• The original agent stays on the call during the transfer setup.

• Agents can communicate privately before the customer is reconnected.

• When the call is merged, the customer and the receiving agent remain on the line and the initial agent is disconnected.

• Call conferencing, where all three parties remain connected at the same time, is not currently supported.

In Salesforce Voice, Merge completes the warm transfer and disconnects the initial agent. Merge does not start a conference call.

Example workflow

1. Agent A receives a customer call.
2. Agent A identifies that a specialist is needed.
3. Agent A initiates a warm transfer to Agent B using the Add Caller button.
4. Agent A speaks to Agent B to brief them on the issue.
5. Agent A clicks Merge to complete the warm transfer; Agent A is disconnected and Agent B continues with the customer.

Performing a warm transfer

Steps:

1. Start a call with the customer.
2. Click the Add Caller button in the Omni-Widget.

3. A screen appears showing a list of available contacts, with filtering options.

4. Use the filter dropdown to narrow down contact options.

5. Select the desired agent and click to initiate the transfer.

6. The original call goes on hold, and a new call is initiated to Agent B.

7. When Agent B answers, the two agents are connected while the customer remains on hold.

8. Use the Resume or Swap button to toggle between calls.

9. Optionally, click Merge to start a conference call with all parties.

Warm transfer limitations

• The Previous Call field may not populate correctly after transfer.

• Removing a teammate from the Favorites list may not persist after filtering.

• Available agents may not appear under the Agent (Available) filter.

• UI flickers, the Omni-Channel panel goes white briefly, when merging calls.

• Only 50 contacts are fetched in the Add Caller screen.

• The contact filter currently supports only All and Agent (All) options.

Blind transfer in SFV

A blind transfer allows an agent to transfer a call directly to another agent or external number without joining the conversation. This is useful for quick handoffs where no context exchange is needed.

Key characteristics

• The original agent is removed from the call immediately after the transfer is initiated.

• The customer is transferred directly to the new agent or external number.

• If the recipient does not answer, the call rolls back to the original agent.

Example workflow

1. Agent A makes or receives a call.

2. During the call, the Blind Transfer button becomes available.

3. Agent A clicks Blind Transfer and selects a recipient from the contact list or enters a phone number.

4. The call is transferred and Agent A is removed from the call.

5. If Agent B does not answer, the call is rolled back to Agent A.

Performing a blind transfer

Steps:

1. Start a call with the customer.

2. Click the Blind Transfer button.

3. A list of available agents appears with filtering options.

4. Apply filters if needed and select the desired agent.

5. Click Transfer.

6. Agent A is removed from the call.

7. If the recipient doesn't answer, the call rolls back to Agent A, who can then handle it or attempt another transfer.

When a blind transfer fails, a new Voice Call record is created and linked to the same Aircall voice object. This repeats for each failed transfer.