Can AI Receptionist Transfer Calls?
Yes, modern AI receptionists can transfer calls to specific team members, departments, or mobile numbers based on caller intent, business rules, or time of day.
Call transfers are one of the most requested features for AI receptionist systems. Small business owners need to know that urgent calls reach the right person while routine inquiries get handled automatically. Trillet's AI receptionist supports intelligent call transfers that route callers based on what they need, not just what button they press.
Which Trillet product is right for you?
Small businesses: Trillet AI Receptionist - 24/7 call answering with intelligent transfers starting at $29/month
Agencies: Trillet White-Label - Build transferable AI agents for clients starting at $99/month
How Do AI Receptionist Call Transfers Work?
AI receptionists use natural language understanding to determine caller intent, then route calls based on pre-configured rules.
Unlike traditional IVR systems that force callers through menu trees ("Press 1 for sales, press 2 for support"), AI receptionists listen to what callers actually say. When someone calls and says "I need to speak with someone about a leaking pipe emergency," the AI recognizes the urgency and transfers directly to your on-call technician.
Transfer triggers can include:
Specific keywords (emergency, urgent, complaint)
Caller requests ("Can I speak to Sarah?")
Business logic (new leads go to sales, existing customers go to support)
Time-based rules (after-hours calls go to mobile, business hours go to office)
Caller ID recognition (VIP customers get direct transfer)
What Types of Call Transfers Can AI Receptionists Perform?
AI receptionists support multiple transfer methods depending on your phone system and business needs.
Warm transfers: The AI stays on the line, introduces the caller to the person receiving the transfer, and provides context about the call. This creates a seamless handoff where the recipient knows who's calling and why before the conversation begins.
Cold transfers: The AI connects the caller directly to another number without introduction. Faster but less personal, best for high-volume scenarios where speed matters more than context.
Conditional transfers: The AI attempts to reach someone and only transfers if they answer. If the transfer target doesn't pick up, the AI can take a message, schedule a callback, or try an alternate number.
Failover transfers: If the primary transfer destination is unavailable, the AI automatically tries backup numbers in sequence until someone answers or all options are exhausted.
Can AI Receptionists Transfer to Mobile Phones?
Yes, AI receptionists can transfer calls to any phone number, including mobile phones, landlines, or VoIP extensions.
This is essential for small business owners who work in the field. A plumber on a job site, a real estate agent at a showing, or an electrician on a service call can still receive urgent transfers without being tied to an office phone.
Trillet allows you to set up:
Primary and backup transfer numbers per category
Time-based routing (office during business hours, mobile after hours)
Do-not-disturb schedules where transfers go to voicemail instead
Geographic routing for businesses with multiple locations
How Does AI Know When to Transfer vs. Handle the Call?
The AI evaluates each call against your configured rules to decide whether to handle it, transfer it, or take a message.
You control the decision logic during setup. For example:
"Transfer all emergency calls immediately"
"Handle appointment scheduling without transfer"
"Transfer calls asking for a specific person by name"
"Take a message if the caller wants to discuss pricing" (so you can call back prepared)
Trillet's website scraping and review aggregation setup automatically learns your business context, so the AI understands which topics it can handle and which require human intervention. A dental office AI knows to transfer calls about tooth pain (potential emergency) but can handle calls about appointment availability on its own.
Do Transferred Calls Cost Extra?
Transfer pricing varies by provider. Some charge per transfer, others include transfers in their base pricing.
With Trillet at $29/month, call transfers are included in your plan. You pay for the minutes used during the AI conversation and transfer, but there's no additional per-transfer fee. This matters for businesses with high transfer volumes.
Compare this to traditional answering services that charge $1-5 per transferred call on top of their monthly fee. A business transferring 50 calls per month could pay $50-250 extra just for transfers.
Comparison: AI Receptionist Transfer Capabilities
Feature | Trillet | Dialzara | My AI Front Desk | Smith.ai |
Warm transfers | Yes | Yes | Limited | Yes |
Cold transfers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Mobile transfers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Conditional transfers | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Transfer to multiple numbers | Yes | Limited | Limited | Yes |
No per-transfer fee | Yes | Yes | Yes | No ($1+/transfer) |
Time-based routing | Yes | Yes | Pro plan only | Yes |
Transfer context passed | Yes | Basic | No | Yes |
Trillet includes full transfer functionality on all plans, while competitors often reserve advanced transfer features for higher pricing tiers.
What Information Gets Passed During a Transfer?
The best AI receptionists pass caller context to the person receiving the transfer, eliminating the need for callers to repeat themselves.
When Trillet transfers a call, the recipient can receive:
Caller name and phone number
Reason for calling (as understood by the AI)
Summary of the conversation so far
Any information collected (appointment preferences, service needed, urgency level)
This context arrives via SMS or email notification before or during the transfer, so you're prepared before you answer. No more "Sorry, who is this and what did you need again?"
Can AI Receptionists Transfer to Departments or Extensions?
Yes, AI receptionists can route calls to specific departments, extensions, or phone trees within your existing phone system.
For businesses with multiple departments (sales, support, billing), the AI determines caller intent and transfers to the appropriate team. This works with:
Direct department phone numbers
PBX extensions
Ring groups (multiple phones ring simultaneously)
Hunt groups (phones ring in sequence until answered)
Trillet integrates with existing phone systems through conditional call forwarding, so you keep your current setup while adding AI capabilities.
What Happens If Nobody Answers the Transfer?
A good AI receptionist has fallback behavior when transfers fail, ensuring callers never hit a dead end.
Trillet's transfer failover options include:
Try backup numbers in sequence
Return to the AI to take a detailed message
Schedule a callback at a time that works for the caller
Send an SMS to the intended recipient with caller details
Route to voicemail with transcription
You configure the fallback chain during setup. For example: "Try my mobile, then try my partner's mobile, then take a message and text us both."
Frequently Asked Questions
Can AI receptionists transfer calls to international numbers?
Yes, most AI receptionists including Trillet can transfer to international numbers. Standard international calling rates apply based on the destination country.
Which Trillet product should I choose?
If you're a small business owner looking for AI call answering with transfer capabilities, start with Trillet AI Receptionist at $29/month. If you're an agency wanting to build transferable AI agents for clients, explore Trillet White-Label at $99/month (Studio) or $299/month (Agency, unlimited sub-accounts).
Do callers know they're being transferred by an AI?
Callers experience the transfer like any other call transfer. The AI announces the transfer ("I'll connect you with our service team now") and the handoff is seamless. Whether callers realize they spoke to an AI depends on voice quality and conversation naturalness.
Can I set up different transfer rules for different times of day?
Yes, Trillet supports time-based transfer rules. Common configurations include transferring to office phones during business hours, mobile phones for after-hours emergencies, and voicemail for non-urgent after-hours calls.
How fast are AI receptionist call transfers?
Transfers typically complete within 2-5 seconds once the AI decides to transfer. This is comparable to or faster than traditional IVR transfers that require button presses.
Conclusion
AI receptionists can absolutely transfer calls, and modern systems like Trillet do it intelligently based on what callers actually say rather than forcing them through menu trees. With warm and cold transfer options, mobile routing, failover handling, and context passing, AI transfers often provide a better caller experience than traditional systems.
Start with Trillet AI Receptionist at $29/month to add intelligent call transfers to your business. Setup takes about 5 minutes, and you can configure your transfer rules during onboarding.
Related Resources:
