Call Transfer Procedures

Call Transfer Procedures

There are 2 different ways to transfer a call, Warm Conference and Cold Transfer:

  1. Warm Conference: Agent stays on the line during the transfer to introduce the customer to the agent receiving the call and advise the agent of the situation. 
  1. Cold Transfer: Agent transfers their call to another agent or department without making an introduction. Essentially, dropping the call into a queue.

Review the CXone Softphone article for Conference and Transfer procedures.

AlertALL internal calls are to be warm conferenced UNLESS advised otherwise by the business.

Before warm conferencing calls, we must confirm the reason the customer is calling. This is where you need to use probing questions to determine the nature of the call, AND make sure you have the following: 
  1. Contract Number
  2. Reason for transfer

Transfer Guidelines

Customer Service

To

Retention

Retention

To

Customer Service

Customer Service

To

Authorizations

  1. You must be 100% sure the customer wants to cancel, and you've done everything possible to assist them.
  1. Confirm the warranty is ACTIVE in SCM/SB.
  1. Follow guidelines to add additional/ optional coverage

    1. 30-day window, before or after the effective date.

    2. Pre-existing conditions are NOT covered under any circumstances. 
  1. Take ownership of ALL coverage questions, DO NOT transfer.
  1. Confirm the warranty is ACTIVE  in SCM.
  1. Check the coverage. Is the item needing service addressed under the warranty (including additional/optional coverage)?  
  1. Cold transfer Service Providers to Authorizations.
  1. Does the Service Provider have a report/diagnosis?
  1. Does the Service Provider have the additional information Cinch is requesting?

 If a customer is escalating something that your department handles, DO NOT transfer outside of your department.
  1. Customer Service needs to transfer escalated customers to their Supervisors or Tier 1 teams unless approved to transfer to Tier 2 due to the escalation reason.
  2. Retention needs to transfer escalated customer to their Supervisors in Retention.

Warm Conference

A Warm Conference/warm transfer, also referred to as a 3-Way Conference, includes the “handshake” introduction.
  1. Contact the appropriate department/agent, provide all necessary information, and confirm whether the customer has been fully verified. Then, conference all departments together.
  2. Document the name of the agent who takes over the call.
  3. If Warm Conferencing outside of the company (Sears, GE, Service Providers, etc.), the agent initiating the outbound call must advise the answering party of the outbound Recording Disclosure.
    1. If the warm transfer fails, return to the customer and advise them that you are going to attempt to conference again.
      If the warm transfer fails the second time, return to the customer and advise that you were unable to connect them directly with an agent.
      Offer to transfer them into the call rotation and/or voicemail. Explain to the customer that their request and your conversation will be documented.

Guidelines

Action

Suggested Scripting

  1. Before placing the caller on hold, ask the closing question. 

  2. Ask for permission or set expectations for the hold.
  1. Give a reason for the hold.
  1. Wait for a response, and show gratitude.
  1. When the parties are all connected, the original agent must introduce both parties, then disconnect the call.
  1. The agent accepting the transfer must provide the recording disclosure, when applicable.
  1. If a new person joins the call DURING or AFTER the hold, the agent must  repeat the recording disclosure.

    "This call is RECORDED and may be MONITORED to improve quality."

Set the correct expectations. 

“<Customer Name>, to better assist you, I will connect you with <Department/Agent Name>
Before I place you on hold, do you have any other questions I can answer?

Thank you for calling <Department>


Connect all parties together. 

“<Customer Name>, thank you for holding. I have <Department/Agent Name> on the line, and they will be happy to assist you.”

Cold Transfer

A Cold Transfer does not include the “handshake” introduction. Be sure to set expectations for the hold before transferring to the correct department queue/number. 
  1. Use only when advised by the business, and hold times exceed 2 minutes. 
  2. If unable to connect directly to an agent, inform the customer that you are connecting them to <Department>, and the next available agent will assist them.
  3. For Sears Billing/Membership Service, inform the customer that due to longer-than-normal wait times, you are connecting them to <Department> and the next available agent will assist them. Ask them if they would like the toll-free number in case they decide to call back later. Provide the number when applicable.

Guidelines

Action

Script

Listen carefully to the customer's questions/concerns:

  1. While listening, the agent should navigate to notes and determine the need (payment inquiry, enrollment inquiry, billing inquiry, escalation, etc.).
  1. Recap/Restate with the customer to clarify the reason for the call.
  1. Advise that you will be transferring them to the correct department to assist them.

After a warm-transfer attempt. 

“<Customer Name>, I apologize for the delay you are experiencing. I was unable to get an agent from <Department> on the line.

At this time,   I will be connecting you directly to <Department>, and the next available agent will assist you.

Please have your contract number ready. Thank you for calling <Department>.” 


Approved cold-transfer (business needs)

"Before I place you on hold, do you have any other questions I can answer?"

At this time, I will be connecting you directly to <Department>, and the next available agent will assist you.

Please have your contract number ready. Thank you for calling <Department>.” 







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