Why Call Center Agents Should Avoid Transferring Customers

published – July 7th 2023

It can be very tempting to want to transfer calls in this occupation. It might simply be a matter of convenience or maybe because you don’t specialize in what the customer needs in particular on that day.

Although, there are a few reasons why you shouldn’t transfer right away (at least not before thinking it through). I understand that on certain occasions you may not have much of a choice in the matter. Nevertheless, you should at least attempt to do everything in your power to find a solution.

One should ideally do this before moving the case on to somebody else. It can often feel like you are just kicking the can down the road if you don’t get to the root of the problem there and then. If you want to learn how to improve transfer rate in call center then this is really just the start.

keys Why Call Center Agents Should Avoid Transferring Customers earn work jobs make money call centre representative customer caller transfer rate experience case issue problem employer employee inbound remote from home worker support training manager supervisor button department service help situation scenario warm cold permission explain rude professional etiquette colleague coworker polite note request computer program software superior — photo by 422737 from pixabay

Do experienced employees still need to transfer callers?

As you get further into your call center career, you will likely find that your call center transfer rate will become fairly low. This makes sense seeing as you will have developed more skills and call center experience by that point.

If you can resolve a customer’s issue but still choose not to in favor of transferring then this can easily be seen as laziness by your employer.

It should be avoided as the agent who you are passing the caller to will likely know less than you. If you follow through, this will probably result in another pointless transfer loop.

Do customer transfers happen in telesales at outbound call centers?

There isn’t as much transferring being done by a telemarketing agent in an outbound contact centre. This is mostly because you are trying to keep the caller on the line in order to sell whatever product or service it is.

After all, you are calling them unsolicited so they probably won’t be so pleased about being transferred. They are more likely to become impatient and hang up in this scenario. Clearly, this will ultimately mean losing your lead or sales commission.

Do remote call center representatives need to transfer callers?

Remote employees who work call center jobs from home are a little more isolated than most workers (as you might expect).

For this reason, individuals who do call center remote jobs may have more of an excuse to transfer calls when they are faced with a tough call. Honestly, people in these call center positions might not have much of a choice given the lack of face-to-face support around them.

How to reduce transfers in a call center business?

Typical jobs of this nature should offer an initial induction and training period that will cover what to do in the case of transferring a call.

If you still find yourself stuck, ask a call center manager or call center supervisor for help before you decide to hit the transfer button. Most call center jobs require no experience so don’t expect to know everything right away. These are just a few ways on how to lower transfer rate in a call center.

When should call center agents transfer a call?

You shouldn’t transfer the call to another agent if you can help it. What if the next representative has the same idea (and the one after that, and the one after that)? In the worst-case scenario, this will create a nightmarish and neverending string of transfers.

The customer will inevitably be passed around for what feels like an eternity. Just imagine how angry and irritated the caller will be having gone through all of that.

It’s best to fix the problem on the first call with just one agent if possible. Your employer should set your call center transfer rate benchmark at an appropriate level.

The caller may in fact specifically ask you to transfer them to a certain person or department. It might even be a representative that they were talking to previously. This generally makes things a lot smoother for you as it basically takes the choice out of your hands.

What if the customer has called the wrong department?

It might be the case that the caller in question requires a completely different department from the one that you work in. For example, the caller may have accidentally been put through to call center customer service or support when they actually need the sales department.

Of course, you should probably transfer in this situation. However, you should first do everything in your capacity to help anyway. It might even end up being very simple and you will be able to resolve the caller’s problem despite differing departments.

What is a warm transfer in a call center?

Always explicitly let the customer know that they are being transferred and also explain why. They might not be happy about this but at least they are in the know.

If you have to transfer a call make sure that you kindly ask permission from the new agent. In addition, you should fully explain the customer’s situation to them.

What is a cold transfer in a call center?

It is very rude and unprofessional to perform an unsolicited transfer without providing any context whatsoever. In terms of call center etiquette, everyone will be in the dark if you do this.

You are essentially asking one of your colleagues for a favor whenever you transfer so always be polite and appreciative of them. It’s good to end your call on a high.

Is taking notes useful for call center representatives with customer transfers?

It’s a smart idea to use your notebook to make detailed notes as you can then pass on this information to the next representative. This will help them a lot more than offering nothing or just the basic, bare bones data that you can remember off the top of your head.

Can another call center agent refuse to accept a customer transfer?

An agent may turn your transfer request down if they feel that they are not qualified to handle the case. For instance, they may not have the right computer program, software or call center equipment required to deal with the customer’s needs. This sometimes happens so you will just need to try somebody else.

Why do callers hate being transferred?

Besides being put on hold, the one thing callers often hate just as much is being transferred. This massively inconveniences them as they will likely have to explain their situation to an entirely new person. Think of it as being pushed back to square one. From their point of view, it can also feel like they are being fobbed off.

A lot of this comes down to being proficient at gauging exactly when you should or shouldn’t transfer a call. On the one hand, you should stick with it. Do your best to expend time and effort in solving the problem to the best of your abilities.

Then again, there are times when you have exhausted all options. Furthermore, you should just give the case to someone who has the tools to deal with it better than you can.

This doesn’t always boil down to competency so I wouldn’t feel too bad about giving up. Neither should you take it too personally.

Next time you get an opportunity, I strongly suggest that you consult your colleagues and superiors. Ask them specifically about the issue of transferring a call.

Someone who has been in this line of work for long enough should be able to give you some useful advice. They should be able to help from their own experience about when it is or isn’t appropriate to transfer a call.

You could even listen to sample recordings from contact centres. This could be a good way of gleaning some tips on when to transfer based on what you’re hearing. Sites like onsip and legalconversioncenter show that there is much more you can learn about call transfers in call center work.

Are there any call center jobs near me? There are always vacancies for this line of work. For this reason, you should give myperfectresume a go. This handy little tool will vastly improve your resume to aid you on your job hunt.

What is your personal process when transferring a caller and why do you go about it that particular way? Ideally, when do you believe you should or shouldn’t transfer a call?

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