Whether you share a receptionist with your virtual office, have a dedicated receptionist, or use a virtual receptionist service, having them introduce calls that come in to your business can help you look more professional.
Instead of callers being transferred to a ringing line, wondering whether someone will pick up, in a “warm transfer,” the receptionist does all the legwork.
If the other party answers, she’ll introduce the call with a simple,
“Hi! I have Ms. Smith on the line for you. Would you like the call?”
If there’s no answer or they decline, she’ll go back to the caller and politely offer to take a message. Much more reassuring, don’t you think?
What is ‘warm transferring a caller’?
During a warm transfer, the receptionist briefly places the caller on hold, contacts the recipient to provide details about the caller and the purpose of the call, then connects the caller once the recipient is ready. This process creates a smoother, more personal handoff, enhancing both professionalism and the caller’s experience. Warm transfers are often used in customer service, sales, and support settings to ensure that callers feel valued and properly directed.
Why do Warm Transfers Help?
There are a number of reasons using warm transfers with callers can make a world of difference to your business:
Warm transferring allows for great greetings.
When you know who you’re about to speak with, you can craft a super-friendly greeting for each caller, making every conversation excellent from the get-go. What sounds better: a plain Hello? or a personalized greeting (Denise! It’s so wonderful to hear from you! How have you been?)? Warm transfers make those personalized greetings possible!
Warm transferring callers gives you time to know your customers.
Knowing who you’re about to speak with can be a boon to your business. Before having your receptionist patch a call through, you can take a moment to access a caller’s account, glance at a client’s file, or gather any information you might need.
“Hi! This is Heather from Ruby. I have Kim with Taylor Consulting on the line.”
“Great! Let me bring up her account… Okay, I’m ready! Please put Kim through.”
Warm transfers let you relay information when you don’t have time to chat.
Say you get a call when you’re about to step into a meeting. It may not be an ideal time for a conversation, but when you know a friendly receptionist is on the other end of the line, there’s no reason not to pick up the phone. Your receptionist can easily relay messages to callers, keeping them up-to-date when you don’t have time to update them yourself.
“Hi! This is Kelly from Ruby. I have Larry on the line for you.”
“Great! Please tell Larry I’ll meet him at 5:00 as planned, and I’ll give him a call around 2:00 after my meeting.”
Warm transfers allow you to get more information when you need it.
Not sure who you’re about to talk to? No worries! It’s a snap for the receptionist to bounce back to callers and ask additional questions. Maybe your caller has introduced himself simply as Michael, and you’re looking forward to a call from Michael at ABC Company, but aren’t ready to chat with Michael from XYZ Company. Thanks to your choice of a warm transfer, your receptionist can easily clarify who is on the line.
“Hi Michael! Thank you for your patience. May I ask what company you’re with?”
“Sure! I’m calling from ABC Company.”
“Thanks so much! One moment, please”.
Warm transferring callers lets you reschedule important conversations.
With warm transfers, you won’t get stuck in a conversation you’d rather put off.
The true beauty of a warm transfer is the option to not take a call. When you know your bright, friendly receptionist will make every caller feel taken care of regardless of whether they’re connected to you, you can rest easy when you’re not in the mood to chat.
“Good morning! This is Ashley from Ruby. I have Lily Peterson on the line for you.”
“Hmmm…will you take a message?”
“Absolutely! Have a wonderful day.”
“Thank you for your patience, Lily! Janet is away from the phone at the moment, but I’ll be happy to take a message for you. What’s the best telephone number for a return call?”
Warm Transferring with Ruby
See what a difference a warm transfer can make?! If your receptionist is patching calls through to you without introducing them first, try making this little change. We think you’ll notice a big difference as a result! With Ruby, we focus on training our receptionists in the techniques necessary to building quality relationships with customers.
Want to learn more?
Discover everything a virtual receptionist service has to offer after (and before) the transfer in our ultimate guide to virtual receptionists
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