Transfer Guidance
Transfer Protocol
Always attempt to reach the appropriate staff before transferring the caller.
Last updated: Effective 5.18.2026
Quick Reference Card
Transfer Protocol — at a glance
- Place the caller on a brief hold.
- Attempt to reach the receiving party.
- If no answer, try a second time.
- Still no answer after 2 attempts → return to caller and offer options.
If caller chooses call back
“Thank you for your call. Have a great day.”
If caller chooses voicemail
“Please hold while I transfer you to voicemail.”
- Avoid blind transfers — always attempt a warm transfer first.
- Never leave the caller on hold without checking back in.
- Maintain a calm, professional tone.
- Flag departments that repeatedly don’t answer for supervisor review.
Guided Transfer Workflow
1
Place on hold
2
1st attempt
3
2nd attempt
4
Return to caller
5
Resolution
Transfer Flowchart
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ Transfer needed │
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Place caller on hold │
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ 2. Attempt to reach dept. │
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
answer│ no answer
┌──────────┴──────────┐
▼ ▼
┌─────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
│ Warm │ │ 3. Try a 2nd time│
│ transfer│ └────────┬─────────┘
└─────────┘ answer │ no answer
┌──────────┴──────────┐
▼ ▼
┌─────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
│ Warm │ │ 4. Return to │
│ transfer│ │ caller │
└─────────┘ └────────┬─────────┘
▼
┌──────────────────┐
│ Offer 2 options │
└──┬─────────────┬─┘
▼ ▼
┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│ Call back│ │ Voicemail│
└──────────┘ └──────────┘Transfer when…
- •The caller needs to schedule an appointment.
- •The caller asks detailed billing questions beyond the estimate.
- •The caller needs medical advice.
- •The caller is asking about symptoms, treatment, results, or medications.
- •The caller is upset and needs a supervisor or department staff.
- •Staff cannot confidently answer using the approved script.
Before transferring
- •Tell the receiving department what the caller needs.
- •Use a warm transfer when possible.
- •Do not blind transfer if avoidable.
Tip
Use a warm transfer whenever possible — give the receiving staff a brief summary of why the caller is being transferred.